by Veronica Bowman

Created on: September 16, 2009   Last Updated: September 17, 2009

Stocking a pantry in the most budget friendly way means that you will need to be a smart shopper. Take advantage of sales as often as possible to fill your pantry shelves in the most frugal way. Buying in bulk can be a money saving option if you are able to use all of the items before their expiration date. Remember that all pantry items do not have to be purchased at a grocery store. Check out dollar stores for some good deals.

A pantry should contain some basic staple items such as flour, cornmeal, sugar, and powdered milk. These items are seldom on sale. The best way to save money on these items is to buy the larger size bags or boxes. The same is true for oatmeal. The larger the container, the less expensive it actually is per serving. These pantry staples have a long shelf life if you store them properly.

You should keep some basic items in your pantry that you can use to create quick and easy meals. Keeping some "stretchers" in your pantry can help you out when you have to unexpectedly serve more people than you had planned on serving or for a week when the budget is especially tight. Stretchers are items such as rice, pasta, couscous, and any other dry ingredient that can make a recipe go farther.

There is no reason to buy numerous spices that you will seldom or never use. Keep a few basic ones in the pantry. Also you can purchase a spice mixture such as Italian seasoning for less that each individual spice would cost. In some cases, such as with cinnamon and sugar , you can quickly and easily make your own mixture whenever you need it.

Your pantry should have several varieties of soups and canned vegetables in it. It's also good to keep a few cans of tuna, chicken or ham on hand. These are items you can stock up on when they are on sale. Be sure to rotate the items in your pantry. You've wasted money if a can of soup or tuna gets pushed to the back corner of the top shelf in the pantry and you don't discover it until well after its expiration date has passed.

Dry beans are a long lasting, inexpensive pantry item. Store them in glass jars for longer preservation. It's also a good idea to buy packages of dried fruit whenever you find it on sale. The fruit can be tossed into cereal, muffins or added to various other recipes.

When your finances are low and the budget is tight, there is something very comforting about opening the pantry and seeing well stocked shelves. Good planning and smart shopping can help you keep that pantry looking good.

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