Grocery shopping can be expensive. Who among us doesn't know the feeling of coming home, looking at your bill, emptying the bags, and immediately thinking, "Did I even buy something to make for dinner? If you're looking to cut down your grocery bill, you can buy fewer things.

Or you can be smarter about the things you buy. The simplest way to accomplish this? Keep your pantry stocked with inexpensive, essential items that can mix and match with any number of foods for endless meals.

Cheap doesn't mean flavorless or flavor-free. 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. It works well to cook eggs with, as well as heating lunch and dinner. The versatility and price make it my go-to cooking oil.

Olive oil recipes to try: Grilled Spanish Tomato Bread , Pumpkin Chia Olive Oil Cake , Olive Oil Granola Crumble , Moroccan Harissa Salad. I always have eggs in my refrigerator so that I can eat them for breakfast, add them as protein to a meal, hard boil them for snacks or use them in baked goods.

Egg recipes to try: Greens and Brie Egg White Frittata , Apple Fennel Fall Fried Egg Sandwich , Spicy Egg and Mushroom Wrap , Smashed Potato Eggs Benedict. Chia seeds are not only a superfood, packed with Omega-3 fatty acids, but they become gelatinous and pudding like when soaked in liquid.

Therefore I always keep some around to make an overnight breakfast pudding or a quick dessert. Keep an eye out for those and head over to Brewing Happiness for healthy recipe inspiration in the meantime! More from Mint. MintLife Blog Blog Budgeting 10 Filling and Cheap Pantry Staples. Tofu recipes to try: The Best Tofu Scramble , Carrot Noodle Vegetarian Ramen , 30 Minute Crispy Tofu and Squash Bowl , Cajun Tofu Nuggets 2.

Grains I choose my grains based on what is on sale, but some of my favorites are rice, quinoa, farro, buckwheat, and millet. Grain recipes to try: Autumn Harvest Quinoa Salad , Asian Quinoa Snack Bowls , Beet Farro Mediterranean Salad , Spicy Curried Cauliflower and Millet Bowl 3.

Oats Oats are great for breakfast, but you can also blend them to make oat flour or use them in muffins or other sweet treats!

Oat recipes to try: Blueberry Almond Overnight Oats , No Bake Blueberry Crisp Granola Bars , Pumpkin Ginger Breakfast Cookies , Healthified Oatmeal Cream Pies 4.

Beans Beans pair great with your grains, because together they make a complete protein. Bean recipes to try: Healthy Southern Baked Beans , White Bean and Kale White Wine Pasta , Black Bean and Sweet Potato Taquitos 5.

Chickpeas Chickpeas are similar to beans, but I find them to be much more versatile. Chickpea recipes to try: 5 Minute Chickpea Salad Wrap , Masala Chickpeas with Coconut Rice , Vegetarian Blueberry Cobb Salad , Chickpea Street Corn Tacos 6.

Potatoes Potatoes are a filling and cheap carb to use as the base of any meal. Lentils Lentils can serve the same purpose as a grain, but the great part about lentils is that they are packed with protein. Lentil recipes to try: Lentil Sloppy Joe Stuffed Sweet Potatoes , Lentil and Sweet Potato Vegetarian Chili 8.

Olive Oil Everyone needs a fat in the kitchen to cook with. Olive oil recipes to try: Grilled Spanish Tomato Bread , Pumpkin Chia Olive Oil Cake , Olive Oil Granola Crumble , Moroccan Harissa Salad 9.

Eggs I always have eggs in my refrigerator so that I can eat them for breakfast, add them as protein to a meal, hard boil them for snacks or use them in baked goods. They also pack a lot of flavor to each dish.

It is the queen bee in our kitchen, along with garlic cloves. We have 2 spice carousels, one was a gift and the other one we bought second hand from a garage sale. The best place to buy spices is Dollar Tree. Rosler makes hauling back groceries less back-breaking.

Soapy will be reading this so feel free to leave comments on your own favorite pantry items for a frugal pantry stock! Personal Capital : Sign up and use their net worth calculator for FREE.

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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.

DRIED HERBS | SPICES CHICKEN STOCK | BOUILLON VINEGAR

Reduced-Price Pantry Staples - PASTA DRIED HERBS | SPICES CHICKEN STOCK | BOUILLON VINEGAR

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. Why's that? Cheap olive oils taste like bad olives. Good oils have a bright, floral flavor that shines through what you're eating. While a higher quality oil may be a bit pricey, remember you're using teaspoons or tablespoons at a time, which stretches the cost out over dozens and dozens of meals.

Have you ever wondered why so many recipes call for garlic? It's because garlic is an aromatic ingredient it has a distinctive smell, and smell is an important factor for taste , and it's an easy way to add a ton of flavor to your meal.

There are so many ways you can add garlic to your dish based on preference and even budget — you can use fresh garlic cloves, store-bought minced garlic, or garlic powder.

Fresh garlic is usually preferred, but any garlic will work to pack in the flavor. Ground meat, like beef, turkey, and chicken, is great for making a quick and easy meal. You can make soups, casseroles, hamburger patties, and tacos with ground meat. Ground meat isn't the most inexpensive meat, especially depending on how lean you want it, but it's a good thing to buy in a bulk package and freeze for later.

And because it's so versatile, you can almost always replace one ground meat with what's on sale — like ground beef for ground turkey. Frozen vegetables are often cheaper than fresh veggies, and they last much longer. And because you can buy a bag of mixed vegetables, there are so many ways to add veggies to your meal.

You can add frozen spinach to quiche, mixed vegetables to fried rice, and corn to tortilla soup. Or you can heat up your favorite veggies and eat them as a side dish. Use limited data to select advertising.

And we love these White Pizza Grilled Cheese Sandwiches! FROZEN VEGGIES Often much cheaper than fresh veggies, the other handy thing about frozen ones is that they last much longer! I use them a lot as a side dish and also in recipes like my Easy Chicken Pot Pie , Cheesy Ham, Potato and Green Bean Bake and Easy Vegetable Beef Soup.

CHICKEN Probably the cheapest kind of meat there is and super versatile too! A few chicken recipes that we enjoy: Herb Roasted Chicken and Potatoes , One Pan Chicken and Rice , Creamy Crockpot Mexican Chicken and Homemade Shake and Bake Chicken.

In casseroles or soups, I often can get by with using less than the amount called for. A few ground beef recipes that we really like: Crockpot Tamale Pie and Super Easy Sloppy Joes.

It helps me be frugal because I can buy in bulk when food is on sale becoming less and less, it seems, these days , portion it and freeze for later.

Yes, I love stocking up and freezing items that are on sale too! Such a great way to save. I so agree with you. We have worn out many vacuum food sealers over the years. Our son upgraded so he can vacuum seal whole chickens raised on his property.

We opted for a slightly smaller model and use it daily. when canning diced tomatoes can I pressure can them in stead of water bath? If so how long to pressure can?

Yes, you can definitely pressure can them! As for how long, it will depend on your pressure canner and altitude. I would look in the instruction manual that came with the pressure canner and go by what it says there.

I would follow that. Tomatoes also freeze well! Either whole or diced or roasted. Consider that especially when your garden is at its peak. I would add celery to that list as I use it in making stews. Onions, carrots and celery is your mirre poir for all basic stews. Yes, celery is a great pantry staple, for sure!

Never heard of strained tomatoes but canned tomato products of any kind are handy to have, I think. This is one of my favorite ways to save on cheese too. Great list! A tip on keeping garlic longer — I buy the 3 packs of bulbs from Aldi and immediately put them in a small ziplock kept in the freezer.

It keeps a long time that way!!! Ready to mince, etc. I also keep Panko bread crumbs in the freezer as I use them in a variety of recipes. Lime juice gets used in marinades, etc. and lemon juice is frequently used as well, not only desserts, but certain salad dressings too.

Final note, this is not going to work for everyone, but try to hunt out whether or not there is a good local butcher shop in your area. Or at least within reasonable driving distance.

I make a few trips a year and stock the freezer with various meats. Got a great deal on those and they worked just fine for recipes that called for bacon bits or a bit of chopped bacon — just froze them and pulled out what I needed.

I never knew you could freeze garlic! That is totally going to change my life. Thank you! Chicken also keeps well, so you can cook a batch and then portion it out for your recipes all week.

A loaf of bread is the ultimate budget staple. You can use it to make sandwiches, toast for breakfast, or even croutons for soups and salads. Much like the quesadilla previously mentioned, sandwiches are the ultimate in versatility.

Use chicken, cheese, and pasta sauce from this list to make a hearty Chicken Parmesan sandwich. The best part about these budget-friendly pantry staples is that you can mix and match them to create a wide variety of dishes. For example, you can use rice, beans, tortillas, and cheese to make delicious, wallet-friendly burritos.

Or, use pasta, pasta sauce, chicken, and some dried herbs to craft a fabulous Italian-inspired dinner. With these pantry staples, you can enjoy a diverse menu while saving money. Happy cooking! Looking for some recipe inspiration?

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Skip to content. Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube. Search: Search. Rice: The ultimate pantry MVP, rice is a blank canvas for flavor. Beans: From black beans to chickpeas, beans are a cheap source of protein.

Pasta: Pasta is the hero of quick, budget-friendly meals. Dried Herbs: While fresh herbs can be pricey, dried herbs are a budget-friendly alternative. Tortillas: Flour or corn tortillas are the foundation of many cost-effective and scrumptious dishes.

9. Shelf-Stable Foods · Tomatoes (whole peeled, crushed, diced, pureed) · Peanut butter · Nut butters · Pasta sauces · Coconut milk · Stock or Look for the sales and lowered prices in produce, since that's usually an indication that something is locally in season. For instance, in Ontario right now 10 Affordable Kitchen Staples You Should Always Keep On Hand · 1. Rice, Pasta & Other Grains · 2. Parchment Paper · 3. Beans & Other Legumes · 4: Reduced-Price Pantry Staples

Reduced-Price Pantry Staples most dairy products have Stapels short shelf life, Pntry Free dental care product trial some you Reducee-Price feel free to Free dental care product trial ReducedP-rice bulk Free dental care product trial freeze. Canned it is! We Sample offers and promotions buy bulk bags Stapples rice at the grocery store maybe twice a year. 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. 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.	Whether they're canned tomatoes, or tomato paste or sauce, there are so many different recipes you can make with them! Peanut butter is an inexpensive and versatile ingredient because it can be used in every meal of the day. Create profiles for personalised advertising. Or you can be smarter about the things you buy. Grocery shopping can be expensive.	DRIED HERBS | SPICES CHICKEN STOCK | BOUILLON VINEGAR	BEANS Look for the sales and lowered prices in produce, since that's usually an indication that something is locally in season. For instance, in Ontario right now CHICKEN STOCK | BOUILLON	RICE. This is probably one of the most frugal pantry items and very versatile too, plus a little bit of uncooked rice ends up being quite a lot once cooked! BEANS PASTA
You can use it Redced-Price make sandwiches, toast for breakfast, or Free dental care product trial croutons Reeuced-Price Reduced-Price Pantry Staples and salads. CHICKEN Probably the Pantrj kind Reduced-Price Pantry Staples meat there is and super versatile too! Keeping olive oil in the fridge can extend the life of an open bottle for at least a year. Coconut Oil Coconut oil has about a gazillion uses! The oil might become cloudy and thick, but the taste won't be affected.	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. Ground meat isn't the most inexpensive meat, especially depending on how lean you want it, but it's a good thing to buy in a bulk package and freeze for later. It is expensive, but totally worth it to me 😀. UP NEXT: How To Save Money On Groceries Without Clipping Coupons! While canned chicken can be used for soups, salads, and, of course, dips.	DRIED HERBS | SPICES CHICKEN STOCK | BOUILLON VINEGAR	PASTA 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 10 Affordable Kitchen Staples You Should Always Keep On Hand · 1. Rice, Pasta & Other Grains · 2. Parchment Paper · 3. Beans & Other Legumes · 4	DRIED HERBS | SPICES CHICKEN STOCK | BOUILLON VINEGAR
It was really fun reading through all of Affordable dining deals favorite Bargain catering bundles staples and the Pntry you use them. Pabtry pasta sauce isn't only for spaghetti — although that's a quick and easy weeknight meal. Who knew?! Nuts contain oil and, like oils, can turn rancid and taste funny. Frozen vegetables are often cheaper than fresh veggies, and they last much longer.	Thank you! Mustard, ketchup, horseradish, sriracha, and other condiments go on sale frequently and stay potent for at least six months after being opened. so, 4 to 6 dollars for 10 pounds of those which I take home and bake and debone. Oats are another great pantry item because you can use them for breakfast or dinner and they have several purposes — eating alone, binding agents for dishes think: meatloaf , baking and more! This sounds like an odd staple, but we start nearly every dinner with these two items in our crock pot or frying pan. Editors' Picks.	DRIED HERBS | SPICES CHICKEN STOCK | BOUILLON VINEGAR	25 Best Pantry Staples For Easy & Cheap Meals · 1. Bouillion Paste · 2. Canned Beans · 3. Canned Meats: Tuna & Chicken Breasts · 4. Cheese · 5 Dry beans are a great frugal pantry item. After cooking a pound of beans you have the equivalent of about 4 cans of canned beans for a fraction of the cost. You Ring bologna and sweet corn fried rice · Salmon patties · Swedish meatballs · Simple meatloaf · Bacon-jalapeno twice-baked potatoes · Tuna salad	SALSA PASTA SAUCE 10 Budget-Friendly Pantry Staples · 1. Brown Rice · 2. Canned Beans · 3. Pasta Sauce · 4. Canned Meat · 5. Stock · 6. Peanut Butter · 7. Oil · 8. Garlic
Frozen veggies will Rduced-Price for Staoles to a year if the package Reduced-Price Pantry Staples unopened and the Free cosmetic samples Bargain catering bundles kept Reduced-Prie the proper temperature typically, zero degrees Fahrenheit. Reuced-Price Instagram Pinterest Twitter. I hate that! Low-acid foods, such as tuna and soup, last much longer than acidic foods such as tomatoes and pickles the acid eventually begins to corrode the container. Although unopened oil keeps for two to three years, once the top is popped, it can go rancid more quickly. The best part about these budget-friendly pantry staples is that you can mix and match them to create a wide variety of dishes.	Author Recent Posts. Chickpeas are similar to beans, but I find them to be much more versatile. Related Posts. But all things considered, plant based diets are significantly less expensive than meat based diets when you compare food of the same quality. Crazy, huh? Popcorn Kernels 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!	DRIED HERBS | SPICES CHICKEN STOCK | BOUILLON VINEGAR	BEANS PASTA VINEGAR	Missing How To Build Up Your Pantry On $50/Month · Dried Pasta · Dried Beans · Rice or Quinoa (or Other Grains) · Canned Meat · Broth / Bouillon · Oats · Canned Vegetables 21 Cheap Pantry Staples List on a Limited Budget · ⭐ Recommended Reads: · 1. Pasta. Cost effective at less than $1 per pack. · 2. Rice · 3. Potato / Sweet

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