Inventory

Anyone who knows me knows that I inventory just about everything. It helps so I don't buy junk every month. It is so I don't forget what I have on hand.
Anyone who knows me also knows I have a bit of OCD...just a bit. So I inventory frequently. It is usually monthly before I do my big shopping trip.
How?
I grab a notebook:
Inventory 8/28/2012 is the top of the page.
I then go from left to right.
My very left thing is my freezer in the laundry room. I try to physically go through each area so I know for sure what is in there.
So example:
LR Freezer:
5 quarts carrots diced and shredded

10 lb. ground beef

2 family packs boneless pork ribs

4 family size ground pork sausage

4 - 4 lb bags chicken breast 3

16 oz peas

16 oz. chopped broccoli

16 oz corn

12 corn cobs
2 lbs. shredded cheddar

Pantry: 

jello

7 pectin

2 lb choc chips

Quick Fix cupboard:

2 rice a roni

2 Cream of Chicken soup

1 bear creek soup

2 Hamburger Helper (HH) Lasagne

2 HH Chzy Ench (Enchilada)

Pasta/Grains cupboard:

5 lb. brown rice 4 lb

2 boxes manicotti

3 - 12 oz spaghetti

2 lb rigatoni

2 lb elbow mac

Cereal cupboard:

........

 You get the idea. 

Next you make meals out of your inventory.
Like:
Broccoli-Chicken casserole which uses: Rice, broccoli, chicken, cheese, cream of ____soup. If I meal plan to use all of an ingredient, I cross it off. If I use some of it I usually place a check mark next to the number so I know how many meals are going to use that particular ingredient.
Do this with as many items as you can.

What I do when I make my menu:
Menu 2/28/2012

Broccoli-Chicken casserole: (Rice, broccoli, chicken, cheese, cream of ___ soup.)
Spaghetti and Meatballs: (Spaghetti noodles, pasta sauce, meatballs)
I am unable to circle on here, so pretend the pasta sauce and meatballs are circled. That means I need to buy some to make that meal.
This allows for you to see what meal each ingredient is in.
Say I am doing 5 meals that could use sour cream. I don't necessarily need 5 tubs of sour cream. I probably only need 3.

I hope none of this is confusing. I will scan my inventory and meal plan if you want to actually see it in writing.
I have been doing this for several years and it has kept us in the budget for a long time.
When you see deals go on for things you use frequently like chicken or sausage, get a few. They can be frozen and incorporated into next month's meal plan if needed.
I do mine by the month, but you can do it however often you want. 

I missed a couple months recently and regret it. I have about 7 huge bags of shredded cheese (some Italian blend and some cheddar) and about 50 lbs of strawberries. We love strawberries but I was actually shocked to see how many we have. I suppose I will be making some strawberry cake and strawberry nog. I can also turn it into strawberry freezer jam (my fave!). 

Any questions?

Coming soon:
Keeping your freezer organized!

Arrivederci!
"Mom"

UPDATE:
Here are some pictures of my inventory sheet...just in case I was too confusing.