Lately, I’ve been bombarded with images of immaculate pantries that are the size of my brother’s childhood bedroom (okay, technically his room was a storage closet). These brightly lit pantries have rows of matching white or clear containers which are beautifully labeled. The cans are lined up in ascending levels and have room to breathe. There are very few labels which make the display peaceful and harmonious. Of course this picture perfect pantry appeals to my senses. I love all things orderly and beautiful. I love well thought out spaces. I love discarding labels. I should love and embrace the idea of the perfect pantry… but concerns keep bubbling up in my brain that I cannot ignore. These sticking points stop me from hitting up The Container Store and trading my retirement fund for a set of multi-sized containers and then going home to decant all of my snacks and cereals and pastas. Here are my top five grievances about putting the perfect pantry on a pedestal:

ISSUE #1: INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED SNACKS are pricey and not good for the environment. Also, who eats just 11 Cheez Its at a time? No one in this family, that’s for sure. I get that these individually wrapped snacks are convenient if you have a bunch of school aged kids that make it worth the price but since I currently only have one school aged child, it is easy enough to pour her snack into a reusable container each morning. I get that not everyone has the time or desire to make this choice though.

ISSUE #2: ALL THE TIME AND EFFORT that it takes to keep this system organized adds up. I am all about putting in effort where it counts, especially if it creates a more peaceful environment (I even take off my chapstick label that sits on my bedside table) but the effort needed to keep these pantries organized seems like a full time job! After meal planning, hitting up the grocery store, transferring the groceries from my car to my house and then putting all of the groceries away, I am spent. I don’t want to spend more time decanting and finding the right container for my big ass bag of Doritos (I’ve tried and even my biggest container doesn’t fit them without crushing my precious chips). Also, what are you supposed to do if you have a handful of Goldfish left in your designated Goldfish container but you want to transfer your new box of Goldfish into said container? Are you telling me I would need to pour the old Goldfish into a bowl, pour new box of Goldfish into container, and then put the old ones on top in order to use them up before using the new ones? Even writing out all these steps is exhausting! Also, now I have a dirty bowl I have to deal with. And when do I clean these containers? Don’t tell me I need to clean and dry the container between each refill. Enough is enough!

ISSUE #3 UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS make us doubt ourselves and our homes. The more I see these images of perfect pantries on social media and in makeover shows, the more I start to wonder if I’m the odd one out here. This is the problem with trends like this- it gives you the impression that you and your cabinets full of food are not enough. That your house is not enough. That you are not enough. It’s all bull shit people! You do not need a perfectly organized and spacious walk in pantry to be happy. A designated pantry room attached to your kitchen is a luxury that most of the world cannot afford. If you don’t have one, you are not alone by a long shot.

ISSUE #4 CONTAINERS ARE FUCKING EXPENSIVE. The average container seems to be about $10 a pop if you buy it in a set and there are plenty of options that are above and beyond that price. If you want 30 containers, you’re looking to spend at least $300! Am I cheap or is that just too damn expensive? One exception I’ve found to this is mason jars or other glass jars you have lying around. Repurposing those pasta sauce containers is an affordable and earth friendly way to elevate your pantry game without paying an arm and a leg for containers.

ISSUE #5 EXPIRATION DATES AND INSTRUCTIONS are kind of important and having to cut them out and tape them to the backs of containers sounds like a pain in the ass. Unless you consistently buy the same foods again and again, you would have to update these labels accordingly. Even if you have memorized how to cook that rice, your partner or kids probably haven’t and therefore are less likely to take over the chore of making dinner (I dream of one day eating dinner that my kids have chopped, cooked and prepared for the family… is this a real thing?).

I must add that I am not trying to make anyone feel guilty if they have a pantry like the one I’ve described here. If you can afford it, have the space and energy to dedicate to it, embrace the fuck out of your picture perfect pantry! Lavish luxuries like that should be enjoyed and you should not feel guilty if you are lucky enough to have this deluxe feature in your home.

Although the issues I’ve stated above are alive and well in my consciousness, there are aspects of the perfect pantry that make sense. Certain pantry staples like sugar and flour probably should be decanted if you are able. It can extend their shelf life and keep bothersome bugs out. Also, it makes baking much easier and more enjoyable when you can easily scoop out what you need with your measuring cups when you have your baking ingredients in large containers. I’ve done this for years and never plan to stop. I also like to keep the kids’ cereal in a large container with a scooper in there to make it easier for them to make their own breakfast sometimes (not pictured here because it needs a good clean before refilling… see? Effort!). You will also see some snacks in fancy stackable containers in the picture of my pantry at the top of this post. I too was envious of those beautiful pantries and therefore asked for containers for Christmas which I was very excited to use. It is during these last two months that I have realized what a hassle this process is and thus motived this post in the first place!

My goal in writing this post is to help you break free from the perfect pantry fantasy and instead, appreciate the fact that you have a cabinet full of food which is, in itself a luxury. Every choice comes with pros and cons and I hope you can see the cons that come with having to keep up with the perfect pantry and feel grateful for the pros that come with whatever system you have in place today. Don’t feel bad if your pantry is not Instagram worthy and instead feel thankful that you have the ingredients to make a delicious meal or dessert to enjoy instead of spending your time layering your old Goldfish under your new Goldfish in your $10 container.