🌿Five Foods to Keep Stocked When Money is Tight
By: Hey Ivy !
Let’s be real- groceries are getting expensive, and when your grocery budget feels tight or virtually non-existent , every dollar counts. Keeping smart pantry staples on hand will save you money and stretch further to help you ensure there will always be a hot meal for dinner. Here are the five MVPs I swear by when money is tight.
🥕Frozen Vegetables
When budget meets convenience, frozen veggies are the winners every single time.
Why I love them:
🌿Less expensive than fresh
🌿Zero waste
🌿No chopping, peeling, or tears (yes, onions – looking at you 👀)
🌿Less preservatives than canned veggies
How I use them:
🌿Stir-fries and pasta dishes pair great with broccoli. Frozen pepper and onion mixes are fantastic for this as well.
🌿Just about any veggie blend will work well in soups and stews. I generally use frozen peas & carrots for my cottage pie, chicken pot pie, and beef stew.
🌿Rice bowls are a popular choice, and you can get creative with this one. almost anything pairs well with rice.
🌿Roasted veggies are also great for sheet pan dinners.
💡Pro Tip: I suggest buying a bag of golden potatoes. They are not frozen, however they are inexpensive , keep really well, and they stretch far. I can typically get a few meals from a 5lb bag. Cutting them up to roast in the oven is usually the best way to stretch them.
🫘Canned Beans
Beans are always a good low cost, protein option.
Why they’re budget friendly:
🌿Inexpensive protein
🌿Shelf stable for years
🌿Versatile
How I use them:
🌿Chili is my go to for canned beans, you can usually bet on a ton of leftovers and they freeze well for future meals.
🌿They are excellent to work in with your taco meat. Meats are one of the most expensive grocery items, this cuts down on the amount of meat you’ll need to use without cutting out necessary protein.
🌿Soups, this is an excellent, inexpensive protein filler for soups. It adds density, making soups more hearty.
🌿Quesadillas are a great option, particularly for picky kiddos. If you mash beans with spices and lightly spread it on the inside of the quesadilla before heating… it will add unnoticeable protein for picky eaters.
💡Pro Tip: Mash them with seasonings to make a great burrito or taquito filling, or opt for canned refried beans, just season, heat and assemble.
🍝Pasta & Prepared Sauce
Pasta dishes almost always leave plenty of leftovers for another meal option. It’s not the healthiest thing to opt for on a nightly basis, but everything in moderation right ?
Why they are budget friendly:
🌿Low cost per serving
🌿Pantry stable
🌿Unlimited variety
Prepared Sauces that go the distance:
🌿Basil pesto sauce is great because a little goes a long way. One small jar can stretch two meals or more sometimes. Use it on pasta with chicken, or as a pizza base !
🌿Red sauce is great because it freezes well and a little goes a long way with this one as well. As a rule I spoon sauce over each dish that I’m serving, if there is any left after dinner I let it cool, place in a Ziplock bag and freeze it laying flat.
🌿Alfredo sauce is ok as well, but in my opinion the prepared versions fall flat when it comes to flavor. I keep a jar on hand and typically add some of my preferred seasonings, parsley, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and some parmesan cheese. I’ll usually toss in some frozen broccoli to add a little healthy color.
🥚Eggs
Why they’re budget-friendly:
🌿High protein per dollar
🌿Limitless uses
🌿Long fridge life
Use them in:
🌿Make a stir-fry ! sauté some frozen veggies, add in some scrambled eggs, rice & soy sauce.
🌿Add them to ramen for a little upgrade
🌿Make breakfast for dinner one night! My kids used to think it was a real treat, little did they know I was just making a healthy inexpensive dinner. Eggs, toast and cut up some of those potatoes for some home fries.
🌿Frittatas are a great way to make a healthy high protein meal with some of those frozen veggies. Just be sure to heat the veggies before adding them in.
🍚Rice
Why it’s budget-friendly:
🌿It is filling and inexpensive
🌿Pairs well with any protein
🌿It can stretch leftovers a bit further
Quick ideas:
🌿Burrito bowls are a great meal! They are inexpensive, filling, and super quick to make on busy week nights.
🌿Rice is an excellent soup filler. I find that it’s best to add cooked rice to hot soup just before serving. Otherwise you may end up with more of a tasty mush.
🌿Serve with your favorite protein, I love rice and chicken together !
💡Pro Tip: When I buy chicken, I find that purchasing a package with 2-3 organic large breasts gets me much farther than the store brand smaller breasts. Here’s why- store brands tend to plump up their chicken with a lot of water, so when it cooks down you lose a lot of that volume. With the organic breasts I cut them in half, filet them, then pound them to thin breasts. I know that it sounds more expensive, but you will be amazed at how much chicken you end up with doing it this way.
💡Bonus Staple Items
🌿Flour, milk and butter, cheese – If you have these items you can make a roux, add the cheese in and you have yourself a homemade mac and cheese, just toss in the pasta!
Optional : I add ground hamburger for a delicious homemade hamburger helper style pasta. I use spices like salt, pepper, paprika, dry mustard, garlic powder, and onion powder. Use whatever you taste buds prefer.
🌿Broths, or broth concentrate – The base of any soup and many other recipes. The benefit to broth concentrate is that it is shelf stable and avoids wasting unused broth.
🌿Ramen– I know it gets a bad wrap nutritionally, but there are decent brands to choose from now. They aren’t as inexpensive as that popular brand most of us are familiar with, but they are still inexpensive and you can jazz it up a bit with egg and leftover cooked chicken.
🌿Before You Go…
Let’s be honest- grocery prices lately feel like a rollercoaster nobody asked to ride. But with a few pantry staples, we can keep our meals delicious and our minds calm. It’s not about gourmet perfection; it’s about making the most of what we have, getting creative, and feeling proud when dinner comes together. This is my go to meal planning notepad , super inexpensive and it keeps me organized.
So here’s to smart shopping, cozy kitchens, and cheering each other on as we stretch every dollar. You’ve got this- 🌿✨
If you found this helpful, save it for later & share it with a friend. Budgeting is easier together !
I also love learning from this community, so if you have some helpful tips that you use for budget friendly grocery shopping please drop a comment so we can all learn together.
🌿Hey Ivy