I tossed some stuff, like the rice noodles I bought 3 times, and never liked (though I love noodles at the Thai restaurant). And I took the old dried fruit and diced it up for when I make suet in the winter. Squirrels and woodpeckers won't care that the dried figs were out of date when it's 10 degrees outside (Fahrenheit).

I only wish I had taken a before picture! We went from 4 shelves that spanned 2/3 of the space (honest, PO lacked sense in many ways) to 4 full width shelves and 3 half width shelves. DH cut them for me from some leftover melamine shelves that were 45" wide. The pantry is 29" wide, so it worked out well.

I tried to put healthier stuff closer to eye level and the tasty unhealthy stuff (like my baking supplies) toward the bottom.

I think I've opened it at least 4 times just to marvel at how pretty is it :)

Yesterday I went through my pots and pans cupboard and reorganised it and pulled some cookware out to get rid of. I've been hanging onto it even though it doesn't work on my new little induction cooktop but I was keeping it "just in case". I offered it to friends and I've already found new homes for it though which Im glad about. But now I won't have to shuffle things around that cupboard every time I need a pot or pan.

I have kept old cookware as well for "just in case". Like scratched up Teflon coated nonstick pans. Made no sense, so I tossed them. I think I used to labor under the delusion that if I tossed the pan I would have to replace it and that meant shopping which was a chunk of time I did not have. Then I realized, "you aren't using it now, you can still cook meals, you don't HAVE to own one of this size/shape."

Made it much easier to get rid of them then.

-EChic

I have index cards on the front of each shelf with the items that go there, 1 for baking supplies, 1 for pasta/starches, 1 for oils, vinegars, sauces, etc. I haven't lost/wasted food from the pantry since then.

Now go take another look at your tidy pantry, you did good!

I am attacking my pantry slowly by just not buying so darn much stuff. It's not like I can't get to a store quickly so why do I have to stockpile so much stuff?? I take crazy pleasure when I use up a product--one more item out of the pantry.

Oh I've done the same thing, kept old scratched up non stick cookware that I didn't even want to use anymore, or tossed the cookware and kept the lid because it was in good condition and might fit another pot or pan.

The funny thing is I've been thinking of getting a hanging pot rack to make more storage for pots and pans but after getting rid of a few pieces I really don't need one at all!

I just love your pantry, I have such a tiny kitchen with no pantry so I couldn't even store that amount of food here, talk about envy! :)

We moved in a month ago and the builder installed four wire shelves in our pantry that is about the size of yours. We previously lived in an area where the grocery store wasn't very accessible, so I tended to overstock. My kids will also back at school the end of this week (Yes!) so we won't be stocking as much.

I hope to get it better organized and add shelving this fall. It's not the highest priority for getting organized right now, tho.

Love the closely spaced half-shelves on the left--that's really neat.

Mustangs is right--I love to utilize the space above things, and shelves that are spaced too widely are one of my pet peeves. But sometimes, you NEED the shelves to be spaced that wide, because stuff IS that tall (cereal boxes, I'm looking at YOU).

So this is absolutely brilliant, to be able to install some shorter shelves in a narrower spacing. And I love the broth containers lying on their sides--way to think outside the box!

You wrote:
"I think I've opened it at least 4 times just to marvel at how pretty is it :)"

Yay!!! Do that often. Think of it as "positive reinforcement."

(I still do that now and then w/ my triangular closet)