Oh, all our goodies!

Does this look familiar? Do you have a similar way of storing all those stockpiled items that dont fit in the pantry?

I keep some of my dry goods on a big shelf unit next to my big freezer in my basement. Its almost like my own little grocery store, when I run low on something, I just run down to grab more. But when do I have enough? I really enjoy getting great deals and free food, but is there a point when I need to stop? I think I am pretty good about knowing when to say when. Although I do have a few more boxed of cereal sitting next to this bin on the shelf, I only have about 3 boxes in my pantry, opened and being eaten. I wont buy any more, unless they are free of course. I have lots of cans of corn and tomatoes down there as well.

Doing this helps keep my pantry organized and keeps my life easier. Dinner is faster when Im not overwhelmed.

Plus, I have to keep my newly remodeled pantry looking oh-so pretty.
Sometimes I wonder about the expiration dates on the products I buy. How long do they really last? To my pleasant surprise Denise from the 'Cent'sible Sawyer has a wonderful article on this. I like to test expiration dates myself, mainly on dry goods, but did learn a lot from her article, check it out!