I use frozen fruit in myriad ways, such as adding frozen blueberries to pancakes and muffins, defrosting raspberries to spoon over yogurt, using frozen pineapple and other fruits in my smoothies , and topping almond butter toast with berries in place of jam. The price of nut butter can be, well, a little nutty.

I use them in sandwiches, snack bars , and smoothies like this luscious Coffee Smoothie. For more ideas, here are eight ways to use up a jar of peanut butter.

A tip: once you open a jar, store it in the fridge, adding a few months to its shelf life. My pantry is rarely without some type of tinned fish, including tuna, salmon, sardines, and mussels. I find it a convenient way to add protein plus Omega-3s to my diet. In addition to tuna salad and salmon patties , I like to serve tinned seafood on snack boards check out this beauty for inspiration , and add anchovies to salad dressing and this excellent anchovy toast.

Most of the cooking fat I use in my house is olive oil, but butter is a refrigerator essential. The good news is that butter freezes well, so it makes sense to buy more than you need.

Keep one box in the fridge and the rest in the deep freezer. Unsalted butter will be good for up to five months and salted butter up to nine.

To defrost, leave butter in the fridge overnight. For recipes that call for cold butter, grate frozen butter straight into your baking bowl. This works well for biscuits and other baked goods. Good-quality hard cheeses, such as Parmesan, aged cheddar, and gruyère are a worthy investment.

Plus, hard cheeses last for several months or longer stored in the fridge. Even better? You can grate them and store in an air-tight bag in the freezer. Add grated cheese straight from the bag to dishes such as enchiladas , pizza , and breakfast casseroles.

You might be surprised to know that eggs have a pretty decent shelf life, somewhere between three to five weeks in the fridge.

If you have eggs to use up, you can always boil a batch to turn into egg salad, deviled eggs , or whisk up a quick frittata.

When my kids were younger, though, it was a pantry must—a meal they could blissfully assemble on their own! Worst case? If your cereal is creeping towards stale, you can transform it into sunbutter Crispy treats or these sticky cereal bars.

A pound of ground poultry or beef is immensely useful for so many budget-friendly meals. Plus, ground meat holds up well in the freezer for three to four months.

To get the ideas rolling, here are 15 recipes for ground turkey. You can make a pound of ground meat stretch further by adding a can of black, pinto, or white beans to the mix. Use limited data to select advertising.

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We eat LOTS of pork in various forms in our family. When I was little, my parents used to make pork bone soup with potatoes and carrots a lot. Great list! Canned beans are fine, but dry is definitely better and healthier.

With canned goods you run the risk of BPA exposure. Dried oats, quinoa, and other whole grains should be staples too. As well as ground flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and raw unsalted nuts.

Whole food, plant-based diets are generally not expensive. It can be somewhat expensive if you always buy produce that are organic and out of season. But all things considered, plant based diets are significantly less expensive than meat based diets when you compare food of the same quality.

You have to compare apples to apples 😉. For example… organic, pasteurized, hormone-free meat and dairy is very expensive especially compared to organic vegetable produce. We did this by…. Cooking plant based meals is fun, creative, and A LOT cleaner 5 We planned meals and meal-prepped really well so that no food would be wasted.

But I love the list! We eat chicken mainly at our house. Tofu is also great to have fried with broccoli , soya sauce and garlic , it is good for you and not very expensive.

Costco in Canada sells it cheap. I never had used italian seasoning before…ever! Is that the powder stuff you get in packets? Is it salad dressing or a spice? Add a little olive oil and garlic:.

Load up on those veggies! I always have potatoes, onions, bananas, berries, and lettuce on hand. I hate making pantry-based meals with just shelf-stable foods; produce really elevates a dish. For example, I freeze old bananas and use them in smoothies. Picky Pincher. I like the way you think.

Loading up on the veggies is the way to go. I also freeze fruit and use them in smoothies!!! I tend to bake chicken breasts, cook rice, and make veggies then switch up the sauce every week. Quick, easy, and cheap! FinancialConfession — I love Almond Butter and have started to use it instead of peanut butter as a healthier choice.

It is expensive, but totally worth it to me 😀. Powdered cheese? My wife loves cheese and our fridge is stocked with cheese. Also, you probably should avoid doing more research into ground meat. I did and ground my own meat now… Good list.

Cheese powder for those like me who have the taste buds of a 12 year old Joe. I love reading these lists!! We have tons of rice and oats in our house. My kids are obsessed with granola bars and oatmeal!

So we either buy or make them constantly? Hehe thanks Ember. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Pork and garlic green beans. Table of Contents Toggle Cheap Pantry Staples Carbohydrates Condiment Protein Vegetables Honorable Mentions. Financial Freedom Starts With Saving: Personal Capital : Sign up and use their net worth calculator for FREE.

Comments We eat LOTS of pork in various forms in our family. I do like the Kirkland frozen meatballs. That does sound tasty! We had pork bone with daikon and cabbage! I suspected fresh beans would be better.

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ThredUp: The only online recycle clothing store I currently shop and sell with. Great mission statement, company model, customer service, prices, and selection. We eat LOTS of pork in various forms in our family. When I was little, my parents used to make pork bone soup with potatoes and carrots a lot.

Great list! Canned beans are fine, but dry is definitely better and healthier. With canned goods you run the risk of BPA exposure. Dried oats, quinoa, and other whole grains should be staples too. As well as ground flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and raw unsalted nuts.

Whole food, plant-based diets are generally not expensive. It can be somewhat expensive if you always buy produce that are organic and out of season. But all things considered, plant based diets are significantly less expensive than meat based diets when you compare food of the same quality.

You have to compare apples to apples 😉. For example… organic, pasteurized, hormone-free meat and dairy is very expensive especially compared to organic vegetable produce. We did this by…. Cooking plant based meals is fun, creative, and A LOT cleaner 5 We planned meals and meal-prepped really well so that no food would be wasted.

But I love the list! We eat chicken mainly at our house. Tofu is also great to have fried with broccoli , soya sauce and garlic , it is good for you and not very expensive. Costco in Canada sells it cheap. I never had used italian seasoning before…ever! Is that the powder stuff you get in packets?

Is it salad dressing or a spice? Add a little olive oil and garlic:. Load up on those veggies! I always have potatoes, onions, bananas, berries, and lettuce on hand.

I hate making pantry-based meals with just shelf-stable foods; produce really elevates a dish. For example, I freeze old bananas and use them in smoothies. Picky Pincher. I like the way you think. Loading up on the veggies is the way to go. I also freeze fruit and use them in smoothies!!!

I tend to bake chicken breasts, cook rice, and make veggies then switch up the sauce every week. Quick, easy, and cheap!

FinancialConfession — I love Almond Butter and have started to use it instead of peanut butter as a healthier choice. Stock up on brown rice, or other grains such as quinoa, and add it to your meals for a fiber boost.

Use the brown rice in grain bowls with black beans or other proteins, side salads, and puddings. Of course, you can also use brown rice to make fried rice or stir fry. For quicker meal prep, cook up a big batch of rice and freeze it for later, or look for pre-cooked rice that only needs a few seconds in the microwave to be plate-ready.

Beans are a great way to add protein to any meal — and they're cheap. While dried beans are a few cents cheaper, canned beans are more convenient because they're ready to use in an instant.

Either is worth stocking, depending on the time you have. Any beans — like black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, or white beans — can be used to replace meat in your meals, like in a black bean burger.

Beans are also a great addition to soups , stews , and chilis. They can be cooked with ground beef or other meats to stretch a pound to feed five or six instead of three or four. Traditional pasta sauce isn't only for spaghetti — although that's a quick and easy weeknight meal.

You can use leftover marinara sauce to make stuffed peppers , chicken Parmesan , meatloaf , pizza, and so much more. Next time you're at the store grab the multipack of sauce; it will save you extra money and provide you with multiple meals for the month. Canned meat, like chicken, salmon, and tuna, is a great alternative for fresh meats.

And it's a non-perishable item that will last significantly longer than fresh meat would, even in your freezer. Canned tuna can be used to make sandwiches, salads, and casseroles.

While canned chicken can be used for soups, salads, and, of course, dips. Combine with a bit of breading, spices, and egg for fast and flavorful cakes or patties. Stock is a common ingredient in soups, sauces, and casseroles. You can also use chicken stock to flavor your rice or other grains and sautéed vegetables.

And a bit of stock can help you stretch soups and sauces if you need a bit more for a full meal. Peanut butter is an inexpensive and versatile ingredient because it can be used in every meal of the day.

From smoothies to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to peanut butter noodles , and tons of peanut butter desserts, the jar in your pantry will certainly not go to waste.

And if you have a peanut allergy, you can substitute other nut butters, like almond butter , in many recipes. So many recipes start with oil, and for typical cooking applications, a standard olive oil is all you'll need. But buying a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil is important if you plan to make no-cook dishes, salad dressings, and sauces.

Signing up on the app instead? Use code uwhaflc to receive your bonus. Dry beans are inexpensive as well, but for quick meals, nothing beats canned.

Here are some to keep on hand:. Tomatoes are so useful and versatile in everything from spaghetti to chili and beyond. Be sure your pantry includes:.

RELATED: How to do a Pantry Challenge to Save Money on Groceries This Week. Premade stock makes so many dinners faster and easier. Some varieties include:. Some of the best frugal pantry staples are for making baked goods. Here are some ideas:.

If you really want to make it easy, buy some baking mix such as Bisquick. You can make everything from pancakes to biscuits, muffins, blondies, and even as a coating for chicken. Nothing jazzes up dinner like some flavorful sauces and condiments. You can make sauces out of:. You can use condensed soups to make a huge array of cheap pantry meals.

Another one of the best budget pantry staples is tortillas. They have a much longer shelf life than a loaf of bread, but can be used for anything from tacos to individual pizzas. A spaghetti dinner can come together super quickly with the use of a jar of pasta sauce. You can always doctor it up with more spices or fresh ingredients if you want.

Try using them to make gnocchi, as a binder for meatloaf or a thickener for sauces and gravy, or even as a crispy coating for onion rings. Having a canister of breadcrumbs in the pantry can be used to:.

Russet, red, and sweet potatoes all have an incredibly long shelf-life when kept in a dark, cool place like your pantry. Onions also stay good for a long time, and add an incredible amount of flavor to any savory dish.

Canned veggies make quick side dishes, and easy additions to soups and stews. No kitchen is complete without olive oil for flavor and sauteing, and canola oil for higher temperature cooking and baking. If you really want a quick and cheap meal, make something with eggs.

From omelettes to breakfast burritos to scrambled in a hash, there is no less expensive source of good protein. Both as a topping for breads and baked potatoes, to an ingredient in sauces and baked goods, butter is an ideal ingredient to keep in your kitchen. Much like butter, plain yogurt and sour cream can be used as a topping or ingredient.

Pro-tip: Greek yogurt has a lot of protein, which makes the the perfect healthy alternative to sour cream. Both parmesan and cheddar cheese pack a flavorful punch to many quick meals.

Read next: 95 Pizza Toppings to Jazz up Homemade Pizza Night. How to Use a Foodsaver Save Tons of Money on Meat and Produce. How to Create a Grocery Budget and actually stick to it! These citrus fruits are excellent when squeezed on a variety of dishes, plus they make drinking water and cocktails more flavorful.

Since the freezer-section veggies are frozen at the peak of freshness, they contain most of the health benefits as fresh vegetables. Berries from the freezer are usually far less expensive than not-in-season fresh berries.

They can be thawed and eaten with yogurt or on oatmeal, or used to make tasty baked goods. I hope this list of pantry staples on a budget has given you lots of inspiration for how to stock your pantry. Coconut Oil Coconut oil has about a gazillion uses!

It has a higher burn point than butter making it a great choice for frying anything when you cook. It has become one of our most used staple pantry items. No fresh ones, no frozen ones… then Onion Powder can come to your rescue!

I am constantly using this as a substitute for fresh onion! And I do the same with Garlic Powder! Baking powder is a must for baking from scratch! It is always on hand in my pantry. Baking soda is an important ingredient that can be used for cleaning and deodorizing around the home.

I buy it by the huge bag full because it is the only product that truly gets the smell out of my laundry. With three boys, all in sports, we have a lot of stinky clothing to use it on! Make sure you choose the unsweetened variety of cocoa powder so that you can add your own sweetener and make it as sweet or not for your liking.

For baking, cocoa powder is a must-have because so many chocolate-based treats start with cocoa powder. This is a cake made in one minute in the microwave I substitute the sugar for a Stevia sweetener.

Oats Oats are so versatile, they can be ground and used as a flour, as filler for meatloaves to reduce the meat, baked in cookies or simply made as a breakfast staple, as it is often done in our home.

Flour is always a great staple to have on hand. Most recipes, especially baking ones, will call for some amount of flour.

I keep this low-carb, gluten-free one always on hand and ready for my baking needs. Sugar or Sweetener You know I love my coffee super sweet, but besides using it in coffee, sugar is also obviously used in baking as well as beauty and cleaning products.

Rice is a super inexpensive side dish to fill those growing kids! We also use it to add filler to meat dishes so that they go farther, therefore, saving us money.

Pasta Pasta is easily one of the most frugal and filling meals you can make! Peanut butter as a staple pantry items can be used to make protein balls, fudge, and even a filling sandwich for lunch. If you miss the sweet with the salty the jelly , you could pair it with an inexpensive banana, honey, or as my Dad likes to eat it… with butter.

Popcorn is an inexpensive snack to keep on hand for those moments when you just want to munch, without it costing an arm and a leg! We make popcorn on the stove in minutes, or in a brown bag version in the microwave too.

Popcorn is our best pantry staples for cheap snacks. We do this all the time! Tortillas are super versatile, and you can even freeze them for later, making them a great pantry staple to stock up on!

Fajitas, quesadillas, and soft tacos are all great inexpensive meal options that use tortillas. As you can see, we keep a number of different staple pantry items in our home at all times to make sure that our home is well stocked for easy meals.

For example, if you're a regular cook or baker, it pays to stock up on things like spices, flour, and other essentials. However, if you're on a tight budget and are looking for basic cheap meals like spaghetti bolognese, for example, then you'll want to stock up on pasta and tinned tomatoes.

Fruit and vegetables are key to maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, but they can be expensive when you buy them fresh. Instead, consider swapping out fresh produce for tinned or even frozen fruit and vegetables. They taste no different but could help you save a small fortune on your shopping bill!

Rice is the perfect food staple, as you can bulk up most meals with it. It's great for batch cooking big meals like chilli con carne and adding to curries. A packet of 1kg rice currently costs around £1, making it a great, budget-friendly cupboard essential. Pasta is another hero staple product to stock up on at the supermarket if you're on a budget.

It's great for making big family meals like pasta bakes, and you can also cook it in advance and freeze it, making it super convenient for mid-week meals.

A pack of Fusilli or Penne costs 80p or less in most supermarkets, and spaghetti is also less than £1. If you're a keen baker, all purpose flour is the perfect cheap cupboard staple for whipping up your favourite sweet and savoury treats like bread, biscuits, pie crusts, pizza dough, and more.

Herbs and spices can add some flavour to your dishes and help spruce up those less exciting mid-week meals. Popular ones include black pepper, coriander, cumin, ginger, and turmeric. Cereal is a cheap and cheerful breakfast option for busy families and offers a healthy way for you to start the day if you're on a tight budget.

Cereals like Branflakes are high in fibre and vitamin D, and will help keep you fuller for longer. Always look for the supermarket own brand, which can work out up to as much as up to £3 cheaper than the branded version. Condiments like ketchup and mustard are also key cupboard essentials for any household.

Again, it's best to pick up own brand versions, which are a lot cheaper than the big popular brands. This may sound like an odd one to include on the list, but peanut butter is a versatile cupboard staple. You can have it on toast, on sandwiches for lunch, pop it in a smoothie, and even use it for baking.

Cooking oil is another cheap essential to keep in your cupboards. You can use it for frying, cooking, baking, and even as a salad dressing or dip for bread. There are different types of cooking oil, including sunflower oil, vegetable oil, and olive oil. These will vary in price, but generally, cheaper options such as sunflower oil start around £3 for a huge 2L bottle.

Similar to tinned vegetables and rice, beans and lentils are also the perfect way to bulk up a meal on a budget. Canned options such as kidney beans are great for adding to chilli, bean burgers, and curries. Gravy tastes great with pretty much any meat and chicken stock can help add extra flavour to any dish.

If you're looking at choosing between the two, gravy is a slightly cheaper option, costing less than £1 for a can of gravy granules, which also last longer. Whereas chicken stock cubes tend to cost between £1. Similar to fruit and vegetables, buying tinned meat and fish can really help cut costs on your next supermarket shop.

You can purchase chicken, steak, hot dogs, tuna, salmon, and even full meals such as an all day breakfast, all in a tin for convenience. These vary in price, but are most often cheaper than buying these products fresh.

Plus, you can store them in your cupboard for longer, helping you to reduce waste. Potatoes go great with most meals like Sunday roasts, and are ideal for whipping up quick meals and sides like jacket potatoes. It's worth weighing up how many you use throughout the week, and which type you prefer, as you can then adjust your shopping list accordingly.

You can even use your leftover canned beans in easy peasy dishes like my tamale casserole! Beans are a delicious filler and add protein and other nutrients! These soups are so good to have on hand. They go with pretty much anything and can really help to take a few ingredients from being a random assortment of items to a casserole in no time!

Pro Tip: It is beyond easy to make your own cream of chicken soup if you keep broth on hand — just add milk, flour , and a little seasoning!

Genius, right!? These are an obvious pantry staple! They're great to have by themselves as a side or added to a recipe. Pro Tip: To improve the flavor of canned vegetables, first rinse them in a colander under cold water. Then add to your recipes as usual. Whether it's beef, chicken, or vegetable, broth and stock are great pantry staples to keep on hand!

Just buy the biggest carton or whatever is cheapest that you can find if you use it a lot. Be sure to refrigerate it after opening so it doesn't go bad! Pro Tip: I like to buy Better Than Bouillon from Costco. It's amazing and lasts a while! Oatmeal is such a versatile pantry staple!

It can either be eaten on its own or easily goes into so many kinds of recipes, from early morning breakfast to dessert.

Did you know that an ounce package of Old Fashioned Quaker Oats contains roughly 26, rolled oats? That's a lot of oats! Canned chicken, tuna, salmon, ham, and beef are all great ways to keep meat on hand without having to worry about the electricity going out and your meat ruining!

These pantry staples are so versatile and work in a lot of different meals. Pro Tip: If you're cooking the canned meats in a recipe, make sure you don't add it in until the very end. Your goal is to heat it up, not cook it and dry it out!

Alright, well there you have it! The top 10 pantry staples according to you fabulous Freebs. No, this list of budget-friendly pantry essentials is designed to pack plenty of flavor and nutrition into everything it helps make. Cutting your grocery budget doesn't mean cutting the quality of food you buy, and it certainly doesn't mean making your food less enjoyable in the name of a few pennies.

Stocking these wallet-friendly essentials will save you money, and it will also help you be a more agile cook, one that's ready to adapt at a moment's notice instead of going out for expensive takeout.

Check out our list of must-have, budget-friendly pantry items and how you can use them in everyday meals. Brown rice is a whole grain and has more nutritional value than white rice. Stock up on brown rice, or other grains such as quinoa, and add it to your meals for a fiber boost. Use the brown rice in grain bowls with black beans or other proteins, side salads, and puddings.

Of course, you can also use brown rice to make fried rice or stir fry. For quicker meal prep, cook up a big batch of rice and freeze it for later, or look for pre-cooked rice that only needs a few seconds in the microwave to be plate-ready.

Beans are a great way to add protein to any meal — and they're cheap. While dried beans are a few cents cheaper, canned beans are more convenient because they're ready to use in an instant.

Either is worth stocking, depending on the time you have. Any beans — like black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, or white beans — can be used to replace meat in your meals, like in a black bean burger. Beans are also a great addition to soups , stews , and chilis. They can be cooked with ground beef or other meats to stretch a pound to feed five or six instead of three or four.

Traditional pasta sauce isn't only for spaghetti — although that's a quick and easy weeknight meal. You can use leftover marinara sauce to make stuffed peppers , chicken Parmesan , meatloaf , pizza, and so much more.

Next time you're at the store grab the multipack of sauce; it will save you extra money and provide you with multiple meals for the month. Canned meat, like chicken, salmon, and tuna, is a great alternative for fresh meats.

And it's a non-perishable item that will last significantly longer than fresh meat would, even in your freezer. Canned tuna can be used to make sandwiches, salads, and casseroles.

While canned chicken can be used for soups, salads, and, of course, dips. Combine with a bit of breading, spices, and egg for fast and flavorful cakes or patties. Stock is a common ingredient in soups, sauces, and casseroles.

You can also use chicken stock to flavor your rice or other grains and sautéed vegetables. And a bit of stock can help you stretch soups and sauces if you need a bit more for a full meal. Much like butter, plain yogurt and sour cream can be used as a topping or ingredient.

Pro-tip: Greek yogurt has a lot of protein, which makes the the perfect healthy alternative to sour cream. Both parmesan and cheddar cheese pack a flavorful punch to many quick meals. Read next: 95 Pizza Toppings to Jazz up Homemade Pizza Night. How to Use a Foodsaver Save Tons of Money on Meat and Produce.

How to Create a Grocery Budget and actually stick to it! These citrus fruits are excellent when squeezed on a variety of dishes, plus they make drinking water and cocktails more flavorful. Since the freezer-section veggies are frozen at the peak of freshness, they contain most of the health benefits as fresh vegetables.

Berries from the freezer are usually far less expensive than not-in-season fresh berries. They can be thawed and eaten with yogurt or on oatmeal, or used to make tasty baked goods. I hope this list of pantry staples on a budget has given you lots of inspiration for how to stock your pantry.

You can use this well-stocked pantry list to create TONS of quick and cheap meals. Skip to content Previous Previous. Next Continue. Similar Posts. Home Toggle child menu Expand. Seasonal Toggle child menu Expand.

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