Full pantry + couponing= peace

Sounds funny, right?

Well, it's true. For me, at least, knowing that I have enough on hand to feed my family even in emergencies just makes me feel better. The emergency doesn't have to be one of the "typical" ones- it could be that we're snowbound, one of the cars goes out, one of us gets sick and we can't leave the house, etc.

Here's my "must have" stock up items

Tomatoes- diced, crushed, whole, and several jars of ready-made sauce
Pasta- I have 20lbs of pasta- Ronzoni SmartTaste- 3 shapes- all free after coupon
Beans- 10lbs of various types of dried beans. Plus another 5 of lentils and peas.
Rice- 2 types- instant for Paul's rice pudding, and brown for everything else.
Canned soups- large variety, about 30 cans.
Cereal- 6 different boxes of healthy stuff- plus a big container of Maypo

Baking supplies:
Flour- I have AP, whole wheat, and self rising on hand.
Sugar- white, brown, molasses, and corn syrup
Yeast- a jar in the fridge
baking soda, powder, cornstarch, cornmeal, and oats

Using JUST what is in my pantry, I can make a wide variety of meals. Add in my fridge and freezer stuff, and we could eat for quite some time if we were stuck.

And that makes me feel better!