Stocking Your Pantry (Phase 2: The Minimalist Pantry)

If you have been following any of our blog posts here, you know that our primary goal is to teach how to stretch their food dollars so that they can provide nutritious and delicious meals without breaking the bank. As I have shown and will continue to demonstrate, the most economical way to feed both yourself and your family is to prepare meals at home. Preparing meals at home and or making them from scratch requires both time and an assortment of ingredients. Stocking your pantry with all the products necessary to feed your family can be quite costly if you tried to purchase all the ingredients you would need at one time. For anyone living paycheck to paycheck (I have been there) keeping a well stocked pantry may seem like a daunting task, but I assure you it is not.

The goal of this article is to list some of the items in my pantry that I use most often to make meals for myself and my family that are listed on this blog. In this article (part 2 of 3) we will discuss my minimalist pantry phase 2 stocking your pantry with canned goods and expanding on phase 1 with some additional dry goods.

Canned Goods (Total Cost $22.26)

Canned goods should be an important part of your pantry inventory. Items such as diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, green beans etc., are items we keep in stock in our pantry. A pantry kept stocked with your families favorite canned goods increases the number of quick, easy and nutritious meals in your recipe arsenal. Canned goods can make cooking meals at home a little easier, and modern canning technology helps to lock in the flavor and nutrition of canned vegetables. Like dry goods, canned items are shelf stable and do not require refrigeration and generally have a shelf like for 12 months.

Diced Tomatoes – Diced tomatoes come in all sizes, but if you can only buy one, then get the petite diced and stay away from the flavored types such as 'Italian' or 'Southwest' as pre-seasoned tomatoes are not as versatile. As you expand your pantry, you can try the pre-seasoned varieties. Buy 3 to get started. (Great Value Diced Tomatoes 14.5oz $0.72, Total Cost for 3 cans $2.16)

Tomato Sauce – I use it to make spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, chili, soups, enchilada sauce, curries and so much more. For the minimalist pantry I recommend the smaller 8oz cans again we are going for cost and versatility. My local 'Dollar Tree' has the 32oz can for a dollar (equivalent to $0.25 per can) which I have several in my pantry. However, as mentioned earlier, the 8oz cans are more flexible. Buy 6 to get started. (Great Value Tomato Sauce 8oz $0.33, Total Cost for 6 cans $1.98)

Whole Kernel Corn, Sweet Green Peas, Carrots, Green Beans – Primarily served as a side dishes, they can be added to soups, stews, fried rice, and cornbread just to name a few. I recommend the 14.5oz cans, my local Walmart sells them in the 8oz can as well, however, it is only $0.14 cheaper and there is 6.5oz less of the vegetable. You get almost twice the amount of the 8oz can for only $0.14, that's a no brainier for me. There are a few other options such as 'Diced new Potatoes' and 'Mixed-Vegetables', however the five I mentioned here are my go to for the minimalist pantry. Buy 3 of each to get started. (Great Value Assorted Vegetables 15oz $0.68, Total Cost for 12 cans $8.16)

Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce – Normally I tell you to stay away from pre-made sauces and seasoning mixes as it is usually cheaper to make your own; canned spaghetti is the one exception. It is actually cheaper to buy the canned spaghetti sauce than it is to make it from scratch and they come in a variety of flavors 'Traditional', 'Four Cheese', 'Meat', 'Italian Sausage' to name a few. No need to buy additional pizza sauce as these make good pizza sauces as well. Buy 3 to get started. (Hunt's Spaghetti Sauce 26oz $1.00, Total Cost for 3 cans $3.00)

Canned Tuna – Another good source of protein that is shelf stable, tuna can be used in salad's, casseroles, or eaten plain out of the can. I recommend you purchase tuna packed in water and not oil as it is a healthier option. The 5oz containers make them portable and you can carry one if your backpack or keep in your work locker as an emergency lunch. (Great Value Canned Tuna 5oz 4-pack $2.96)

Canned Chicken – Another good source of protein that is shelf stable, like tuna, chicken can be used in salad's, casseroles, or eaten plain out of the can. I recommend you purchase tuna packed in water and not oil as it is a healthier option. The 5oz containers make them portable and you can carry one if your backpack or leave in your work locker or desk as an emergency lunch. (Butterfield Farms Canned Chicken 6oz $1.00, at Dollar Tree, Garden Valley Canned Chicken 5oz $1.48 at Walmart, Total Cost for 4 cans $4.00)

When it comes to canned goods, we purchase the least expensive regardless of brand and this is my recommendation for the minimalist pantry. Store brands are usually 10 to 20% cheaper, but watch for sales or price matching which will often allow you to buy name brands at substantial savings. As always keep in mind, just because I recommend a certain vegetable, you do not have to purchase it. Buy what you and your family like. Having canned goods in your pantry that no one will eat costs you money and takes up valuable pantry space.

Dry Goods (Total Cost $6.09)

If you read my article on phase 1, then you know dry goods are non-canned shelf stable items that tend to be the building blocks of many recipes. As the term implies, these items are shelf stable when unopened and do not require refrigeration.

Peanut Butter – Crunchy or Smooth, body builders have known for years that peanut butter is a good source of protein. It can be used as a dip for veggies, used to make creamy sauces for many Asian dishes, spread on toast like butter and sprinkled with sugar, bake delicious cookies or simply make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. You get an extra 8oz if you buy the 40oz jar as opposed to two 16oz jars for only a $0.01 more, however the 16oz container is more portable. For the minimalist pantry we recommend you buy one jar of the 40oz peanut butter as it does not require refrigeration even after opening. (Great Value Peanut Butter 16oz $2.18, 40oz $4.37)

Jelly – Concord grape jelly is the most popular flavor available, and while it does require refrigeration after opening, an unopened jar should be included in your pantry's inventory. Not only is jelly a necessary breakfast condiment, you cannot have a PB&J without the jelly. I recommend the 32oz jar as it is only $0.04 more than the 18oz jar, 16 more ounces for four pennies...go figure. Anyway, purchase whatever flavor your family likes best. Jams, preserves, and marmalades cost more so we recommened for the minimalist pantry that you stick with jelly (no pun intended). Buy one to get started. (Great Value Concord Grape or Apple 32oz $1.72)

The items listed under the optional category in the above graphic are just that. They are not included in the $30.00 phase 2 budget, but if you have the additional money to purchase these items they are quite useful to have in your pantry.

Conclusion (Total Cost Minimalist Pantry Phase 2 $28.35)

For about $30.00 you can complete phase 2 of the minimalist pantry for a total investment so far of $60.00 towards creating a pantry that will allow you to provide nutritious and delicious meals for you and your family. As I mentioned earlier in the article, this is a minimalist pantry, it is just a start. Unlike dry goods, canned items tend to get used more often and you may need to replace them each time you get paid. Of course this depends on how much you cook from your pantry. You may have to buy canned items more often but if you are cooking from your pantry, the money you save by doing so as opposed to eating out will allow you to stretch your precious food dollars. Each month, or each time you get paid restock your minimums as necessary, and maybe add one or two additional items.

This article is part 2 of a 3 part series on our recommendations for stocking a minimalist pantry to maximize your food dollar. Fast food restaurants are convenient but they destroy your food budget. For almost the cost of a meal for 4 or 5 people at a fast food restaurant, you could begin to stock your pantry with the items you need to cook homemade meals from scratch.

You will note that this article does not cover refrigerated items. Refrigerated items are not part of your pantry (jelly being the exception). In our next article I will focus on the final items necessary to complete your starter pantry.

If you are looking to find additional ways to stretch your food dollars, be sure and check out some of my other articles on the subject on our blog. And as always, if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends and don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+ so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.

Related Articles On our Blog:

Stocking Your Pantry (Phase 1: The Minimalist Pantry)

Stocking Your Pantry (Phase 3: The Minimalist Pantry)


Additional Money Saving Articles On our Blog:

Buying More With Less: Strategies To Stretch Your Food Dollar.

Spices: Save Up To80% By Shopping At Your Local Ethnic Supermarket.

Cheap Ground BeefCan Be Just as Healthy as Lean.