Stop Littering Your Pantry With Almost Empty Containers: One Dollar Tree Find Solves The Problem

There's no shame in it — almost everyone has at least one cupboard or pantry shelf inundated with mostly empty packages of snacks and shelf-stable ingredients. We've all also been victim to the classic food avalanche caused either by digging through packages for a specific ingredient, or by just having too many bags, boxes, and canisters stuffed onto the shelves. Turns out, one of the worst pantry storage mistakes you can make is leaving your food in the crinkly, flimsy, unreliable packaging from the grocery store.

Even so-called "resealable" packages rarely seal as tightly as necessary to actually keep your food fresh — not to mention that crinkly chip bags and oddly shaped cookie trays don't exactly make for easy storage. This is especially true when you're almost out of something; those last few Oreos or barbecue potato chips are probably already stale. Fortunately, Dollar Tree once again comes to the rescue with an inexpensive and practical solution: Surefresh plastic snack containers with lids.

Available in four-packs for just $1.50 (about 38 cents per unit), each container holds about 3.5 fluid ounces. Though these containers are fairly small, they hold just about the perfect amount for a light snack or lunchtime treat to pair with your sandwich. They're also great for organizing your pantry around your kids' eating habits since you can fill each one with a small amount of Cheerios, gummy candy, or dried fruit so your little ones can snack at their leisure without overdoing it.

If you're already a pro at keeping your pantry organized with the "didn't know" decluttering hack and uniform storage canisters, these little Dollar Tree containers can still hold a crucial role maintaining tidiness in your kitchen. As mentioned, they're great for pre-portioning snacks and candy, letting you easily keep little containers of granola, crushed nuts, sandwich crackers, and other nutritious foods at your fingertips.

The biggest drawback to these containers is that they can become part of the problem they're aiming to solve since they're small enough to easily get lost in the depths of your pantry shelves. To prevent this, grab one or two of Dollar Tree's shatter-free plastic refrigerator food storage bins (also $1.50 each). These acrylic bins are clear, sturdy, and fit easily on shelves, making them a great choice for keeping smaller containers corralled and tidy. After filling your Surefresh containers, place them in the bins by category or person. For instance, you might have a sweet bin and a salty bin, or one for each member of your household.

Surefresh's little food storage containers are also the solution you need for keeping homemade snacks and seasonings fresh for a long time. They hold a surprisingly large amount of your personal recipe for zesty taco seasoning, for example, or everything bagel seasoning mix. You can also use them to store homemade fruity trail mix or your favorite blend of toppings for your morning bowl of instant oatmeal.