5 Borderline Genius Ideas For Stocking The Pantry On a Budget

Put down the Micky D’s! Here are 5 borderline genius ideas you need to know for stocking the pantry on a budget.

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Keeping the food pantry stocked can be challenging and expensive at times.

The rising cost of food can make those with low incomes or a tight budget find that there are times when they have difficulty stocking the pantry.

There are some things that can be done to ensure that you don’t do without food during times of financial hardship.

You can also check out this money saving meal plan to slash your grocery budget.

You can spend a few dollars and plant some items yourself.

Tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, peppers, and herbs in addition to a number of other items can be planted rather inexpensively in a small space.

These will give you some accessories to make even plain meals more interesting.

The more room you have the more you can plant. You can freeze or can the extra to ensure that you have some in a bind.

This tip will make a HUGE difference towards stocking your pantry with yummy, inexpensive ingredients.

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If you are grocery shopping on a budget (that should be the majority of us, no matter your income), you can keep the pantry stocked with the help of coupons.

This especially helps save money on food if there is someone in the home with special dietary needs.

If you find yourself purchasing almond milk for someone that can’t have regular milk you can be spending $3 on a half gallon of milk provided you are purchasing the cheapest brand. Using $1 off and coupons for free half gallons can save you money on this expense.

Taking advantage of double coupons can sometimes get you regularly used items for free or next to nothing when you plan carefully.

And free = fun (even when it comes to almond milk). 🎉

Related reading: How to Save Money on Groceries (Even During the Pandemic)

There is no need to buy name brand everything. You can try the store and generic brands to save money on the food that you’re purchasing.

Over time and using this tip for multiple pantry items, this tip can save you a lot of money.

Look above and below eye level to find the cheapest prices in the store. If you go through a lot of items such as cereal you might just find that bag cereals are cheaper than boxed cereals.

Related reading: 7-day Family Meal Plan That Will Set You Up with Healthy Eats

Stock the pantry with what you love.

Not what you think you should eat (been there, cauliflower).

When you go shopping you should only buy the items and sizes that you’ll use.

There is often a lot of money wasted when things go bad because you purchased them in sizes too big for you to use.

There is no need to purchase an item just because you think you need it to make something. Leave it in the store until you’re sure that you want it.

Related reading: Healthy Meal Planning Tips To Save You Money and Reduce Food Waste

This is SO important if you’re looking to save money on groceries.

Frozen meals and individual serving sizes are often more expensive than the other items that you’ll purchase in the grocery store. Buying items you have to cook and breaking up family sizes into smaller packages when you get home will go further when it comes to feeding your family.

Keeping the food pantry stocked on a budget can seem impossible but it doesn’t have to be.

I would love to hear how you stock the pantry…share your ideas in the comments below!

Also make sure to check out 16 ways to eat healthy on a budget – most people don’t know about tip #13 but it can save thousands!