11 Things Frugal People Keep In Their Pantry That Make Life Way Easier
Are you making the most of your grocery budget?
VH-studio / Shutterstock Living a frugal lifestyle comes with many benefits. Spending money only on what you need allows you to save more over time, which leads to more financial success. Trips to the grocery store can break the bank, but frugal shoppers have their lists down to a science. Picking foods that are shelf-stable, versatile, and delicious keeps costs down without making recipe sacrifices. Some of the best pantry staples can be purchased at frugal prices.
Shopping frugally can provide benefits outside of penny pinching. There are several things frugal people keep in their pantry that make life way easier. And having a pantry stocked with long-lasting ingredients can be crucial when disaster strikes. If roads are closed due to weather, frugal shoppers are worry-free, as their typical grocery haul can be preserved for months at a time. Saving money can be difficult, but creating frugal habits at the grocery store is a great place to start.
These are 11 things frugal people keep in their pantry that make life way easier
1. Beans
tom davis from Pexels via Canva
Frugal shoppers get a great bang for their buck when buying beans. Dried beans are cheaper than canned beans, but both provide top-notch protein without breaking the bank and have a great shelf life. A serving of beans, depending on type, can range from 6-14 grams of protein and make for filling meals.
Stocking up on beans saves money while providing versatility to your daily meal planning. From chilis and soups to tacos and salads, beans create a wide variety of dishes that prevent frugal shoppers from getting tired of repetitive meals.
2. Rice
Valeri Honcharuk via Canva
No frugal pantry is complete without rice. Dried rice isn’t only budget-friendly, it makes meal prepping a breeze.
Rice is a great source of carbohydrates, which provides the fuel you need for an energetic day and helps keep you full longer. It is also packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are essential to daily health.
3. Oats
Livilla Latini from Pexels via Canva
Oats make for a great frugal pantry staple. Oatmeal is a cost-efficient and filling breakfast option, but there are many other uses for this grain.
Eating frugally doesn’t mean missing out on dessert. Oats are a wonderful ingredient to use in sweet treats like cookies, cakes, and pies. Aside from making delicious desserts, oats can help lower cholesterol and blood sugar while aiding in digestion and gut health.
4. Canned fruits and vegetables
Valeri Honcharuk via Canva
Produce may be inexpensive at the grocery store, but the short shelf life of fruits and vegetables can make their costs add up. Frugal shoppers have the perfect solution to getting these health staples into their diets without breaking the bank: canned fruits and vegetables!
Canned fruits and vegetables are cost-efficient, as they don’t spoil as quickly as fresh produce. The convenience of having them in the pantry ready to go for any recipe or snack makes them the perfect frugal shopping list hack.
5. Flour
lisegagne from Getty Images Signature via Canva
Flour is a pantry essential, and frugal shoppers love how it is long-lasting and serves as a versatile ingredient for cooking and baking. It’s not a pantry item that needs to be purchased often.
Flour might be best known for its inclusion in recipes, but frugal shoppers love that they are able to get carbohydrates and vitamins out of the ingredient. No pantry, frugal or otherwise, is complete without flour.
6. Pasta and sauce
Valeri Honcharuk via Canva
Pasta and canned sauces are a frugal shopper's dream! The average American consumes roughly 20 pounds of this kind of food per year, making it the 6th most popular meal in the country. It’s delicious, filling, and budget-friendly.
When eating out at an Italian restaurant, the cost of pasta can be high, but when frugal shoppers make the dish at home, the price is low. A serving of dry spaghetti noodles and sauce comes out to about 0.77 cents.
7. Dried spices
RDNE Stock Project from Pexels via Canva
Spices are key to providing recipes with flavor. While some spices can be higher in cost than others, the frugal pantry loves the long shelf life they provide. It’s not an item that frequently needs to be repurchased.
Keeping spices in glass jars can help preserve their shelf life. Some spices can be frozen to keep them fresh even longer.
8. Mixed grains
Kaboompics from Pexels via Canva
Lentils, buckwheat, and barley are just a few grains that make for great frugal pantry staples. Grains are wonderful to keep on hand for versatility alone.
Grains can be used with flour to create DIY bread, lentils can be added to soups and salads, and buckwheat can be used to make delicious breakfasts like pancakes or porridge. Wallet-friendly and shelf-stable, grains are popular among frugal shoppers.
9. Oil
Halfpoint via Canva
Much like flour, oils are key to keep in your pantry for cooking various recipes. There are many oil options on the market, from vegetable and canola oils to spray oils that provide convenience. Frugal shoppers can select any oil that best fits their budget.
Oils are, of course, used while cooking, but frugal shoppers love mixing oil with spices to create their own salad dressings at home. Bottles of dressing can add up, and homemade versions can help when penny pinching.
10. Potatoes
Jess Ho from Pexels via Canva
Baked, mashed, broiled – the options for potatoes are endless. They are also notoriously inexpensive.
Frugal shoppers always keep potatoes in their pantries. They are perfect for various dishes that are as delicious as they are filling. Potatoes are also known to boost immunity, improve heart health, and improve gut health.
11. Peanut butter
JulNichols from Getty Images Signature via Canva
Whether it’s on toast, paired with jelly for a cost-friendly sandwich, or used in a delicious sauce for a Thai dish, peanut butter is a must-have for a frugal pantry. With a shelf life that varies from three to six months, the long-lasting butter makes for a great staple.
Frugal shoppers are looking for items that have a long shelf life, provide versatility to their daily meals, and are cost-efficient. Peanut butter checks all of those boxes.
Haley Van Horn is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in Humanities, living in Los Angeles. Her focus includes entertainment and lifestyle stories.
