If you guessed rice and pasta, then you were spot on! A grand total of Freebs voted these as their top pantry staples. Crazy, huh? Read on to learn what their favorite uses are. Rice is one of those pantry staples that pretty much goes with anything! It's a great way to stretch a meal, especially if you have some ravenous teenagers or toddlers!

in the house. Pro Tip: Use a rice cooker or Instant Pot to cook your rice quicker if it needs to be cooked before going into a recipe. Oh pasta, you are our love language! We think it's safe to say that you're the love language of many Freebs, too!

This pantry staple is another one that will go with just about anything and it's cheap and easy to keep on hand. Pro Tip: When you're cooking pasta, don't use oil in your water for boiling. A lot of Freebs keep canned pasta sauce on hand as it pairs naturally with pasta.

It's a pantry staple that is pretty cheap to stock up on and can go in lots of different things! Pro Tip: Pasta sauce is basically canned tomato sauce and some seasonings, so stock up on tomato sauce and you can easily make your own pasta sauce in a pinch! Tomatoes are another pantry staple that a lot of Freebs keep on hand!

Whether they're canned tomatoes, or tomato paste or sauce, there are so many different recipes you can make with them! Don't be afraid to doctor your tomato sauces with fresh herbs, garlic, cheeses, or thickeners to get the results you want.

You can even combined tomato sauce with paste for a slightly different take that uses up both ingredients. Now that you have some ideas about how to use up those delicious canned and jarred tomato soups, sauces, and pastes, let's talk beans!

Whether they're canned or whole, beans are good for so many things! Eat them plain, add them to meat to bulk up the meal, add them to a soup…. Those are just a few of the reasons that beans are one of the top pantry staples for the Freebs!

You can even use your leftover canned beans in easy peasy dishes like my tamale casserole! Beans are a delicious filler and add protein and other nutrients! So think about those things when learning how to stock your pantry on a budget. So give careful consideration to what to put on your essential food items on a budget list!

It will give you a better understanding of why we recommended these for pantry staples! Once you build up your pantry food storage, you can even start saving money with once a month grocery shopping!

TIP: Allow your pantry storage to build up for a few months before you start using it. Remember: the goal of stocking a pantry is so you have extra food you can rely on to stretch your money or for emergency purposes!

Need containers for pantry storage? A NOTE ABOUT THE PRICES LISTED: We used first quarter pricing from Amazon Fresh. Egg noodles are great because they are super cheap and can be used with just sauce or with meats or in a variety of different casseroles or dishes. Many people recommend storing pasta sauces for your pantry list.

With canned tomatoes, you can use them for soups, chili, pasta sauces, other sauces, casseroles, pizza and more. Regarding food spending, generic cereal is better for saving money. Generic is typically cheaper than name-brand cereal and can still provide good nutritional value with good taste.

Generic cereals are often made with the same grains and other ingredients as name-brand cereals to be just as healthy. Ramen noodles are instant noodles made from wheat flour, salt, and water and typically feature a flavoring packet. In addition to being cheap and easy to make, ramen noodles are also highly versatile.

They can be used in soups, stir-fries, salads, and desserts. You can add vegetables or meat for a more hearty, well-balanced meal.

And with so many different flavor packets available, this pretty cheap food can be a great way to add variety to your diet on a budget. Flour is one of the most versatile ingredients you can buy when broke. Add it to your cheapest groceries list to help you stretch your budget further.

Four is perfect for making your own bread, pizza dough, pastries, etc. Sugar is another one of those ingredients essential for baking, but it can also be used in plenty of ways. A bag of sugar is typically very inexpensive and has a long shelf life, making it an excellent option for those on a tight budget.

A loaf of bread provides dozens of servings and can be used for everything from sandwiches and croutons to bread pudding and French toast.

Tortillas are an excellent way to stretch your grocery budget. They can be served as a main entree with many types of meat, used as a wrap for sandwiches, or even made into chips.

Oats are one of the cheapest food additions to any diet. They are also very versatile: you can enjoy oatmeal or porridge for breakfast, add them to baked goods like muffins or cookies, or even use them as a topping for savory dishes like chicken or fish.

If you want an inexpensive way to add variety to your cheap grocery list, consider picking up a few tea boxes in different flavors. From Earl Grey to chamomile, there is a tea flavor for everyone.

Tea is not only a great way to relax at the end of the day, but it can also help you stay hydrated and save some money on expensive sodas and coffees.

When buying peanut butter, look for natural brands that contain only peanuts and salt as the main ingredients. Avoid brands that contain added sugar, oils, or other unhealthy additives. Your taste buds—and your wallet—will thank you. They are an affordable way to enjoy out-of-season produce that can also be used to make great sweets.

Canned tomatoes are one of the best-canned items to buy when broke. They can be used to make homemade tomato soup, chili, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, and salsa. You can even blend canned tomatoes to make sauce rather than buying jarred sauces, saving you more money at many grocery stores.

Fruits and vegetables are the best cheap foods to buy, especially in season and from your local farms. With a little bit of meal planning, you can save some money on your grocery budget without sacrificing nutrition or taste.

When it comes to putting together a cheap grocery list, you want to add apples to it! They are one of the most affordable and cheap groceries when in season. Fresh apples can be eaten as a fresh fruit snack or added to a fruit salad, while cooked apples make a delicious and budget-friendly dessert like apple crisp.

When it comes to eating healthy foods on a tight budget, bananas are one of the best cheap foods to buy. They are packed with nutrients, including potassium, vitamin C, and dietary fiber, and they have a relatively low calorie count.

Oranges are one of the cheapest foods to buy for your grocery list, and you can eat them fresh, juice them, or even use them in recipes. Broccoli is one of the best picks for fresh vegetables, and I love them with pasta dishes and just as a simple side when roasted in the oven.

Spinach is an excellent cheap food that is a source of vitamins and minerals, including iron and calcium. Here are some meal ideas for incorporating spinach:. Iceberg lettuce is one of the cheapest groceries that you can buy. Lettuce is a great way to get your daily dose of vegetables and is very versatile.

You can also use it to make wraps more healthy. Carrots are versatile root vegetables that can be used in various dishes and have a slightly sweet taste that goes with so many things.

They are an excellent source of vitamin c for the kiddos too. Carrots are often used in a stir-fry with peppers, as it helps to retain their nutrients while also giving them a slightly crispy texture. I like to cut them up small and roast them for an easy side dish.

One of the most popular meal ideas for using peppers is stir fry, but you can add them to your pasta sauce or tacos or make stuffed peppers.

You can get them in a pack of frozen vegetables to get a little bit of everything for a bunch of different meal ideas, or buy them fresh on their own. Celery is also one of the most healthy cheap foods to buy — a great option for budget-minded shoppers.

This crunchy, low-calorie vegetable contains nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Some of our favorites include sweet potato fries, green beans, and carrots.

Plus, you should grab a stir-fry mix for some variety. You can also save some money by buying frozen fruit instead of fresh fruit. Some brands add sugar or other ingredients to their frozen fruit, so be sure to read the label before you buy.

Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions bigumbrella.site › pantry-staples Chicken/Tuna/Salmon salad or sandwiches · Taco salad · Tuna/Salmon patties · Scrambled eggs with ham · Jambalaya · Enchiladas

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Cheap food staples - We've all heard it before: Beans are cheap! And they're good for you, with lots of protein and fiber, so they're a great money-saving alternative to meat Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions bigumbrella.site › pantry-staples Chicken/Tuna/Salmon salad or sandwiches · Taco salad · Tuna/Salmon patties · Scrambled eggs with ham · Jambalaya · Enchiladas

in the house. Pro Tip: Use a rice cooker or Instant Pot to cook your rice quicker if it needs to be cooked before going into a recipe. Oh pasta, you are our love language! We think it's safe to say that you're the love language of many Freebs, too!

This pantry staple is another one that will go with just about anything and it's cheap and easy to keep on hand. Pro Tip: When you're cooking pasta, don't use oil in your water for boiling. A lot of Freebs keep canned pasta sauce on hand as it pairs naturally with pasta.

It's a pantry staple that is pretty cheap to stock up on and can go in lots of different things! Pro Tip: Pasta sauce is basically canned tomato sauce and some seasonings, so stock up on tomato sauce and you can easily make your own pasta sauce in a pinch! Tomatoes are another pantry staple that a lot of Freebs keep on hand!

Whether they're canned tomatoes, or tomato paste or sauce, there are so many different recipes you can make with them! Don't be afraid to doctor your tomato sauces with fresh herbs, garlic, cheeses, or thickeners to get the results you want.

You can even combined tomato sauce with paste for a slightly different take that uses up both ingredients. Now that you have some ideas about how to use up those delicious canned and jarred tomato soups, sauces, and pastes, let's talk beans! Whether they're canned or whole, beans are good for so many things!

Eat them plain, add them to meat to bulk up the meal, add them to a soup…. Those are just a few of the reasons that beans are one of the top pantry staples for the Freebs! You can even use your leftover canned beans in easy peasy dishes like my tamale casserole!

Beans are a delicious filler and add protein and other nutrients! These soups are so good to have on hand. They go with pretty much anything and can really help to take a few ingredients from being a random assortment of items to a casserole in no time!

Pro Tip: It is beyond easy to make your own cream of chicken soup if you keep broth on hand — just add milk, flour , and a little seasoning! Genius, right!? These are an obvious pantry staple! They're great to have by themselves as a side or added to a recipe.

Pro Tip: To improve the flavor of canned vegetables, first rinse them in a colander under cold water. Then add to your recipes as usual. Whether it's beef, chicken, or vegetable, broth and stock are great pantry staples to keep on hand! Just buy the biggest carton or whatever is cheapest that you can find if you use it a lot.

Be sure to refrigerate it after opening so it doesn't go bad! Pro Tip: I like to buy Better Than Bouillon from Costco. It's amazing and lasts a while! Oatmeal is such a versatile pantry staple!

It can either be eaten on its own or easily goes into so many kinds of recipes, from early morning breakfast to dessert. Did you know that an ounce package of Old Fashioned Quaker Oats contains roughly 26, rolled oats?

That's a lot of oats! 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 your meat ruining!

Fruit and vegetables are key to maintaining a healthy, balanced diet, but they can be expensive when you buy them fresh. Instead, consider swapping out fresh produce for tinned or even frozen fruit and vegetables.

They taste no different but could help you save a small fortune on your shopping bill! Rice is the perfect food staple, as you can bulk up most meals with it. It's great for batch cooking big meals like chilli con carne and adding to curries. A packet of 1kg rice currently costs around £1, making it a great, budget-friendly cupboard essential.

Pasta is another hero staple product to stock up on at the supermarket if you're on a budget. It's great for making big family meals like pasta bakes, and you can also cook it in advance and freeze it, making it super convenient for mid-week meals.

A pack of Fusilli or Penne costs 80p or less in most supermarkets, and spaghetti is also less than £1. If you're a keen baker, all purpose flour is the perfect cheap cupboard staple for whipping up your favourite sweet and savoury treats like bread, biscuits, pie crusts, pizza dough, and more.

Herbs and spices can add some flavour to your dishes and help spruce up those less exciting mid-week meals. Popular ones include black pepper, coriander, cumin, ginger, and turmeric. Cereal is a cheap and cheerful breakfast option for busy families and offers a healthy way for you to start the day if you're on a tight budget.

Cereals like Branflakes are high in fibre and vitamin D, and will help keep you fuller for longer. Always look for the supermarket own brand, which can work out up to as much as up to £3 cheaper than the branded version.

Condiments like ketchup and mustard are also key cupboard essentials for any household. Again, it's best to pick up own brand versions, which are a lot cheaper than the big popular brands. This may sound like an odd one to include on the list, but peanut butter is a versatile cupboard staple.

You can have it on toast, on sandwiches for lunch, pop it in a smoothie, and even use it for baking. Cooking oil is another cheap essential to keep in your cupboards. You can use it for frying, cooking, baking, and even as a salad dressing or dip for bread. There are different types of cooking oil, including sunflower oil, vegetable oil, and olive oil.

These will vary in price, but generally, cheaper options such as sunflower oil start around £3 for a huge 2L bottle. Similar to tinned vegetables and rice, beans and lentils are also the perfect way to bulk up a meal on a budget. Canned options such as kidney beans are great for adding to chilli, bean burgers, and curries.

Gravy tastes great with pretty much any meat and chicken stock can help add extra flavour to any dish. If you're looking at choosing between the two, gravy is a slightly cheaper option, costing less than £1 for a can of gravy granules, which also last longer. Whereas chicken stock cubes tend to cost between £1.

Similar to fruit and vegetables, buying tinned meat and fish can really help cut costs on your next supermarket shop. You can purchase chicken, steak, hot dogs, tuna, salmon, and even full meals such as an all day breakfast, all in a tin for convenience. These vary in price, but are most often cheaper than buying these products fresh.

Plus, you can store them in your cupboard for longer, helping you to reduce waste. Potatoes go great with most meals like Sunday roasts, and are ideal for whipping up quick meals and sides like jacket potatoes. It's worth weighing up how many you use throughout the week, and which type you prefer, as you can then adjust your shopping list accordingly.

Bread is another essential item on most people's grocery shopping list, so it's no surprise it's made it on our list! Starting at less than 70p a loaf in supermarkets, it's a cheap and tasty carbohydrate, which can be used for sandwiches, toast, baking, and more.

You can pick up bread even cheaper if you visit a supermarket first thing in the morning or last thing at night when yellow stickers offers are available, and can also freeze bread to make it last longer.

If you love to bake or take sugar in your tea or coffee, this is another cupboard must-have. Sugar is super cheap in most supermarkets, costing less than 50p in some stores. So it's definitely worth having a pack, just in case! Speaking of tea and coffee, these are two other essentials to keep stocked up on.

These don't have to be by expensive brands either. Value versions of both tea and coffee can be quite cheap, costing less than £2 for a pack. What goes better with tea and coffee than biscuits?? Whether you fancy treating yourself or your guests, you can stock up on biscuits like bourbons or custard creams for as little as 50p!

Rice pudding may sound like a random thing to keep in your cupboard, but at less than 70p a tin, it's a great, budget-friendly dessert option for both adults and children! In addition to tinned meat, fruits, and vegetables, tinned soup is also another staple, which can help you hit your five a day target.

Soups such as tomato or chicken are around 50p a tin and are perfect for a quick lunch or tea. Crackers are another cheap and cheerful cupboard staple, with own brand cream crackers costing just 30p in some stores. You can have them with soup or create your own snack toppings using things like cheese and tomatoes.

Whether you love a cup of tea or coffee, or have cereal for breakfast every day, there's no denying that milk is an essential in most households.

However, fresh milk can be expensive. Try switching to a long life or UHT milk as a cheaper alternative. This can also help you waste less as it lasts longer and you can store it in the cupboard before you open it.