Do you remember the story of Old Mother Hubbard going to her cupboard, only to discover it was bare? While I am not quite sure how that happens, I do know that there have been times as a new homemaker that I have been inspired to make something in the kitchen, only to have my enthusiasm dissipate when I realized I was missing one simple pantry staple.
Staples are the backbone items that build our pantry and form delicious home-cooked meals. A wise homemaker should keep a well-stocked pantry. But how does she do that considering how grocery prices have soared? Let me share with you a few frugal living tips that you can use to begin to fill your kitchen pantry with right away.
In part 1 of this Frugal Living Tips Series, we will cover the following:
- Bread
- Brown Sugar
- Broth
- Pie Crust
- Syrup
- Taco Seasoning
- Gravy
- Instant Flavored Oatmeal
If you feel like your grocery budget is getting out of control, if you know you could be be doing more to prepare delicious, thrifty meals from home, then this blog post is for you.
Frugal Living Tips for Stocking Your Pantry
Decide very early on in your homemaking journey that you will cook from scratch. Then, provide yourself with the knowledge and tools you will need to make that happen. Anyone can learn to prepare simple, tasty meals for their family with just a little bit of effort and preparation.
Begin with Bread.
Whether you are an expert baker or are just dreaming of one day serving a loaf of sandwich bread that doesn’t crumble, you should be making bread at home! Replacing store-bought bread with homemade versions is one of the healthiest and smartest of all frugal living tips you can adopt.
Don’t just stop with your basic sandwich bread. You really can learn to fill you home and pantry with homemade tortillas, waffles, muffins, noodles, rolls, and bagels from scratch! These common and seemingly cheap items are chopping away at your health and your budget a little a time. Take each new bread replacement one step at a time so you do not become overwhelmed. Little-by-little you can learn to master each recipe before moving on. If this is your goal, you will soon be providing all of your family’s bread needs in no time at all!
Brown sugar, why do you taste so good?
Brown sugar is likely my most enjoyable pantry staple to make. Out of all of the homemade items you make, nothing is quite as satisfying as seeing the brown sugar form in the mixing bowl. Brown sugar is made from just two simple ingredients: sugar and molasses. I see some soft, chewy Molasses Cookies in your future too.
When you make brown sugar at home, you should be sure to choose an unsulfured molasses brand. I am able to find Brer Rabbit brand locally when I do not have time to order online. You can make both dark and light brown sugar since the only difference is in the amount of molasses you use. Experiment to see what level you prefer, but be prepared. This is the best brown sugar around. Once you taste homemade brown sugar you will not want to go back!
Syrup, so spendy, so simple.
We are not talking about the cheaply-made brown liquid that comes in a plastic bottle with a spout. No, let’s go for the good stuff. When you purchase a good Maple Syrup from the store it is quite costly, especially if your family uses a lot of if for pancakes, waffles, and granola. Now that you can make your own, that is money back in your pocket to use for other things. Win!
It really is simple to prepare Maple syrup at home with just a few ingredients. However, preparing tasty berry syrups at home is just as quick and easy and has become a family favorite. When we have fresh berries available, my family prefers that I replace their normal pancake or waffle syrup with a warm syrupy topping made from seasonal berries.
Learn to make bone broth.
The best book ever published on both broth and it’s superior health benefits is Nourishing Broth by Sally Fallon Morell. You may not need any convincing, but if you do, there are countless benefits to several of our body’s systems, especially our digestive system. Quality broths are not available in stores. When they are, the price is usually significantly higher than conventional broth.
When you learn to make broth at home, you will again be nourishing your family in a way that is nutritionally superior while realizing the significant cost-saving aspect of making it yourself. When you prepare nutrient-dense broth at home with items that might normally be considered waste, you are well on your way to becoming a master of frugal living tips!
Homemade Pie Crust.
Have you read the ingredients list in a frozen pie crust? What a scary, chemical-laden fake food product this lowly pantry staple has become! Never fear. A fresh, flaky homemade pie crust is just a few minutes away.
You can put a delicious, made-from-scratch pie crust on your table any night of the week. All you need are 3 simple ingredients and a little bit of ice water to create a crust perfectly suitable for fresh Strawberry Pie, Quiche, or Chicken Pot Pie. The choice is yours to enjoy!
Taco Seasoning Mix.
It’s Taco Tuesday and you don’t have any Taco Seasoning Mix packets in your pantry. What do you do? Do you grab the keys and make a store run? Nope! You can confidently smile to yourself and think, “I’ve got this.”
No artificial preservatives or harmful anti-caking agents needed. Go ahead and prepare yourself a batch of homemade Taco Seasoning from basic ingredients you already own. Make enough for several uses and store in in a cute glass jar. You’ll be prepared for Taco Tuesday for the next two months. These frugal living tips for the pantry are really starting to pay off big time!
Oh My Gravy!
Did you know that gravy wasn’t meant to be purchased in packets or glass jars? No, not at all. Whether it’s Gravy Biscuits for breakfast or homemade Mashed Potatoes with Gravy that you are preparing, you really should make the gravy yourself.
This is another case where the homemade version tastes far superior than the store-bought version, and you will have greater control over the texture. If a thinner gravy is preferred, add more broth or milk. If a thicker, heartier gravy is desired, use less liquid. Now you’re swimming in gravy and you don’t even need that little packet as a life-preserver!
Oatmeal for the win.
Those convenient boxes of little tiny flavored oatmeal packets are gone. When you realize what a ripoff their meager portions are compared to making oatmeal at home, you may run to your wallet and cry. When you discover that your options for creating flavors and varieties are also pretty much without limits, you will wonder what in the world you ever saw in those cruddy little packets anyway.
The same scenario holds true for all of the hot breakfast cereals. Whether you love Cream of Wheat, Oatmeal, or those tasty Southern Grits, you can be saving your wallet and pleasing your palette at the same time. Good bye to false convenience and hello to improved nutrition and taste.
By following these frugal living tips for your pantry, you will always know what is available in your pantry, where you can confidently ditch convenience for homemade, as well as how much money you’re spending on weekly groceries and staples (and when). Most importantly, you are confident and ready with a well-stocked pantry in any circumstance life may bring your way.
What are some of your own best frugal living hacks for the pantry? Share them with us below and spread the wealth!