10 Things I Always Stock in My Pantry
How well-stocked is your kitchen? I want to share ten foods that are always in my kitchen and hopefully give you a few ideas for what you can add to your shelves, fridge, or freezer too.
Keeping your kitchen stocked with things your family uses regularly is one of the best ways to save money. It keeps you from running to the store when someone’s sick, when the weather’s bad, or when money is just tight. Plus, if you stock up when prices are low, it’s a smart long-term savings strategy.
I have always been a believer in stockpiling, and as my family grows, this practice becomes all the more important to me. Also, please remember that by stocking things that can include canned goods on your pantry as well as perishables in your fridge and freezer.
Here’s an inside look at what I always keep on hand, how much I have, and how long it lasts us!
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1. Pasta
Pasta is a no-brainer around here. It’s shelf-stable, super affordable (still under $1 a box), and it lasts years before going bad. I keep multiple boxes of pasta on the little pantry shelf in my kitchen, and I just counted—there are 29 boxes right now!
We typically use one box a week, so that’s a six-month supply. My kids love it, and it makes quick meals easy. If your family likes pasta, this is an easy thing to stock.
2. Canned Vegetables
Canned corn and beans are our favorites, so that’s what I stock. I loaded up around Thanksgiving when they were $0.39 per can and currently have 109 cans on hand.
The expiration dates go out 2–3 years, and since we rotate with fresh and frozen veggies, this stash will probably last us close to a year. Canned veggies are a great shelf-stable, low-cost item to stock.
3. Crackers
Ritz and Triscuits are our go-tos as my daughter takes crackers in her lunch daily. I store them in Anchor Hocking glass jars like these and keep extra boxes in the pantry shelf by the pasta.
Right now, we have 17 boxes of crackers, plus a big box of Ritz in a different cupboard. We go through about one box a week, so that’s roughly a four-month supply.
4. Apple Juice
This is one of our breakfast staples. We do a small glass each morning for the kids, so I always keep it stocked in the basement.
We go through one bottle a week, and I currently have 18 bottles—enough for four months. They’re stored on my pantry shelves and rotated regularly.
5. Peanut Butter and Jam
If you’re not allergic, peanut butter is a must-have for our family. It’s shelf-stable, full of protein, and super versatile. We use it for sandwiches, baking, and snacks.
Right now, we have 20 jars of the 16 oz size, because they’re easier to manage. We go through about 2 jars a month (more during baking season), so this stash will last us 6 months. And yes, we also keep jam—homemade blackberry jam for those PB&J sandwiches!
6. Flour and Sugar
Technically two items, but I’m counting them together because if you have these two, you can bake so many things!
Right now I have 20 lbs of flour and 16 lbs of sugar upstairs, plus more stored in 5-gallon buckets in the basement. That’s at least a 6-month supply of flour and probably a full year of sugar. I bake a lot of bread, muffins and cookies so I always keep flour and sugar stocked.
If you are not a baker, you don’t need to stock as much flour and sugar as I do. That’s the beauty of filling your pantry! You can and should fill it with the food items your family regular eats and uses.
7. Chocolate Chips
If you’ve been around here, you know I love chocolate. I always keep chocolate chips in the house. I buy the big Nestlé bags from Sam’s Club (they’re the best deal!) and divide them into smaller portions.
Right now, I have the equivalent of 22 bags of chocolate chips, and I store them in metal tins or large 3-gallon tubs. This will last me about 6 months—maybe more if I stretch it.
Did you know Sam’s is currently offering half off their yearly membership? I make up the $25 year cost in chocolate chip savings and gas discounts alone! Totally worth it in my opinion. You can get this half off Sam’s membership deal here.
8. Cheese
We love cheese. Right now, I have 11 pounds of it—mostly 2 pound blocks of cheddar. I buy it on sale and stash it in the garage fridge. My stock up price is $1.50 per 8 ounces, and whenever I find that price, I buy more cheese!
Cheese has a long shelf life (months out!) and can be frozen too. If you freeze it, I recommend slicing or shredding first. We probably use about a pound a week, so this will last us around 3 months.
9. Meat
Keeping meat in the freezer is one of the best ways to save money. I stock up when it’s on sale and prep it into meal-sized portions. I keep:
- Raw and cooked hamburger in 1 lb bags
- Hamburger patties stacked and frozen
- Chicken in 2 lb bags
- Sausage, bacon, pork chops, and even some hams
Altogether, we have enough meat for around 60 meals. That easily lasts us 3–4 months, since we often eat leftovers and casseroles.
10. Butter
You all know by now: I bake. A lot. So when butter is on sale (especially at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter), I fill my freezer with butter!
Right now, I have 33 pounds of butter in the freezer. I know from tracking that we use around 6 pounds per month, so this gives us about 5 months’ worth. I rotate through and always keep some in the fridge ready to go.
Yes, butter freezes perfectly! I try to use it within the year, but I have never had a problem with it going bad if frozen longer. Just move your frozen butter directly to the fridge to thaw and you can easily stock up on butter too.
Final Pantry Thoughts
So there you have it—10 things I always keep in my kitchen. These staples help me save money, keep our meals simple, and give me peace of mind when life gets busy or budgets are tight.
When do I stock up? Always when I see a sale.
If you want to build your own stockpile and save on groceries too, grab my Quick Start Guide to Building a Stockpile here.
Now I want to hear from you. What do you always keep stocked in your kitchen? Tell me in the comments! And if you want to see everything that’s in my stockpile, you can tour my pantry in this video.
