20 Affordable Pantry Essentials You Can’t Live Without

Imagine never stressing about dinner plans because your pantry always has nutritious and affordable essentials. These budget-friendly pantry staples can help you whip up delicious meals without breaking the bank. Whether you’re cooking for a family or just yourself, these staples will make meal prep a breeze. These essentials are kitchen must-haves, from versatile grains and pasta to spices that pack a punch. Look at these 20 affordable pantry essentials and see if they improve your life. Some would even say they are things you can’t live without. We’ll let you decide whether that’s true.

Dry or Canned Beans

Rice and a can of kidney beans with some salsa or ground beef mixed in, if I was lucky, was my go-to dinner. Beans are economical, widely considered good for you, and fill you up. A bag of dried beans is even cheaper, but soaking overnight and cooking them on the stove takes way more time than opening a can and heating them up a bit.

Salsa

It’s cheaper to pick up jars of pre-made salsa than to make your own or buy the fresh restaurant-style varieties in the refrigerator case. You can toss or put it on top of baked potatoes, mix it with rice and beans, or add it to almost anything to provide more flavor.

Canned Fruit

We almost always choose fresh fruit over canned fruit, but we buy canned pineapple and mandarin oranges when fresh ones are unavailable. They’re reasonably priced and not ruined by being packed with syrup.

Baking Ingredients

You can make tons of cheap foods with flour, baking soda, baking powder, yeast, and things you probably have on hand, like sugar, salt, butter, and water. Keep these super cheap ingredients in your cupboard and make homemade bread, pancakes, pasta, tortillas, muffins, cookies, cakes, and more.

Ramen

No list of cheap groceries would be complete without ramen. It’s probably the first thing you think of when you think of cheap foods to buy when broke. For a quick meal, just add water, and in three minutes, your hunger disappears. It might be the most affordable meal at $5.76 for a case of 24 at Walmart.

Mac and Cheese

You won’t mistake boxed mac and cheese for homemade, but it is a decent bargain, even if you need to add milk and butter. Add veggies or ground meat to it for an easy one-pot meal. If you’re OK with the off-brands, you can pick it up for 35 to 55 cents a box at Walmart, Target, or discount grocery stores.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a cheaper and healthier option than chips. Popcorn can be a healthy whole-grain snack when air-popped and lightly seasoned. If you buy jars of popcorn kernels instead of the microwave stuff or the popped and bagged gourmet brands, it’s also incredibly cheap.

Peanut Butter

Peanut butter lasts a long time, is cheap, and kids like it. A peanut butter sandwich and a banana were my go-to brown bag lunch during my leanest times. We buy large jars of natural peanut butter in two packs at Costco.

Tea

As much as I love coffee, sometimes I can’t afford it. Regardless of my grocery budget, I still needed my morning jolt, so I switched to tea. I’m not a tea connoisseur by any stretch, so the cheap store-brand tea bags in 100-bag boxes worked fine for me. We still buy them year-round for iced tea.

Tomato Sauce

When I was broke, I always had jars of tomato sauce in my cabinet. With a box of spaghetti and a jar of sauce, I could eat for a couple of days for under $2. Forget brand loyalty, though. There’s almost always some brand on sale for $1 a jar or less.

Spices

If you’re going to be eating cheap, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor. Hit Aldi or your local dollar store for incredible dried herbs and spices bargains. I can’t tell the difference between the $1 jar of Italian seasoning at Family Dollar and the name-brand $5 jar at the supermarket.

Canned Tomatoes

The prices for fresh tomatoes vary so much that it’s hard to know if you’re paying too much. Canned tomatoes are sometimes a lower-cost option for making sauce, soup, or stew.

Canned Pumpkin

When most people see a pumpkin, they think of Halloween. I think of all the delicious Fall dishes you can make with canned pumpkins that are not pumpkin pie: soup, bread, ravioli, and all kinds of sweet treats. You can get a can for under a buck.

Pasta

I rank pasta right up there with ramen on my list of cheap foods to buy when broke. It costs a few cents per serving, it’s filling, and making a tasty, inexpensive meal requires zero skill, so it’s right up my alley. Pasta should be a staple when buying groceries on a tight budget.

Cereal

Cereal has a wide range of price points and nutritional value. The breakfast cereal varieties with less sugar and no cartoon mascot are better for you and often cheaper than the sugary kid stuff. It’s quick, easy, and costs pennies per serving. Stick with generics or store brands and save $1-$3 per box.

Oats

Oats for breakfast work whether you’re broke or flush because they’re hearty, naturally gluten-free, and a high-quality source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Oatmeal cookies are a cheap treat and simple to whip up with a few additional ingredients. Prices vary depending on where you shop and whether you buy steel cut, rolled, or instant. Aldi and Costco are where we get the best prices.

Cream of Wheat

It’s slightly more expensive than oatmeal but not pricey by any means. It has quite a bit of nutritional value, but it’s a bit of an acquired taste for someone like me. I grew up on grits and oatmeal. I’d take either over cream of wheat any day, but cream of wheat with almond milk was my beautiful Sara’s go-to breakfast during our vegan days.

Rice

Rice is quick, easy to make with or without a rice cooker, and versatile food. It’s also dirt cheap. You can pick up several pounds of white or brown rice for a few dollars. Rice is gluten-free unless it’s processed with other gluten-containing products. Brown rice is also high in fiber and contains essential minerals such as magnesium.

Bread

Bread is always handy when you’re struggling to make ends meet. It can be the cornerstone of breakfast and lunch. Forget about the expensive artisan stuff and go for the store-brand loaves. Whole wheat costs a little more, but it’s still cheap.

Canned Tuna

Canned tuna is a cheap source of protein and omega-3s. Tuna sandwiches are standard, but you can use tuna in casseroles, pasta dishes, and on top of salads. Stock up when it’s on sale since it doesn’t require refrigeration and has a long shelf life of 3 to 5 years.

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