Am I The Only One Choking On "inventory"?
Decorating By CakeDiva73 Updated 20 Oct 2006 , 4:00pm by KHalstead
Well, after a late night run to the Super Wal-Mart and unloading groceries, I realized I had a lot of baking supplies..........
49 boxes of cake mix!!!!!! 
27 boxes of pudding!!!! 
23 cans of crushed pineapple!!
And the surefire kicker.......64 POUNDS of powdered sugar!!
What the he$$ is wrong with me???? 
I have 7 cans of sweetened condensed milk, for God's sake.
So my question is how do you all organize your pantry/supplies so you know what you have and what you need? I bought toters from Costco and literally filled an entire toter with cake mixes - I took them out of the boxes and wrote on the bag the brand and type to save on space - same for the puddings...
I am trying to come up with a realistic "inventory' system. I am forever buying things and then coming home to find I already have 3. 
Any tips? I keep thinking the simply solution is to write it down and cross it out when you use it but C'mon - does anyone REALLY do this and does it work?
And to be quite honest, I needed a system long before I started baking..... keeping track of the pastas, sauces, soups, rice, oil, PB, etc.... was already a nightmare and then I added all this. 
I hear ya! I'm the same way, and not to mention the supplies and tools to actually make the cakes! How the heck does anyone keep this stuff organized?
Katie
Oh, and the real funny thing is I am always struggling on a budget so I could really use the 49 dollars instead of the 49 bags of cake mix!
Honey, I hate to break it to you, but that's not as bad as it gets.... I have over 35 boxes of chocolate pudding alone!! That doesn't even count the other flavors!! And cake mixes? Don't get me started... they are in rows of 12 and there are at least 10 rows. It only gets worse, my dear! I have a huge pantry that I try to keep majorly organized. I have switched the way I organize it several times and I think I am getting it down. I should take a picture and post it... it's scary!!
Edited to add: I am constantly rotating stock, but it's almost pointless, they don't stay there long enough to get close to their date! Fortunately!!
I buy as I go, as well. But I am extremely envious of you having all of those supplies. I am an excel spreadsheet person for organization...you could make one and then document when you use something. But this takes discipline and time...none of us have much of that. My husband is thinking of adding a pantry for me though for my supplies....I am getting very excited. Good luck with finding a system and I would love to see pics of the organized pantry with 12 rows of cake boxes.
WOW!!! I meant to make some cupcakes today but ran out of shortening AND flour! can't wait to someday have a large house to go crazy with the cake stuff. You guys are all such inspirations!
Question: Do any of you use a grocery list?? I used to do the same thing pick up a few boxes here and few mixes there. Now I don't let myself. "If it ain't on the list, we ain't gettin it". I tack a list on my fridge and we all add to it as we run out of things or use the last of something. Then on shopping day, I'll take an unofficial inventory and hit the stores. This has helped to cut down on "excess".
Well, I'm so glad to hear I am not alone! I am seriously beginning to lose it.... my house is tiny - 5 people - and the kitchen even tinier but still I have all this stuff! I just now decided to take an index card and list the types of cake mixes, etc. that I have. Now, I know 'me' so I doubt this will be a system I can stick with, but I am going to try!
I have to figure out a way to NOT end up with 64 pounds of powdered sugar and NO pounds of regular granulated sugar..... Last weekend I was a bit of a baking nut-job and cooked all weekend... I just knew I had bought a sack of flour but couldn't find it - I paid the neighbor kid to run to the store for me and of course, AFTER I had done all my baking and was putting everything away, I found the stupid sac of flour! I was so pi$$ed. I looked for at least 20 minutes and couldn't find it.
Ok, I could only get a pic of one part of it (need a wide angle lens or something) but it goes on and on just like this. 
It's lower on pudding and mixes than usual because I baked 10 cakes today, so that takes 20 puddings. I have a big wedding this weekend! (Good lord, I must have $100 worth of powdered sugar. Sheesh!)
Question: Do any of you use a grocery list?? I used to do the same thing pick up a few boxes here and few mixes there. Now I don't let myself. "If it ain't on the list, we ain't gettin it". I tack a list on my fridge and we all add to it as we run out of things or use the last of something. Then on shopping day, I'll take an unofficial inventory and hit the stores. This has helped to cut down on "excess".
You are able to make a grocery list and only buy what is on the list? That is like snow in July around here.....it just ain't gonna happen! 
It's a fantastic idea - it's just that I am the most unorganized, undisciplined person on earth and I really need to change so keep it coming! 
Melvira:
Sweet Mother of God!! ROTFLMAO!!!
I shall never complain again!
Since you asked for suggestions -- is there room in your home/apartment for a shelving unit that is dedicated only to ingredients? I have a small cabinet that I use strictly for those very items, sugars, flour, pudding, etc. There is a small cabinet in the kitchen dedicated only to the miscellaneous items - baking soda and powder, extracts/flavorings, salt, spices for pies and gingerbread. Whenever I bake I go there first, then go shopping, if needed.
Oh, and Melvira, what do you do with the malted milk balls?
Theresa
I have a whole room lined with shelves that is dedicated to "cake" . It is now called the cake room. It used to be the office. My husband is talking about buying a bigger house just to accomodate my cake stuff. We have a four bedroom house with a basement already. I am trying to decide what to get rid of next so I can have more cake room. I store cake mixes in the deep freeze. I also have supplies on shelves in the garage and in the pantry. 
This has all happened in less than a year. I am hooked.
I made a spreadsheet of all my cake pans and one for my cake decorating books. Organized chaos is what I have.
I never said it was easy cakediva, I'd have relapses , but I had to make myself stick to the list. Now it's not so hard. Now it's keeping the kids from (sneaking) adding things in that they can't have AKA junk food. (sigh) Like I don't bake enough junk already???
Hehehe cakediva... I thought that might make you feel a little better! I have serious issues!
The malted milk balls are for a very special cake... in my pix you'll see two heart cakes that are bordered with malt balls, well that inspired one of my brides to have her whole wedding cake covered in ganache and bordered with malt balls. FIVE TIERS!!! That's the wedding I am working on now... it's going to be huge! I can't wait!!! I will definitely be posting a pic of this spectacle! I've never made a five tiered cake before, let alone covered in ganache, I am scared but excited.
WOW! that is a lot of supplies. I hate to sound stupid but what are all the pudding boxes for? Do you actually mix them into cake mixes? Just curious. Thank you, Liz
OMG Melvira! You have got to be a fellow OCD Virgo!!! That is awesome! I'm OCD but the cake stuff's got me beat. Seems to be too much with not enough space in my small house as well. My neighbor flipped the other day when she came over as I was searching in my pan cabinet for the one I was looking for. (It was in the back at the bottom of course!) She said she'd never seen so many in her life. I think this is exactly the look I had on my face. Thing is we just renovated and I have more room. Was all excited about that...pssht...reason to go shopping and fill it up right? BTW don't you love when you go "cake shopping" and the cashier says, "you gonna go do some baking or something?" Nah...I have a REAL big sweet tooth and a hell of a cholesterol problem!
Oh my! How in the world can one end up with so much and not remember you already have it at home? I have a few boxes of cakes and puddings and the most powdered sugar I've ever had is 10 lbs and that was only because they had a sale and I knew I needed to use it within 2 weeks.
I just don't have the room for all that stuff.
You should have told him you were going to use it for a mud wrestling pit I'm feeling better already. I thought I'd way over done it when I filled the fridge with cake mixes. I don't have puddings, they're not available here, but powdered sugar is certainly another thing. I buy it in 5 kilo bags and always have 20-30 kilos on hand. That and pounds of butter. The box cake people, powdered sugar and butter mfg. do not have to worry about the market bottoming out, do they. Organization? What's that? I need another room.
Cupcake55 said "I store cake mixes in the deep freeze."
Not meaning to start trouble or anything, but I thought it wasn't advisable to freeze the cake mixes. Please let me know, I would love to freeze mine, I don't use too many and worry about them expiring/going bad. Janice
Oh yah I'm an OCD Virgo!! Let me put it this way... I own about a thousand movies, and every last one of them is in alphabetical order. (Everyone smiles and begins backing away slowly.) I am hyper organized in some areas, in others, screw it! 
I have to keep this much on hand when I have big orders on my calendar. And the place I buy them is about 50 miles away, so I can't just run grab them, that makes a big difference.
I am currently trying to find it in the budget to make a professional kitchen detached from my house. I have the building (26'x24') and I have some of the equipment, I just fear that the real cost issue will come up when trying to run water to it, there is no plumbing yet. I am praying I can make it work because this is my passion... not just cakes, but I am a gourmet cook as well.
It's funny about the cashier thing... I told this story last week, I went to Wal-mart and got cake mixes on sale for $0.73 ea, heckuva deal, so I bought like a billion for these big weddings... the cashier says, "Whatcha gonna make?" I smiled and said, "Lasagna". He turned 16 shades of purple!
WOW! that is a lot of supplies. I hate to sound stupid but what are all the pudding boxes for? Do you actually mix them into cake mixes? Just curious. Thank you, Liz
Sorry, I didn't mean to miss your question... yes, I put many things in my mix to 'doctor' it... pudding is one of them!
I had to laugh when I read your post Melvira about your movies being alphabetized. My kids disney movies are organized by there release date. Ei snow white, Pinocchio, Dumbo, Fantasia, etc. Also my dvd's are not only alphabetized but they are also chatagorized in drawers such as G, PG, PG-13, & R. My babysitters love my house because everything is labled. Especially the medicine. Each has a drawer (infant, children, adult) with what's in each drawer.
Cupcake55 said "I store cake mixes in the deep freeze."
Not meaning to start trouble or anything, but I thought it wasn't advisable to freeze the cake mixes. Please let me know, I would love to freeze mine, I don't use too many and worry about them expiring/going bad. Janice
I have always stored them in the freezer. I let them sit on the counter for a while before I use them. I have never had a problem with the cake and everyone raves about how good my cakes are. I figure it keeps them fresher. Has anyone else heard of a problem with this?
Holy cow! Melvira, you are not only the "Mistress of Cool Ideas", but also the "Mistress of Baking Supplies". I have NEVER seen an inventory like this except in a professional bakery. No, wait, not even there!! As for inventory control, when I retire and bake full-time, I'm going to use an Excel spreadsheet to keep inventory. When I use something, I'll mark it down on a pad and then later deduct it from the inventory list on the Excel worksheet. I would never be able to keep track of what I had if I didn't. He%$ I can't even keep track now! Maybe this would work for some of you. Not you, Melvira. I think you're beyond help. Only kidding!!!! Seriously, Melvira, how many cakes do you bake a week?
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