Also, if I happen to be out of liquid chicken stock, I can always use the bouillon to make some- although the stock made using bouillon is not nearly as tasty or as good for you as the real thing! VINEGAR This is another ingredient that I use to make homemade salad dressings.

I also use it for various other recipes and it works great as a natural cleaner too! SALSA I have quite a few Mexican-inspired dishes that call for salsa, so I like to always keep this on hand. chips and salsa! DICED TOMATOES These are super inexpensive and way cheaper than buying fresh tomatoes.

I love using them in recipes to give a bit of added flavor and color. And I even show you how to can diced tomatoes yourself if you want to try that.

PASTA SAUCE I know making your own pasta sauce is pretty easy, but since I can buy it so inexpensively, I prefer to just do that. Pasta sauce is great for a quick meal of meatball subs, pizza, spaghetti or, lasagna to mention just a few.

KETCHUP, MUSTARD, MAYO Okay, so maybe I should have listed these 3 things separately. I use many more condiments than these, but these are the three that I think every kitchen should for sure stock.

BREAD I typically make my own bread , but it is something that I always keep on hand. We often use it to make sandwiches for lunch, toast it to eat with eggs and occasionally use it in recipes like my Cheeseburger Casserole too!

TORTILLAS I use these all the time to make enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas and wraps. In fact, these Salsa Ranch Chicken Wraps are one of my favorite quick meals!

And these easy recipes with tortillas are also great as well. ONIONS GARLIC I use both of these items regularly to inexpensively add extra flavor to lots of different recipes. Of course, you can always freeze them too , if you prefer. CARROTS These are not only a great addition to many soups, but they also make a healthy snack or side dish.

POTATOES Super versatile! You can use them in soups, casseroles, breakfast dishes or side dishes. A few of our favorite potato recipes are Creamy Sausage and Potatoes , Cream Cheese Potato Soup with Ham , and Country Potato Soup.

BUTTER This is probably the one thing that might seem iffy to put on a frugal pantry list. Plus, I love using it to make these easy Garlic Butter Swim Biscuits! SOUR CREAM I like to keep this on hand to use in soups, to make homemade dips and to use in several casserole recipes as well.

But , since I cook almost entirely from scratch, I do end up using it quite a bit even so. Just a little bit can make a lettuce salad, tuna salad sandwiches or refried bean quesadillas so much yummier!

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.

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. 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. Are wholefood plant diets expensive?