
“When possible, look for generic items for basic goods like canned vegetables, pasta noodles, canned fruit, beans, etc.,” Lorz said. This is important because even frozen foods, eventually, go bad. While it’s marvelous to stock up on frozen vegetables (and yes, they’re just as good as fresh produce), are you and your kids really going to be eating broccoli and green beans every night? Make room for the fun stuff that you’ll crave like fish sticks and veggie burgers. It’s one thing to know what you should be eating it’s quite another to know what you’ll actually be eating. Story continues Be Honest With Yourself About What You Want To Eat POLL: Do You Have a Side Gig or Other Hustle? The shelf labels will almost always have this info on price per ounce.” “But remember to compare the price per ounce to their boxed counterparts to see if it’s genuinely a saving.

“Buying from the bulk department is another great money-saving option,” said Kari Lorz, a certified financial education instructor and founder at. Think homemade macaroni and cheese (healthier than the boxed variety) and Instant Pot recipes that often revolve around savory spices. Design your meals around these easy, cheap essentials.

Some items you will need to buy fresh, but others - like spices, grains and pasta - you can keep in bulk so that you always have them on hand. Half the battle of meal prep is getting the items needed to get up and running with whatever meals you’re making for the week.

See: Surprising Things You Can Buy With Food Stampsīut how do you get started stocking up your pantry? And more importantly, amid bank-breaking inflation rates, how do you build up this arsenal of essentials without spending beyond the scope of your budget? GOBankingRates consulted a number of grocery and money experts to learn their favorite tips for stocking up one’s pantry on a budget. While this style of doomsday shopping isn’t recommended (it overwhelms grocers and contributes to supply chain chaos), keeping your pantry loaded with food essentials isn’t a bad idea - especially not if you’re looking to save money by buying in bulk.įind Out: 10 Things You Should Always Buy at Walmart As the pandemic taught us in a most brutal fashion, when the world gets scary, the world runs to the supermarket to stock up on everything they could ever possibly need.
