57 Items Your Pantry Needs Now

You can’t stock your pantry without having a plan. If you want to save money on food costs your pantry must have certain items.

Now only will having a stocked pantry allow you to make your own meals, once you get good at stocking up on items, you can live off your pantry for a couple weeks.

Creating EXTRA room in your budget.

Meal planning has truly brought my family to a path of financial peace. When I take the time every week to think about the meals we are going to eat, look at the proteins that are on sale and use what is in the pantry to feed my family, the savings are astonishing.

I didn’t start off with the skill of cooking in the kitchen. Still, I would much rather bake than cook.

But when the kids are distracted and I have all my meals planned I am calm in the kitchen and enjoying the simplicity in feeding my family healthy foods at home for less.

TIP: With coupons and watching the sales I can spend less than $60 a week on groceries.

pantry items Below is a list of pantry and fridge items I like to keep on hand to live a healthier simpler life.

I can easily come up with simple and delicious meals for my family when I have these pantry items.

READ OR PIN- Fool-Proof Way to Eat Healthier on A Budget- Every Week

Look at having a stocked pantry as setting yourself up for success in meal planning and offering your family healthy options. This is also a key factor in creating the perfect grocery list.

I love to buy many organic spices at BJ’s Wholesale club because it is cheaper than our local grocery store. Of course, if you can dry your own herbs this is the better option.

Aldi is another great store to go and get your basic pantry items from. Just remember the importance of looking at unit price and the quality of the ingredients.

If you think your pantry is well stocked already, and you want to live off eating what’s only in your kitchen check out our article here.

Table of Contents

Quick Recap How You Can Stock Your Pantry For Cheap

Follow a coupon matchup list
Buy produce in season
Buy Meat in bulk-freeze for later
Only Buy items on sale
Keep your pantry stocked with the items below to always make a meal from scratch at home for less

Spices/Herbs

Sea Salt
Whole Black Peppercorns( grinding fresh pepper is the way to go)
Basil
Oregano
Thyme
Marjoram
Tarragon
Dill
Bay Leaves
Ground Mustard
Chili Powder
Nutmeg
Parsley
Cumin
Fresh Garlic

Cooking & Baking

Active dry yeast( This is Super affordable at BJ’s- no coupons needed $3.99 for 4 lbs.)
All-Purpose Flour ( 10 lb. bag $4.99 at BJ’s)
Baking Powder ( Aluminum Free 2 pack $4.99 at BJ’s)
Baking Soda ( 13.5 lb bag $4.99- Use for many other things. Put a small amount in a container to keep fresh use rest for cleaning)
Brown Sugar
Granulated Sugar
Cornstarch
Cocoa Powder
Real Maple Syrup
Pure Vanilla Extract
Raw Honey
Whole Wheat Flour
Cinnamon Powder
Chicken & Beef Stock

Oils, Vinegar, Sauces

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Frank’s Hot Sauce
Soy Sauce
Olive Oil
Apple Cider Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
White Vinegar
Red Wine Vinegar
Worcestershire sauce

For the Fridge Door

Dijon Mustard
Ketchup
Mayonnaise

Dairy & Eggs

Butter Quarters
Cheese
Milk
Yogurt ( I like grabbing Greek yogurt to use in place of sour cream in recipes.)

Vegetables

Onions
Celery
Lettuce
Potatoes
Scallions
Tomatoes

Canned/Dry Goods

Beans
Tomatoes
Tuna
Pasta- a variety of kinds
Rice
Chicken Stock/Bouillon Cubes

I run another blog all about shopping and saving at BJ’s Wholesale Club and other stores. You can grab my BJ’s Freezer to Slow Cooker Meal plan. It includes 14 meals and can feed a family of up to 8 people.

These meals are healthy, delicious and affordable at only $0.80 per person!!