Grocery budgeting
The pantry staples list that earns its shelf space
Twelve staples that turn into dinner on their own, what each one costs, and the meals they make — a complete starter pantry for $36.03.
By Joao Dunlap · · 4 min read
The short version
- The whole list is $36.03 and most of it lasts months.
- A staple earns its place by making dinner alone — not by being an ingredient in something else.
- Rice, pulses and tinned tomatoes cover a meal on their own. Everything else is support.
- A stocked pantry is what stops a bad day becoming a takeaway.
A pantry is not a collection of ingredients. It is a set of meals you can make when you have not shopped, cannot face shopping, or have run out of everything fresh.
That is the test each item below has to pass: does it help put dinner on the table on its own? Sun-dried tomato paste fails. A bag of rice passes.
The list, and what each one costs
Twelve items, $36.03 all in. This is a one-off shop, not a weekly one — most of it will still be there in three months.
| Item | Quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Dried black beans | 1 lb | $1.99 |
| Dried lentils | 1 lb | $1.89 |
| Canned chickpeas | 2 cans | $2.18 |
| Peanut butter | 16 oz | $2.98 |
| Canned tuna | 2 cans | $2.58 |
| Item | Quantity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Long-grain white rice | 5 lb bag | $5.49 |
| Rolled oats | 42 oz | $4.29 |
| Pasta | 2 lb | $2.58 |
| Canned diced tomatoes | 2 cans | $2.38 |
| Vegetable oil | 48 oz | $4.29 |
| All-purpose flour | 5 lb | $3.49 |
| Stock cubes | 1 box | $1.89 |
| Complete starter pantry | $5.15 per person per day | $36.03 |
Why each one is on the list
What a stocked pantry can cook tonight
With nothing fresh in the house except an onion, this list makes: pasta with tomato sauce, lentil soup, rice and beans, chickpea curry, tuna pasta, porridge, and flatbread. Seven meals with no shopping.
Meals from the cupboard
Recipes from the NeatEat library that lean almost entirely on the list above — the ones to reach for on a night you have not shopped.
20 minBudget Garlic and Herb Pasta with White Beans
Pantry-only. The night you forgot to shop.
20 minTomato and Chickpea Pasta
Two tins and a bag of pasta.
20 minCurried Split Pea Grain Bowl
Split peas are the cheapest protein in the shop.
20 minPasta with Lentil Tomato Sauce
Lentils instead of mince. Nobody notices.
20 minCheap and Cheerful Egg Fried Rice
Leftover rice plus eggs. Twelve minutes, pennies a serving.
35 minWhite Bean and Tomato Pasta Skillet
One skillet, one tin, done.
What not to stock
- Single-recipe spices. The jar you bought for one curry two years ago is still three-quarters full and has lost its smell.
- Speciality vinegars and oils. They are lovely and they are not staples; they sit behind the things you use.
- Anything bought in bulk that you have never once finished. Bulk is only cheaper per serving you actually eat.
- Ready-made sauces. Tinned tomatoes plus an onion is the same thing for a third of the price.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most important pantry staples?
Rice, dried lentils, dried beans, tinned tomatoes, pasta and oats. Those six cover the base of most cheap meals and keep for months. Everything else on a good pantry list is support: oil, stock, flour, and a couple of tinned proteins like chickpeas and tuna.
How much does it cost to stock a pantry from scratch?
About $36.03 for the twelve-item list on this page. It is a one-off cost rather than a weekly one - rice, pulses, oats and flour will still be in the cupboard months later, so the cost per meal is very low.
How long do pantry staples last?
Dried rice, pasta, lentils and beans keep for a year or more in a sealed container. Rolled oats and flour are good for several months. Tinned tomatoes, chickpeas and tuna last years. Oil and peanut butter are the shortest-lived items on the list and still last months.
Is it cheaper to buy dried beans or tinned?
Dried, by a wide margin per serving - a pound of dried beans yields far more cooked beans than a tin costing about the same. The trade is time and planning, since dried beans need soaking. Keeping both is a reasonable compromise: dried for planned meals, a couple of tins for nights you did not plan.