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About once every couple of months, I go through the pantry and see what I just had to buy and shoved in there to be promptly forgotten about. I try to rotate the bottles and cans around to remind me what I am storing. While at it, I think about what recipes I can make with the ingredients. This exercise also encourages me to limit those impulsive and quantity purchases.

I know exactly what I keep where, so it helps a lot. My Other Half says that I'm more Monk-ish than Monk, but I just hate a mess, that's all. Wait, that didn't sound very convincing, but never mind.

For instance, I keep pasta and grains (quinoa, kasha, rice, couscous, soba noodles, etc) in one cabinet, and even within that cabinet, every particular item has its place (pasta is always to the left, grains - to the right, etc.). I have a shelf for tinned tomato products, a shelf for "baking" stuff, a cabinet for oils and for vinegars, etc - basically, every thing has its place, this way I always know if I am about to run out of something or I am well stocked -- without going to the kitchen right now, I can pretty much describe what I have where and how much. So maybe it sounds slightly insane (or not so slightly), and if your head does not work this way naturally it may seem like a lot of work -- judging by what my OH says. But since everything has its place, it doesn't happen to me that I buy something only to discover that I already have a whole lot of it hidden in the cupboard.

Several months ago, when we were over at my in-laws', they were complaining that they don't even know what's in their cupboards. So I took everything out (with their permissions, of course:-)), sorted all that stuff and created "themed" shelves/corners (all the while making sure it was convenient for them). I did the same thing with their Tupperware cabinet since the container to lid ratio was completely off and they usually just used a piece of saran wrap instead of a lid. They're still extremely pleased about that entire raid:-). So maybe you could try taking everything out and making some kind of order? I think if the way you store stuff makes sense to you, you won't have trouble remembering what you have...am I making sense?

I guess working to clear the stuff out is good for now until you need to restock on necessities.

I used to keep an Excel sheet of our inventory, but scrapped that because we go grocery shopping on the spur of the moment while we're out and about shopping for other stuff. We never carried the list. Typically, however, my husband does the grocery shopping alone in the morning and I put everything (non-perishable) away when I get home from work.

As has been said above, organization is key. I categorize everything. Within each category, I alphabetize everything. When he buys something we already have in stock, I always make sure that the new item goes to the back. This goes with cans, spices, pasta, etc. Of course, all the labels are faced in the same direction.

It's similar to the way my clothes are hung. By color first, then by characteristic. Same with each color down the line.

This might be pretty tough when you're sharing a space with someone...

I try to be organized, but there are some things that I buy on a whim, forgetting that I have similar items already in stock. Usually, the whim has to do with a good sale, and the things I buy are things that store well. Right now, my overstock is dried pasta and (gasp) chocolate. Most of the chocolate is destined for baking, so it's not like I've got a stash of Snickers in a closet. But I've got plenty of chips and chunks and baking bars.

As for the pasta, now and then I see an interesting shape, or some store will have a new and/or interesting brand on sale, and I'll grab the pasta. Again, not a big deal until I get home and go to put it away and I see that I've got enough dried pasta to last for a while.

I'm not nearly as organized as all of you, except that there are certain places where things are supposed to be, based on categories. But that doesn't keep me from buying if the price is right. The best solution I have is to check out what I've got in overstock, and then work the recipes around those items. Noodles are easy, because they can be a main dish, salad, or end up in a soup.

I'm trying to be better about not overbuying stuff, but I'll probably never get over it completely. Best I can do is use up things when I realize I've gone overboard.

I like to type ingredients that I have into Google for recipes! It doesn't always provide a delicious result, but it is great for getting creative ideas. Also, in November there are often food drives at grocery stores, so it's a good idea to donate canned goods that you are not going to use.

I root around in the back of my cupboards just before Thanksgiving when the mail carrier picks up nonperishables for the food banks. I even keep a grocery bag on the back of the top shelf where I stick things if I buy two and don't like the first one. I never miss the stuff and someone who needs a meal gets a meal.

A lot of these suggestions are great for a single person, family or couple, but with a roommate with a different schedule whom you don't cook or shop with much makes it difficult to have a 'system' that might suit one of you, but not both of you.

I think the real problem is the 'out of sight, out of mind issue.' Move everything to an easily accessible place. Even if it's not perfectly organized, other than to generally group beans, pastas, sauces, in general heaps, if you can easily 'consult' it rather than shove it in a hard-to-reach place that will be helpful.

Here is what I would do:

1. Go through all of the stuff. Be honest about what you don't like. If you don't like it, don't feel you have to keep it to have a perfectly stocked pantry. Chuck everything old and crusty, even if technically it 'might still be good.' Donate the expired but unopened things to a food pantry. Give some things away to friends. Going through all of the stuff this way will make you never want to buy pasta and legumes again!

2. Find an easily accessible drawer, or better yet a clear 'chest' of plastic drawers, the kind you can get at Target or a discount store, often used for clothes as well. Put pasta in one compartment, sauces in the next, and if feeling really ambitious organize by shape, color, and so forth.

My personal solution is that, as a single gal, I just don't have a pantry. If I need something for a recipe, I buy it, but my inventory is limited enough I don't forget, really. I also don't like pasta and most commercial sauces, or beans, so that cuts down on a lot of stuff in general.

I would also never buy that stuff on sale--it's so cheap, regular price, stocking up on things you don't need ends up costing you money, or results in force-feeding yourself recipes you don't like, or having to buy new ingredients that end up costing you more in the long run.

Or you can ignore all of the above, hire brooke29 to organize it all and ask Cassaendra to do an Excel sheet of the results!

My pantry is legend. It is alphabetized by food category, then label name and new stuff goes to the back old stuff comes front.
Once you do this you will never be able to overbuy unless you want to.
You will know at a glance what you have.
What is that OCD? I heard that!

Phew! And to think that I was very careful describing my food storage habits so that not to scare anybody (as Carla of "Scrubs" says, "you need to hide the crazy")! Yeah, I have labels and all, too.

If I had a roommate, I would be very strict about dividing the cupboard space. Or (most likely), I would just take over and dictate my rules (thus organising my roommate's stuff as well). In fact, come to think of it, it's always been the latter - and I don't remember any opposition. Ever. Everybody I've ever shared a flat/house with, has always been happy to surrender. As my OH says, if you do it right, nobody will complain.

I can't remember what I had for dinner two nights ago, but I have a photographic memory when it comes to my cupboards and fridge. With both by xdh and my current dh, I made it perfectly clear that both domains were off limits unless I asked them to get something or I was not around. Funnily enough, one time when I was away on business, my husband called me to ask if we had something in particular. I told him exactly where it was. The kids thought it so funny, they got on the phone and started asking me where random things were. They thought they caught me on the evaporated milk, but hey, I had two cans!

That being said, my cupboards are a mixed up mess - I keep things that the kids might want (fruit cups, granola bars, soup, canned pasta) on the shelf at eye level. Baking and beans go down below where I have to dig to get them. Spices and baking supplies are kept in another cupboard. That's about it. I guess my mind can process the mess - perhaps that is why I can't remember where I left my cheque book or my keys!

Ooh, this one is a gravity feed can rack. Very nice!

http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID=74108&PRODID=67324

The best organization idea I have to add is to label the shelves -- there are labels in my whole pantry (categories decided by the household), so there's no way to forget where to put something or where something is. Works beautifully!

Also, I bought a stool. ^_^

I keep a grocery inventory spreadsheet. I know it sounds supremely dorky, but it works!
Clean out the cabinets (and freezer and fridge), like you said you were going to do anyway, and just open up Excel and list what you have in categories such as "Canned," "Fridge," etc.
Then you can cross things off as they're used up and add new things when you buy them. It's really not very time-consuming and I am much better now at using what I have! Plus, it's great when trying to figure out what to make for dinner, etc. You have your whole inventory on hand at your computer while you're searching for recipes and making the list to pick up groceries on the way home!