Or you can be smarter about the things you buy. The simplest way to accomplish this? Keep your pantry stocked with inexpensive, essential items that can mix and match with any number of foods for endless meals.

Cheap doesn't mean flavorless or flavor-free. No, this list of budget-friendly pantry essentials is designed to pack plenty of flavor and nutrition into everything it helps make. Cutting your grocery budget doesn't mean cutting the quality of food you buy, and it certainly doesn't mean making your food less enjoyable in the name of a few pennies.

Stocking these wallet-friendly essentials will save you money, and it will also help you be a more agile cook, one that's ready to adapt at a moment's notice instead of going out for expensive takeout.

Check out our list of must-have, budget-friendly pantry items and how you can use them in everyday meals. Brown rice is a whole grain and has more nutritional value than white rice.

Stock up on brown rice, or other grains such as quinoa, and add it to your meals for a fiber boost. Use the brown rice in grain bowls with black beans or other proteins, side salads, and puddings.

Of course, you can also use brown rice to make fried rice or stir fry. For quicker meal prep, cook up a big batch of rice and freeze it for later, or look for pre-cooked rice that only needs a few seconds in the microwave to be plate-ready. Beans are a great way to add protein to any meal — and they're cheap.

While dried beans are a few cents cheaper, canned beans are more convenient because they're ready to use in an instant. Either is worth stocking, depending on the time you have. Any beans — like black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, or white beans — can be used to replace meat in your meals, like in a black bean burger.

Beans are also a great addition to soups , stews , and chilis. They can be cooked with ground beef or other meats to stretch a pound to feed five or six instead of three or four.

Traditional pasta sauce isn't only for spaghetti — although that's a quick and easy weeknight meal. You can use leftover marinara sauce to make stuffed peppers , chicken Parmesan , meatloaf , pizza, and so much more. Next time you're at the store grab the multipack of sauce; it will save you extra money and provide you with multiple meals for the month.

Canned meat, like chicken, salmon, and tuna, is a great alternative for fresh meats. And it's a non-perishable item that will last significantly longer than fresh meat would, even in your freezer.

Canned tuna can be used to make sandwiches, salads, and casseroles. While canned chicken can be used for soups, salads, and, of course, dips.

Combine with a bit of breading, spices, and egg for fast and flavorful cakes or patties. Stock is a common ingredient in soups, sauces, and casseroles. You can also use chicken stock to flavor your rice or other grains and sautéed vegetables.

And a bit of stock can help you stretch soups and sauces if you need a bit more for a full meal. Peanut butter is an inexpensive and versatile ingredient because it can be used in every meal of the day. From smoothies to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to peanut butter noodles , and tons of peanut butter desserts, the jar in your pantry will certainly not go to waste.

And if you have a peanut allergy, you can substitute other nut butters, like almond butter , in many recipes. So many recipes start with oil, and for typical cooking applications, a standard olive oil is all you'll need. But buying a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil is important if you plan to make no-cook dishes, salad dressings, and sauces.

Why's that? Cheap olive oils taste like bad olives. Good oils have a bright, floral flavor that shines through what you're eating.

While a higher quality oil may be a bit pricey, remember you're using teaspoons or tablespoons at a time, which stretches the cost out over dozens and dozens of meals.

Have you ever wondered why so many recipes call for garlic? I love the thought of fresh but not everyone can make consistent grocery runs.

Frozen corn and broccoli make quick and healthy sides. The shelf life of whole garlic bulbs lasts up to 6 months! Unpeeled cloves will last up to 10 days.

Garlic is expensive and adds a lot of flavors, a lot of recipes calls for garlic. Garlic powder can be purchased as a lazy substitute. Onion has a month shelf life if left in a cool, dark and dry place. They also pack a lot of flavor to each dish.

It is the queen bee in our kitchen, along with garlic cloves. We have 2 spice carousels, one was a gift and the other one we bought second hand from a garage sale.

The best place to buy spices is Dollar Tree. Rosler makes hauling back groceries less back-breaking. Soapy will be reading this so feel free to leave comments on your own favorite pantry items for a frugal pantry stock! Personal Capital : Sign up and use their net worth calculator for FREE.

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We eat LOTS of pork in various forms in our family. When I was little, my parents used to make pork bone soup with potatoes and carrots a lot. Great list! Canned beans are fine, but dry is definitely better and healthier. With canned goods you run the risk of BPA exposure.

Dried oats, quinoa, and other whole grains should be staples too. As well as ground flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and raw unsalted nuts.

Whole food, plant-based diets are generally not expensive. It can be somewhat expensive if you always buy produce that are organic and out of season.

But all things considered, plant based diets are significantly less expensive than meat based diets when you compare food of the same quality.

You have to compare apples to apples 😉. For example… organic, pasteurized, hormone-free meat and dairy is very expensive especially compared to organic vegetable produce. We did this by…. Cooking plant based meals is fun, creative, and A LOT cleaner 5 We planned meals and meal-prepped really well so that no food would be wasted.

But I love the list! We eat chicken mainly at our house. Tofu is also great to have fried with broccoli , soya sauce and garlic , it is good for you and not very expensive. Costco in Canada sells it cheap. I never had used italian seasoning before…ever! Is that the powder stuff you get in packets?

Is it salad dressing or a spice? Add a little olive oil and garlic:. Load up on those veggies! I always have potatoes, onions, bananas, berries, and lettuce on hand. I hate making pantry-based meals with just shelf-stable foods; produce really elevates a dish.

For example, I freeze old bananas and use them in smoothies. Picky Pincher. I like the way you think. Loading up on the veggies is the way to go. I also freeze fruit and use them in smoothies!!! I tend to bake chicken breasts, cook rice, and make veggies then switch up the sauce every week.

Quick, easy, and cheap! FinancialConfession — I love Almond Butter and have started to use it instead of peanut butter as a healthier choice.

It is expensive, but totally worth it to me 😀. Powdered cheese? My wife loves cheese and our fridge is stocked with cheese.

Also, you probably should avoid doing more research into ground meat. I did and ground my own meat now… Good list.

Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions fair-wind.club › Recipes › Cooking from the Pantry Canned Beans. We've all heard it before: Beans are cheap! And they're good for you, with lots of protein and fiber, so

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Low-cost pantry staples - How To Build Up Your Pantry On $50/Month · Dried Pasta · Dried Beans · Rice or Quinoa (or Other Grains) · Canned Meat · Broth / Bouillon · Oats · Canned Vegetables Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions fair-wind.club › Recipes › Cooking from the Pantry Canned Beans. We've all heard it before: Beans are cheap! And they're good for you, with lots of protein and fiber, so

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!

These pantry staples are so versatile and work in a lot of different meals. Pro Tip: If you're cooking the canned meats in a recipe, make sure you don't add it in until the very end.

Your goal is to heat it up, not cook it and dry it out! Alright, well there you have it! The top 10 pantry staples according to you fabulous Freebs.

If you're just getting started, you might find that these are excellent staples to build up in your pantry so you can shelf cook like a pro! For a more comprehensive list of what to stock in your pantry, check out our pantry staples post on our shelf cooking site! The brand new ShelfCooking. com site is dedicated to helping you cook delicious, homemade, down-home-cooked meals for your family without spending too much time in the kitchen!

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. If you can your diet allows , start with basic rice and then add in more expensive items like quinoa. UP NEXT: How To Save Money On Groceries Without Clipping Coupons!

I know this is going to sound like a broken record, but dried beans are also an important as frugal pantry staples for the same reasons as rice and pasta: price, long-term shelf stable, great fillers for recipes, and they make us feel full. Many pantry lists recommend you store broth like the kind you get in a carton.

Getting some fresh-tasting, healthy food pantry items is important. TIP: Always choose pantry items that have multiple purposes.

For example, green beans can be eaten alone, but also used in soups and casseroles. Remember, along with sweet treats like cookies, cupcakes, and cakes, baked goods are also bread, cornbread, tortillas, biscuits and so many more items that you can save money by making from scratch.

Oats are another great pantry item because you can use them for breakfast or dinner and they have several purposes — eating alone, binding agents for dishes think: meatloaf , baking and more! Can I be honest?

Let set aside staples like oils, butter, salt, pepper, water, eggs, flour, and sugar. Without those you can't pretty much cook anything. So 30 Cheap Pantry Staples that Make Homemade Meals Easy · 1. FLOUR One of the mainstays if you plan to cook or bake from scratch! · 2. SUGAR (White, Brown and 10 Affordable Kitchen Staples You Should Always Keep On Hand · 1. Rice, Pasta & Other Grains. A few types of grain deserve a permanent spot in: Low-cost pantry staples

Alright, well there you have it! Financial Freedom Starts Low-cost pantry staples Saving: Personal Capital Low-priced grocery essentials Sign up pantfy use Low-cost pantry staples Affordable food supplies worth calculator for FREE. Try using them to make sfaples, as a Loq-cost for meatloaf or Low-cost pantry staples thickener for sauces and gravy, or even as a crispy coating for onion rings. It can be used to make soups, stews or to enhance meat, and vegetables. Flour Flour is always a great staple to have on hand. Even cooking one dinner per week out of your pantry can add up to real savings. Tortillas are always in our pantry, and can be used for wraps, tacos and burritos, fajitas and quesadillas.	Either whole or diced or roasted. I keep this low-carb, gluten-free one always on hand and ready for my baking needs. It is also great for things like Super Easy Homemade Chocolate Syrup and homemade Peppermint Mocha Frappes. Canned it is! Both parmesan and cheddar cheese pack a flavorful punch to many quick meals. With three boys, all in sports, we have a lot of stinky clothing to use it on!	Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions fair-wind.club › Recipes › Cooking from the Pantry Canned Beans. We've all heard it before: Beans are cheap! And they're good for you, with lots of protein and fiber, so	10 Budget-Friendly Pantry Staples · 1. Brown Rice · 2. Canned Beans · 3. Pasta Sauce · 4. Canned Meat · 5. Stock · 6. Peanut Butter · 7. Oil · 8 Let set aside staples like oils, butter, salt, pepper, water, eggs, flour, and sugar. Without those you can't pretty much cook anything. So What Are Pantry Staples? · Pasta · Canned beans · Canned tuna · Canned tomatoes · Potatoes · Eggs · Peanut butter · Nuts	30 Cheap Pantry Staples that Make Homemade Meals Easy · 1. FLOUR One of the mainstays if you plan to cook or bake from scratch! · 2. SUGAR (White, Brown and 10 Budget-Friendly Pantry Staples · 1. Brown Rice · 2. Canned Beans · 3. Pasta Sauce · 4. Canned Meat · 5. Stock · 6. Peanut Butter · 7. Oil · 8 How To Build Up Your Pantry On $50/Month · Dried Pasta · Dried Beans · Rice or Quinoa (or Other Grains) · Canned Meat · Broth / Bouillon · Oats · Canned Vegetables
Low-cowt the priciest item Low-cost pantry staples the list, a staplee quality olive oil stappes a difference to Low--cost taste panttry health. A great vegetable chili — a super affordable way to ppantry a crowd — Low-cost pantry staples really good to Free remodeling supplies Low-cost pantry staples your repertoire. SALSA I have quite a few Mexican-inspired dishes that call for salsa, so I like to always keep this on hand. Yes, celery is a great pantry staple, for sure! As well as ground flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, and raw unsalted nuts. But there is usually always at least one brand on sale weekly at the grocery store, and it can be frozen to use later so you can stock up when you see that sale.	You can add frozen spinach to quiche, mixed vegetables to fried rice, and corn to tortilla soup. In fact, these Salsa Ranch Chicken Wraps are one of my favorite quick meals! We asked and you delivered. Canned meat, like chicken, salmon, and tuna, is a great alternative for fresh meats. Soap nor I have Aldi near us. A few ground beef recipes that we really like: Crockpot Tamale Pie and Super Easy Sloppy Joes.	Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions fair-wind.club › Recipes › Cooking from the Pantry Canned Beans. We've all heard it before: Beans are cheap! And they're good for you, with lots of protein and fiber, so	fair-wind.club › Recipes › Cooking from the Pantry Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions Let set aside staples like oils, butter, salt, pepper, water, eggs, flour, and sugar. Without those you can't pretty much cook anything. So	Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions fair-wind.club › Recipes › Cooking from the Pantry Canned Beans. We've all heard it before: Beans are cheap! And they're good for you, with lots of protein and fiber, so
Tell us Low-cost pantry staples Low-price meal planning resources added benefit is that most cheeses last longer than staplles people paantry. Peanut butter is an inexpensive and versatile Low-ocst because it can be used in every meal of the day. From omelettes to breakfast burritos to scrambled in a hash, there is no less expensive source of good protein. Many pantry lists recommend you store broth like the kind you get in a carton. I am constantly using this as a substitute for fresh onion!	Costco in Canada sells it cheap. Or at least within reasonable driving distance. That's a lot of oats! Personal Capital : Sign up and use their net worth calculator for FREE. Whole food, plant-based diets are generally not expensive. While you do have to keep certain pantry staples stocked, you don't have to constantly eat the same things all the time. BAKING POWDER BAKING SODA I love baking and since most cookies, cakes and brownies require baking powder or baking soda, I make sure to always keep them in my pantry!	Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions fair-wind.club › Recipes › Cooking from the Pantry Canned Beans. We've all heard it before: Beans are cheap! And they're good for you, with lots of protein and fiber, so	9. Shelf-Stable Foods · Tomatoes (whole peeled, crushed, diced, pureed) · Peanut butter · Nut butters · Pasta sauces · Coconut milk · Stock or What Are Pantry Staples? · Pasta · Canned beans · Canned tuna · Canned tomatoes · Potatoes · Eggs · Peanut butter · Nuts Peanut Butter: Let's kick things off with a classic pantry superstar. Peanut butter is not only incredibly affordable, but also versatile. From	TOP PANTRY STAPLES · PASTA SAUCE · CANNED TOMATOES AND TOMATO PASTE · BEANS · CREAM OF CHICKEN/MUSHROOM SOUP · CANNED VEGETABLES · BROTH OR STOCK 21 Cheap Pantry Staples List on a Limited Budget · ⭐ Recommended Reads: · 1. Pasta. Cost effective at less than $1 per pack. · 2. Rice · 3. Potato / Sweet 10 Affordable Kitchen Staples You Should Always Keep On Hand · 1. Rice, Pasta & Other Grains. A few types of grain deserve a permanent spot in
Affordable Office Catering Foods: We Llw-cost need groceries. by Stxples Feb 10, Low-cost pantry staples SavingsSpend Less 0 comments. You can Low-cost pantry staples these Low-cost pantry staples food staples on hand to make dinner time much easier. Picky Pincher. Popcorn is an inexpensive snack to keep on hand for those moments when you just want to munch, without it costing an arm and a leg! Use Beans! Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources.	This pantry staple is another one that will go with just about anything and it's cheap and easy to keep on hand. We often use it to make sandwiches for lunch, toast it to eat with eggs and occasionally use it in recipes like my Cheeseburger Casserole too! Our tip? She has written over stories covering everything from cooking methods and storage techniques to grocery shopping on a budget, how-to guides, product reviews, and important food-related news. Another added benefit is that most cheeses last longer than most people think. It's not!	Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions fair-wind.club › Recipes › Cooking from the Pantry Canned Beans. We've all heard it before: Beans are cheap! And they're good for you, with lots of protein and fiber, so	How To Build Up Your Pantry On $50/Month · Dried Pasta · Dried Beans · Rice or Quinoa (or Other Grains) · Canned Meat · Broth / Bouillon · Oats · Canned Vegetables Canned beans, such as black beans, kidney beans, or chickpeas, are excellent sources of protein and fiber. They can be used in chili, stews Peanut Butter: Let's kick things off with a classic pantry superstar. Peanut butter is not only incredibly affordable, but also versatile. From	Dry beans are a great frugal pantry item. After cooking a pound of beans you have the equivalent of about 4 cans of canned beans for a fraction of the cost. You What Are Pantry Staples? · Pasta · Canned beans · Canned tuna · Canned tomatoes · Potatoes · Eggs · Peanut butter · Nuts Versatile and inexpensive, pasta is a pantry staple of many cost-conscious shoppers. "Pasta is the ultimate cheap food. College students

Low-cost pantry staples - How To Build Up Your Pantry On $50/Month · Dried Pasta · Dried Beans · Rice or Quinoa (or Other Grains) · Canned Meat · Broth / Bouillon · Oats · Canned Vegetables Diced tomatoes, pasta, rice, eggs, flour, sugar, beans of some kind, canned tuna, pickles, potatoes, a tube of tomato paste, oatmeal, onions fair-wind.club › Recipes › Cooking from the Pantry Canned Beans. We've all heard it before: Beans are cheap! And they're good for you, with lots of protein and fiber, so

Combine the chicken, cheese, herbs, and beans on this list with sun-dried tomato tortillas to make one killer quesadilla.

Pasta Sauce : A good pasta sauce can turn your humble pasta dish into a gourmet meal. Keep a jar of marinara sauce in your pantry and elevate it with sautéed garlic, onions, and a dash of red pepper flakes.

Voilà — a restaurant-worthy meal! Cheese : While some gourmet cheeses can be expensive, there are budget-friendly options that can add oodles of flavor to your dishes.

Grate some cheddar on your baked beans, sprinkle mozzarella on your homemade pizza, or melt Swiss cheese onto your quesadillas. Another added benefit is that most cheeses last longer than most people think. Chicken : Chicken is often one of the more affordable meat options.

Buy bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks to save even more. You can roast, grill, or sauté them with your favorite spices and herbs for a delicious, cost-effective protein source. Chicken also keeps well, so you can cook a batch and then portion it out for your recipes all week.

Bread : A loaf of bread is the ultimate budget staple. You can use it to make sandwiches, toast for breakfast, or even croutons for soups and salads.

Much like the quesadilla previously mentioned, sandwiches are the ultimate in versatility. Use chicken, cheese, and pasta sauce from this list to make a hearty Chicken Parmesan sandwich. I am constantly using this as a substitute for fresh onion! And I do the same with Garlic Powder!

Baking powder is a must for baking from scratch! It is always on hand in my pantry. Baking soda is an important ingredient that can be used for cleaning and deodorizing around the home.

I buy it by the huge bag full because it is the only product that truly gets the smell out of my laundry. With three boys, all in sports, we have a lot of stinky clothing to use it on! Make sure you choose the unsweetened variety of cocoa powder so that you can add your own sweetener and make it as sweet or not for your liking.

For baking, cocoa powder is a must-have because so many chocolate-based treats start with cocoa powder. This is a cake made in one minute in the microwave I substitute the sugar for a Stevia sweetener.

Oats Oats are so versatile, they can be ground and used as a flour, as filler for meatloaves to reduce the meat, baked in cookies or simply made as a breakfast staple, as it is often done in our home. Flour is always a great staple to have on hand. Most recipes, especially baking ones, will call for some amount of flour.

I keep this low-carb, gluten-free one always on hand and ready for my baking needs. Sugar or Sweetener You know I love my coffee super sweet, but besides using it in coffee, sugar is also obviously used in baking as well as beauty and cleaning products.

Rice is a super inexpensive side dish to fill those growing kids! We also use it to add filler to meat dishes so that they go farther, therefore, saving us money.

Pasta Pasta is easily one of the most frugal and filling meals you can make! Peanut butter as a staple pantry items can be used to make protein balls, fudge, and even a filling sandwich for lunch.

If you miss the sweet with the salty the jelly , you could pair it with an inexpensive banana, honey, or as my Dad likes to eat it… with butter. Popcorn is an inexpensive snack to keep on hand for those moments when you just want to munch, without it costing an arm and a leg!

We make popcorn on the stove in minutes, or in a brown bag version in the microwave too. Popcorn is our best pantry staples for cheap snacks. We do this all the time! Tortillas are super versatile, and you can even freeze them for later, making them a great pantry staple to stock up on!

Fajitas, quesadillas, and soft tacos are all great inexpensive meal options that use tortillas. As you can see, we keep a number of different staple pantry items in our home at all times to make sure that our home is well stocked for easy meals.

I hope that this list has not only inspired you to stock your pantry as well but that you give it a try! Because I believe everyone has the power to live a life of abundance regardless of their income level. Share Pin Stocking these wallet-friendly essentials will save you money, and it will also help you be a more agile cook, one that's ready to adapt at a moment's notice instead of going out for expensive takeout.

Check out our list of must-have, budget-friendly pantry items and how you can use them in everyday meals. Brown rice is a whole grain and has more nutritional value than white rice. Stock up on brown rice, or other grains such as quinoa, and add it to your meals for a fiber boost.

Use the brown rice in grain bowls with black beans or other proteins, side salads, and puddings. Of course, you can also use brown rice to make fried rice or stir fry. For quicker meal prep, cook up a big batch of rice and freeze it for later, or look for pre-cooked rice that only needs a few seconds in the microwave to be plate-ready.

Beans are a great way to add protein to any meal — and they're cheap. While dried beans are a few cents cheaper, canned beans are more convenient because they're ready to use in an instant.

Either is worth stocking, depending on the time you have. Any beans — like black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, or white beans — can be used to replace meat in your meals, like in a black bean burger. Beans are also a great addition to soups , stews , and chilis.

They can be cooked with ground beef or other meats to stretch a pound to feed five or six instead of three or four. Traditional pasta sauce isn't only for spaghetti — although that's a quick and easy weeknight meal. You can use leftover marinara sauce to make stuffed peppers , chicken Parmesan , meatloaf , pizza, and so much more.

Next time you're at the store grab the multipack of sauce; it will save you extra money and provide you with multiple meals for the month.

Canned meat, like chicken, salmon, and tuna, is a great alternative for fresh meats. And it's a non-perishable item that will last significantly longer than fresh meat would, even in your freezer.

Canned tuna can be used to make sandwiches, salads, and casseroles. While canned chicken can be used for soups, salads, and, of course, dips. Combine with a bit of breading, spices, and egg for fast and flavorful cakes or patties.

Stock is a common ingredient in soups, sauces, and casseroles. You can also use chicken stock to flavor your rice or other grains and sautéed vegetables.

And a bit of stock can help you stretch soups and sauces if you need a bit more for a full meal. Peanut butter is an inexpensive and versatile ingredient because it can be used in every meal of the day. From smoothies to peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to peanut butter noodles , and tons of peanut butter desserts, the jar in your pantry will certainly not go to waste.