THRIVE foods tip: Buy Pantry Cans!

It is likely that I am one of the more frugal people you will ever know.  That's not to say there aren't many others out there just like me: probably more now than a few years ago considering the economy, but still.  I "coupon" like crazy and get our groceries (including diapers) for about $80 / week for our family of six.  I never spend more than a few dollars on my kids clothing items, and try to stay under $10-$15 for most clothing items I buy for my husband and I.  I take advantage of lots of little money saving programs from Swagbucks to Groupon.  If you tell me there is a way to get quality items for less, I'm there.

So, when I was living with my parents last summer (when I was introduced to THRIVE: you can read about it here), and found out that my Mom bought their pantry cans, I was appalled at first.  It was certainly NOT something I was going to do!


Why was I so appalled?  Well, the cost per serving is much higher in a pantry can than it is in a #10 can.  It just didn't make sense to me!  But, she did so for two reasons:

Reason #1: Less of an initial investment
While the cost / serving is higher in the pantry cans, the actual cost of the pantry cans is less.  So, she was able to try some items for a bit less money before investing in an entire #10 can.  I told her, she should just call her consultant (me) to try those items for free.  I'd be happy to send her a few samples. (I would also be happy to do so for you if you are interested!)
Reason #2: They fit better in her pantry.
She liked being able to keep many different THRIVE items at her fingertips in her small pantry right in her kitchen.  She simply didn't have room for a bunch of  #10 cans.  I thought she was silly.  Why didn't she just walk down to the storage room to get what she needed when she wanted to use THRIVE?


Needless to say, I wasn't sold.

Once I moved back to California, I bought just #10 cans for quite a while...until my little kitchen pantry was full of them...about 6 of them.  *ha ha*  I quickly realized that given the number of THRIVE foods I was using on a regular basis, I really needed a way to make them more accessible.  I just hadn't really understood how often I would actually be using these incredible foods in my everyday cooking!  So, I took my mother's advice and started buying pantry cans.  I only buy one pantry can of each item: just once.  I simply refill my pantry cans with what I have in my # 10 cans in my "storage area."

I've had some people tell me that they will just use old peanut butter cans or pasta jars.  Part of the reason that these items have such a long opened shelf life is b/c of the quality of the cans they come in: they are doubled lined and help maintain the flavor, texture, and nutrients found in the original product.  If you do decide to store your food in another type of jar / can, please know that Shelf Reliance cannot guarantee the shelf life.  Plus, the little pantry cans are just so cute:

Who wouldn't want a pantry lined with them?

Being so frugal, I actually think it is pretty funny, but many, many people comment that one of the reasons they like to buy THRIVE is b/c of how "cute" the cans are!