Learning to build an old-fashioned frugal pantry is a great way to feed your family on a small budget. In this article you will learn tips like stocking the basics, cooking from scratch, growing your own food, preserving seasonal produce, and buying in bulk.
This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase through one of these links, we will make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See our Disclosure Policy for more information. Thank you for your support.
Learn to Stock a Frugal Pantry
If there was one thing that the generations that went before us knew, it was how to feed their families on a small budget and fill their pantries with frugal, filling ingredients on a dime.
This is a skill that I’m afraid is dying in our culture, but we need to know how to do it just the same. Today I’m going to share with you how to build an old-fashioned frugal pantry, so that you too can feed your family frugal, wholesome meals on a small budget.
Keeping a stocked pantry is not just a cute hobby, but an incredibly wise thing to do to. Grocery stores stock around 3 days worth of food, so when weather, road closures, power outages or any other disaster strikes, you can be sure that the shelves will be empty overnight.
Keeping a well stocked pantry gives you and your family a buffer against any hardships that might come your way. I hope this list of tips for building a well-stocked frugal pantry will inspire you to keep extra food on hand for when you need it.
Stock the Basics
In today’s culture, we are weighed down with choices. We can have literally any food we want at any time of the year. I believe that this is a blessing and a burden at the same time.
Sometimes having a few simple choices is healthier and makes life easier. Our ancestors stocked their pantries with frugal staples such as coffee, beans, potatoes, flour, oats, sugar, rice, etc.
Keeping these staples on hand in large quantities means that a frugal and filling meal is never more than a few hours away.
Cook from Scratch
Our ancestors cooked from scratch at literally every meal because their was no such things as convenience food. Cooking from scratch allows you to make use of basics, frugal ingredients while feeding your family nutritious, homemade meals. Plus, homemade almost always tastes better than store-bought.
Additional Resources:
- 15 Cheap Pantry Meals with 4-Ingredients or Less
- 25 Old-Fashioned Recipes Your Grandma Knew by Heart
Grow Your Own Food
In generations past, if people wanted fresh produce then they had to grow it themselves. I believe that anyone can grow at least some food even if it’s just herbs on the windowsill or tomatoes and peppers in pots.
Growing your own food allows you to enjoy fresh, organic produce for really cheap. It also allows you to grow things like potatoes, onions, apples and squash that store well and can feed you well into the winter. If you are new to gardening, check out my list of easy to grow vegetables.
Preserve What’s in Season
If you’re going to grow a lot of food or purchase it in season, then you need to know how to preserve it. Canning, freezing and dehydrating are the most common methods. Being able to grow or purchase large quantities of in season produce and preserve it for winter is a great way to stock your pantry .
If you need help learning to preserve food, then you can check out a few books from the library or browse Pinterest and learn how to preserve your own food. You can also check out some of my recipes below to get started.
Food Preservation Recipes:
- Freezer Strawberry Jam
- How to Dehydrate Jalapeno Peppers
- How to Freeze Celery
- Dehydrated Apple Rings
- How to Freezer Blueberries
- Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce
Buy in Bulk
People used to buy food in bulk more because they didn’t go to the grocery store as often and it was also cheaper. Buying in bulk is a great way to stock a pantry and save money, ensuring that you always have food on hand for emergencies. Be sure that when you are buying in bulk you will actually eat what you are buying and also have a way to store it.
Do you do these things? What tips would you add? I’d love to know!
