What’s your smartest fridge or pantry tip?
Let's share what's saving our kitchens right now
Few spots in the house unravel faster than the fridge and pantry. Ask me how I know. 😬 One minute they’re tidy, the next you have three open jars of Dijon mustard and a half-eaten bag of stale chips shoved behind the quinoa.
If you’ve ever bought pasta sauce you already had or dealt with a scary container of leftovers that got lost in the back, you get it. So let’s swap ideas—what’s actually working in your kitchen?
Maybe you have a fridge setup that keeps things visible or a pantry trick that saves you from re-buying the same stuff over and over— let’s share what’s saving our kitchens this month!
Here’s what’s helping me keep our fridge and pantry a little more organized lately:
Giving leftovers a home base
Instead of scattering containers across every shelf, I try to keep all leftovers on the bottom left shelf of the fridge. Less digging around, less wasted food!
Clear food containers only
If we can’t see it, we won’t eat it. See-through food storage containers make it easy to spot what needs to be used up—no more moldy mystery leftovers!
Mesh produce bags for garlic + onions
They help keep flaky skins contained so crisper drawers and pantry shelves stay clean, and can be tossed in the wash when they need a refresh.
Separate spice shelves
Our spices live in a little cabinet next to the fridge. I keep the sweet ones I use for baking—cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla—on the top shelf, savory everyday staples like oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and chili flakes in the middle, and the “once-in-a-while” spices on the bottom. It’s a simple system, but easy to maintain, and I can find the spice I’m looking for in just a couple of seconds.
Grocery store groupings
Organizing our pantry like a mini grocery store has made a big difference in keeping things organized. Everything has a loose category—like items live together either on a shelf or in a labeled bin. Much like everything else you own, when pantry staples have a home, you know exactly what you have—and what you don’t.
Here are our main groupings:
Dried beans & grains
A big ol’ bin for pasta
Canned beans + tuna
Canned tomatoes + pasta sauce
Asian staples (noodles, sauces)
Sweeteners + spreads (honey, maple syrup, agave, peanut butter, Nutella, etc.)
Nuts + seeds (I decant our go-tos; the rest go in a bin)
Kids’ snacks (bars, crackers, dried mango)
Backup condiments
Bready things (sliced bread, tortillas)
Breakfast staples (oats, bagels)
Beverages
Your turn!
What’s your smartest fridge or pantry organization tip? Drop it in the comments and you’ll be entered to win a free 30-minute simplifying session with me—and congrats to Audrey, last month’s winner! 🎉
Want to catch up on past Solution Swaps?
You can find previous editions here—they’re full of smart ideas from this amazing community!
I buy frozen onion and garlic cubes from Target so I always have it on hand for cooking. They’re a huge time saver for me and keep my hands from getting stinky. In my pantry I use risers so I can see what’s in the back. Or rather, my kids can see so stuff doesn’t go to the back of the pantry to die.
I keep lunch packing staples/snacks in low, clear bins in the pantry so my kids can easily see and reach them. They’re labeled by category (protein, fruit, treat) so they can grab one of each quickly…and don’t grab three treats and tell me their lunch is packed! 😉 All the backstock goes in one big, opaque bin at the top of the pantry so a parent can easily take it down to restock but I’m not driven crazy by seeing all the things jumbled together. When we use the last of the item from the restock, we add it to the list with plenty of time before the kids are out of their favorite treats.