How to Stock Your Pantry On A Budget

A 2020 Flashback

In March of 2020 during our spring break, I started seeing the headlines trickle in about a strange new virus. By the middle of the week there was a case in a near by town. By the end of the week there was full blown panic in America. I’d like to think I didn’t panic like everybody else, but I’d be lying. We were out of town when things started to get a little crazy. We knew by the time we got back home the grocery stores would be nearly empty and we’d be out of luck. 

So we headed to the Walmart near by. Mind you, we’re out in west Texas, no you know what cases anywhere close by. But the panic had already set in. No diapers or wipes or formula. No toilet paper. The bread aisle was nearly empty. I had never seen anything like this before. We loaded our cart with things would could travel home with and our family gave us a small cooler to transport any cold items we could get. 

I’m not trying to sound dramatic. I know that food scarcity is a real thing. That is not what we were experiencing. This was a temporary situation and we were fortunate to never truly go without. 

But it did make me think that I never wanted to have to rely on the grocery store on the day of a worldwide panic again. I wanted to be stocked enough so that my family could get through at least the first few days of an emergency without having to venture out into the crowds. 

I am not a prepper. Ask me again in a few years though and maybe I’ll have a different answer. But for now I do not have the money or the space to have underground rooms full of supplies and food to last my family the next 20 years. I have a normal life and a normal (somewhat full) house. I do what I can and its helped me more times than I can count the last couple of years.

 

My Plan

First, I compiled a list of things that we frequently used that were shelf stable or we could store in the freezer for a few months. Our diet has changed since then, but at that point it looked like this:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Canned tomato products
• Black & pinto beans
• Spaghetti sauce
• Frozen vegetables
• Condiments
• Baking powder & baking soda 
• Applesauce
• Kids snacks
• Etc

Once I had a good list going I slowly started adding those things to my pantry. At that point, my grocery budget was probably around $700 per month or $350 every two weeks (for 6 people). When it was time to shop, I would make my list and head to the store. I tend to have a pretty good knowledge of how much things cost at the grocery store so I would get an estimate of how much I’d be spending. Whatever was leftover I would use towards the pantry restock. 

If I knew I’d be spending around $325 on a grocery trip that meant I had $25 leftover to go towards my pantry items.

With $25 (pre inflation) I probably would have gotten: 

• 5 jars of spaghetti sauce (I usually buy plain and add stuff myself)
• 5 cans of diced tomatoes and green chilis
• 5 cans of tomato sauce
• 1 bottle of ketchup
• 1 bag of sugar
• 2 boxes of pasta

*This list would look different now that our diet has changed but this is what it looked like in 2020.*

After a couple months of using my leftover money I started to budget for extra things on top of my normal $350 . I would decide in advance how much I wanted to spend each month adding to our pantry and freezer. $1, $5, $10, $20. Whatever the amount, you can buy something. A lot of people use the method of “one for now, one for later.” Which is a great mindset to have but if you implement that on your entire grocery list, you’ve just doubled your grocery budget. 

Side note, we are fortunate enough to have some extra cabinets in our garage where I was able to put these extra items. We also have a small chest freezer we use as well. I know everybody doesn’t have this kind of extra space so just use what you have and get creative! 

Then & Now

Since 2020 we’ve dramatically changed our eating habits and discovered multiple food allergies. My pantry doesn’t look quite the same but I still implement the same strategies nearly every time I go to the grocery store. 

Our grocery budget now (family of 7 + inflation + buying healthier items) is around $1000-$1200 each month. Anybody who tells you that eating healthy is just as affordable as eating junk is wrong. It is definitely more expensive. But it’s a priority to us now and we don’t really have a choice so we just do it. 

Here’s a list of things I stock up on now and how much they usually cost (90% of our things come from Costco)

• Avocado Oil $22
• GF Flour $12
• Organic Apple Sauce Jars $12
• Organic Apple Sauce Pouches $12
• Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers $11
• Simple Mills Banana Bread Mix $12
• Chocolate Chips $10
• Siete Grain Free Chips $6
• Dried Beans $2-$10 (I do not buy these from Costco)
• Cauliflower Rice $10
• Frozen Green Beans $10
• Frozen Broccoli $11
• Frozen Fruit $11-$14
• Vinegar $5
• Apple Cider Vinegar $8
• Oats $12

There’s definitely more, but I like to have all of these things on hand if I can! But you can see, whether I want to spend only $5 or $20+ there’s lots of options to choose from! 

Make A List

It’s helpful to have a running list of all the things that you want to keep on hand. I’ve made a printable with a list of my ideas and a blank one to share if you want to make your own copy! Tape the list to the inside of your pantry door to easily keep tabs on your stock!

My pantry is still a work in progress but I am glad I started two years ago. I read somewhere that the best time to start something something new was yesterday! So if you haven’t started, now is the time!