Frugal Kitchen Staples

The best way to be frugal in the kitchen is to make as much as you can from scratch and use every part of any food item. To that end there are a few frugal kitchen staples that you need to have. These items can be used to make full meals from scratch just by adding a few ingredients and using the right recipes.

Thickeners

Corn starch and flour can be used for far more than just thickening gravies and stews, but they do serve you well in this capacity. Since they are both used in a variety of recipes, you always need to have them on hand. Other than cooking, these two items can serve you well when it comes to crafting as well.

Baking

Baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cream of tartar are all items you need to have on hand for baking as well as countless other uses. When it comes to flour for baking, do not buy the all purpose flour. Instead, you can make your own all purpose flour using some of the other frugal kitchen staples. Then you will have any kind of flour you need, when you need it. You can also use these items to make your own pasta so you always have it on hand but don’t have to stock up on it.

Sweeteners

Brown sugar is a must in any kitchen. It is called for in many recipes and can also be used to replace refined sugar as needed. Refined sugar cannot be used to replace brown sugar, so it isn’t necessary as a kitchen staple. You should always have honey on hand as well. Organic honey doesn’t have an expiration date so you don’t have to worry about it going bad. Honey is a great sweetener, but it also helps enhance the immune system and should always be available.

Milk

Milk is used in a variety of recipes and should always be kept on hand. However, you may not drink milk and don’t want to risk it going bad before it gets used. Keep in mind that you can freeze milk, so this might be a non-issue. On the other hand, you should always have condensed or powdered milk on hand. This will allow you to have access to milk even if you lose power and your refrigerated milk goes bad. You don’t need to keep buttermilk on hand because you can make your own. {Save on Milk.}

Protein

Be sure to keep potted meats like tuna on hand. Don’t rely on meat as your only source of protein though. Keep peanut butter and dried beans on stock as well.

Tomatoes

There are so many different things you can do with tomatoes that it is always a good idea to have some canned ones in the pantry. You can use them as is, dice them, or puree them for use in whatever meal you need them for.

Spices

Even if you have your own spice garden, it’s a good idea to keep some dried spices on hand. Whether you use them for baking or making meals, a bit of spice can spruce up any dish.

Vinegar

Don’t overlook vinegar. Not only is it great for cooking and making salads, it also works well for cleaning and home health remedies.

One way to learn about the best frugal kitchen staples for your family is to create a monthly menu. This will help you learn what you use so you know what you actually need. A monthly menu also helps you keep costs down by eliminating excess spending.​

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