Setting up the pantry can seem pretty overwhelming, particularly when you walk into your local supermarket and there are thousands of items on the shelves; all of which you seem to need.  Well, that’s what the advertising tells you.

What you really need in your pantry at all times are what we call the staples.  These are the basics that form the core of most meals. With these in your pantry you will always be able to whip up something to eat.

Two fundamental items for the pantry are rice and pasta; both of which are highly versatile and can be utilised for the main or side dishes.

Depending on your food preparation and cooking skills, and your taste preferences of course, other essentials include things like:

• Cooking oil and olive oil
• Sauces; tomato, soy, sweet chilli and satay.
• Herbs and spices; Italian herbs, curry powder and various other mixed and individual herbs and spices all make your meals taste nicer.
• Packet Mixes; a small sample is fine, like Chilli Con Carne, although many dishes can be created without packets.
• Tins; vegies (corn, carrots, mushrooms, beans and pulses) are handy for adding to dishes, and tinned tomato is versatile and highly useful.  Don’t forget good old standby’s like baked beans and canned spaghetti.
• Bread and toppings like Vegemite.
• Cereals
• Instant noodles are great for late night snacks.
• Other; tomato paste, fish or oyster sauce, tinned or tetra pack (long life) cream are also handy essentials to have.

If you’d like a printable list to help you when you shop you can visit Grocery Lists and download a good little shopping list to keep on your fridge. (http://www.grocerylists.org/ultimatest/ )

There you have it; stock up on your basic staples and you’ll be able to whip up a meal even when you haven’t managed to go shopping.

Can you suggest other essentials for your pantry?

Food shopping is usually split into three categories:

1. Fruit and vegetables
2. Meats
3. Other; including bread and milk, your pantry staples and other meal ingredients.

Depending on whether you’re sticking to a strict budget, or you prefer to do your shopping at the one place only will determine where and how you shop.

Whilst supermarkets have the convenience of having it all there, they can be more costly for meats, fruit and vegetables. Markets and warehouses are better options for price for these items.

Other very important things to consider are the longevity of foods. This will determine how often you shop.Fruit and vegetables, stored correctly, can last a week to 10 days. Bread and milk have short life-spans, although they can be frozen. Meats can be stored in the fridge for a few days without a problem, and can be frozen and still good anywhere from 3 to 9 months.

Ideally, you want to shop from a list; work out what staples you need (including meats), and what foods you’re going to use to accompany them. You might want a separate list for the green grocer if you’re going more regularly.

Stick to the list; this’ll make sure you get what you need, and not end up with fourteen boxes of something you don’t. It will also make food preparation much easier when you have everything you need.

There’s also nothing wrong with buying in bulk, if you have the room or grabbing stuff when it’s on special, to save on your grocery bill cost. Just make sure it’s something you need.

Finally, here are a few secrets you’ll need to know:

• Shop for meat at the end of the day when prices are marked down.
• In most cases, homebrand basics are as good as the more expensive brands.
• Most supermarkets have a market day when they have special prices on fresh produce.
• Eat before you go!
• Know what you are going to cook for the week and ONLY buy for that.

Don’t forget to check the catalogues to see what is on special, too.  There might be a good saving just waiting for you.

A Personal Concierge is so much more than a human word processor. Sure, being able to type up documents for you may be high on your list of job requirements, but it pays to consider what other tasks you can delegate.

The first thing you need to do is compile a comprehensive to-do-list. List tasks in priority order and include a due date. You can work through the list together or delegate particular jobs.  Your Personal Concierge may have an area that she specialises in, having qualifications or experience that she can bring with her.  Make sure that you find out what she likes to do and is good at before setting her the work.

Important birthdays and anniversaries are a good thing to delegate. Give your Personal Concierge a calendar of events. a budget and suggested interest for each person you need to buy for.  They can buy and wrap gifts for you, buy cards and arrange postage if required.

A Personal Concierge can research information and pricing on products that are hard to get, too.  Don’t waste your time trying to track down that one-off item when your Personal Concierge can do it for you. She can arrange quotes and even carry out purchases for you when you have made your choice. Wouldn’t it be lovely to have someone who can go shopping for particular items while you work and save you the stressful last minute dash around?

If you are thinking of travelling, your concierge can seek out the best value flights, hire cars, book accommodation and fill out a comprehensive itinerary for you.  How much easier is that than trying to do it yourself?

A Personal Concierge can source any other required services for you, book appointments and restaurants and tickets to entertainment events. The list of possibilities is only limited by your ability to delegate!

Call me – delegating is not painful you know – you’ll end up wondering how you have gone so long without doing it!

Gift hampers are suitable for any occasion and making them yourself will add a personal touch that will certainly impress the receiver. Creating a clever hamper can be surprisingly easy with a few simple tips:

1. Set a budget. Purchasing all your little goodies for your hamper can add up so set yourself a budget and don’t forget to include the cost of delivering it.

2. Think of a theme and brainstorm ideas of what to include. This is where the fun begins. Here are some suggestions:

Wine Lovers Basket – bottle of wine, fancy cheeses, bottle opener, glasses, a wine journal.

Coffee Lovers Hamper – assorted coffees, plunger, chocolate coated coffee beans, biscotti, coffee appreciation book.

Car Care Hamper – car wash, polish, chamois, sponge, tyre gauge, car magazine subscription, toy matchbox car.

Movie Hamper – vouchers to a cinema or DVD rental store, popcorn, jaffas, book – ‘1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.’

Chocolate Addicts Hamper – anything and everything chocolate! Include chocolate sauce, hot chocolate and a chocolate cookbook.

3. Chose your basket or container. You can use anything – a terracotta pot, wrapped box, colander, ice bucket or wicker basket.  The more imagination you use the better the gift will look.

4. Lay out some cellophane, place the empty basket on top and line with tissue paper.

5. Assemble the items in the basket so that they are pleasing to the eye.  Make sure that the labels can be seen, too.

6. Gather the corners of cellophane, tie together with a big ribbon and add a gift card.

7. Deliver your item personally, by your favourite courier or carefully packed in a big box and sent in by Australia Post.

I love to give gift hampers and watch the look on the recipients face as they dig into the treasure trove to see what other goodies are stashed inside.

If you find you haven’t the time to assemble these yourself, contact your personal concierge to do it, she might just deliver it for you too!

Sometimes the amount you spend at the grocery store can vastly differ from one week to the next, which makes accurate budgeting very difficult. With a few simple points and a bit of practice you can perfect the art of shopping on a budget.

• Unit pricing – recently introduced in all supermarkets, this means the cost of all items are now broken down into one base unit price, making it easier to work out most cost-effective brand to buy.
• Plan Ahead – planning your menu for the week and writing a list will not only avoid buying items you don’t need, it will also mean you don’t forget anything. You won’t impulse buy and if you plan really carefully you can ensure no food goes to waste.
• Buy in bulk – items such as meat (to freeze), flour, cereals, nuts and dried fruit.
• Buy seasonal – visit your local growers or farmers market where you will not only notice a significant difference in the cost of fresh fruit and veg, the quality and freshness is far better as well.
• Try alternatives – instead of using meat for every dish, which is the most expensive item on the grocery bill, try using lentils, beans, tofu or just add more vegetables.
• Take advantages of specials from weekly catalogues – stock up on staples when they are on special. Once you get into this practice you will never pay full price for any of these items.
• Shop around – get to know where certain items you buy a lot are always cheapest eg baby formula.
• A healthy diet is usually low in processed items.  Take pre-made biscuits and packaged goods off your menu and replace them with fresh foods and you will notice a big saving.
• If you have a busy lifestyle make sure that you stock your fridge and pantry with food that is fast to prepare.  Pasta and stir fries are fast to make and you won’t have to resort to takeaways.
• Pay attention at the register.  Make sure you are getting your purchases at the advertised price.
• Just because it is ‘home brand’ doesn’t mean it is bad.  Some of the staple items are actually quite good.
• Shop towards the end of the week.  All the specials will be marked and often there are discount items beginning to appear.
• Shop towards the end of the day (or very early in the morning depending on the way your store works) and you’ll find things which are getting close to sell by date which have been marked down.  Most items can be frozen for later use.
• If you find that you can’t resist the treats that you see whenever you shop, think about having someone like a Personal Concierge do your shopping for you.  You’ll save on stress, time and kilojoules.

If you follow these tips and make a few adjustments to your purchasing, the amount you pay at the checkout will leave you pleasantly surprised!