40 Groceries You Should Make at Home to Save Hundreds of Dollars

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40 Groceries You Should Make at Home to Save Money

It’s no secret that I love cooking from scratch and sharing easy recipes with my readers, which is why I’m excited to share this round up of groceries to stop buying and start making to save money.

Convenience food has it’s place, but you can save tons on your grocery bill if you cook from scratch and learn to make your own convenience items at home.

You’ll find all kinds of recipes in this list for common convenience foods in the grocery store. The more that you can cook from scratch, the more you will save on your grocery bill and the better it will taste.

Below I’ve shared some common convenience items paired with delicious recipes to replace them with. I hope this list will be a great resource to you on your frugal living journey. Let me know in the comment section which groceries you make at home to save money.

Are you looking for more ways to save on your grocery bill?

15 Cheap Pantry Meals with Four Ingredients or Less
30 Frugal Meals (for when you’re broke)
7 Frugal Cooking Tips from the Great Depression
How to Build an Old-Fashioned Frugal Pantry

Do you want to earn cashback on your groceries each week?

Check out the IBOTTA app which allows you to earn giftcards on regular items that you’re already buying!

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40 Groceries to Stop Buying and Start Making to Save Money

1. Replace prepackaged cookies with Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.

2. Replace canned tomato soup with Instant Pot Tomato Soup.

3. Replace canned beef stew with Instant Pot Beef Stew.

4. Replace canned biscuits with Cheddar & Green Onion Biscuits.

5. Replace store-bought vegetable broth with Instant Pot Vegetable Broth.

6. Replace prepackaged party mix with Easy Homemade Ranch Party Mix.

7. Replace Hamburger Helper with Instant Pot Hamburger Cheese Pasta.

8. Replace store-bought chicken broth with Instant Pot Chicken Broth.

9. Replace prepackaged potato salad with Instant Pot Dill Pickle Potato Salad.

10. Replace store-bought applesauce with Instant Pot Applesauce.

11. Replace premade deli sandwiches with Ham & Swiss Sliders.

12. Replace store-bought dinner rolls with Homemade Dinner Rolls.

13. Replace store-bought vanilla with Homemade Vanilla Extract.

14. Replace Hot Pockets with Homemade Ham and Cheese Pockets.

15. Replace canned refried beans with Homemade Refried Beans.

16. Replace canned tomato sauce with Oven-Roasted Cherry Tomato Sauce.

17. Replace store-bought chili seasoning with Homemade Chili Seasoning.

18. Replace canned chicken noodle soup with Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup.

19. Replace prepackaged frozen breakfast bowls with Country Breakfast Bowls.

20. Replace store-bought jam with Strawberry Freezer Jam.

21. Replace canned sloppy joes with Easy 5-Ingredient Sloppy Joes.

22. Replace canned black beans with Slow Cooker Black Beans.

23. Replace store-bought taco seasoning with Homemade Taco Seasoning.

24. Replace frozen burritos with Homemade Bean and Cheese Burritos.

25. Replace brownie mix with Black Bean Brownies.

26. Replace store-bought ranch mix with Homemade Ranch Seasoning.

27. Replace store-bought salad dressing with Avocado & Lime Salad Dressing.

28. Replace store-bought energy bars with Homemade Energy Bars.

29. Replace store-bought bread with Homemade English Muffin Bread.

30. Replace store-bought elderberry syrup with Homemade Elderberry Syrup.

31. Replace canned chili with Easy Slow Cooker Chili.

32. Replace canned pinto beans with Slow Cooker Pinto Beans.

33. Replace store-bought granola bars with 3-Ingredient No Bake Peanut Butter Bars.

34. Replace canned apple pie filling with Freezer Apple Pie Filling.

35. Replace store-bought pie crust with Simple Homemade Pie Crust.

36. Replace store-bought muffins with Homemade Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

37. Replace canned pumpkin puree with Homemade Pumpkin Puree.

38. Replace store-bought apple butter with Slow Cooker Apple Butter.

39. Replace store-bought coleslaw with Copycat KFC Coleslaw.

40. Replace store-bought hummus with Fast & Easy Cucumber Hummus.

This post was originally published in August of 2018 and has been updated for your convenience.

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7 Comments

  1. Can I get this in an ebook format so I can print it? I'd like to have all the recipes handy without having to log onto my computer. I'd even pay for it, how's that for incentive? LOL Also wanted to tell you thank you for the no-bake cookie bites you've been posting. They are so yummy and easy enough for my daughter to make on her own.
  2. Another great item to make at home is spaghetti sauce! I love to make mine in the slow cooker because then I can walk away and do other things while it cooks. It freezes beautifully as well!
  3. Found your blog through Pinterest yesterday and enjoyed myself reading the frugal tips from grandma and all those blogposts linked there. But here I only got so far to read number one on the list, I just had to try making cookies since the recipe was so easy. Iโ€™m a lazy baker so usually just make bananabread and brownies in the roasting pan so I can make big batches and freeze most. I never understood the ยซthingยป about cookies. Itโ€™s just so expencive in the store and I havenโ€™t had any that was that good. But my, so easy and soo good!! And today when I have read the whole list, I just hope I will have the chance to visit the US sometime! So many things that I never have heard of, Sloppy Joes, refried beans and canned bisquits. I think I will enjoy a trip to the supermarket so much! Thanks for a great blog! Have added it to my Bloglovinโ€™ app already. Hope you and your family stays safe in these times.
  4. Hi! I 100% love your list!!! But, not everyone has an instant pot... The recipes are still great, but there are other ways (i.e., applesauce in the microwave takes zero time; a pressure cooker to cook the meat isn't an "Instant pot," but the result is similar!). I'd like to see recommendations (not that *I* need them, I looked over your list and was very gratified that I home-make nearly all of them (I have an Austistic/ADHD child, so I am always avoiding pre-packaged foods with excess sugar, salt, or preservatives!); but, again, suggestions that don't require someone to have a specific, fairly expensive, piece of equipment might be a suggestion (even braising meat, or using a Dutch oven, etc...). BUT, a wonderful list as a reminder of things folks can do, themselves!!! Whatever the method, it's going to save money, be healthier, and -if you stock freezer, etc.- make meal-preparation so much more convenient, not to mention faster!!! Blessings!! ~Chrissie
  5. And "cream of [x] soup", you can replace it by making it at home. The ingredients can be counted on one hand, and would be standard items in most kitchens - milk, butter, cornstarch, the necessary seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, parely, salt, pepper - don't even really need those), and bouillion. About a cup of coffee, and it's one can right there to use. Bits of mushroom, asparagus, chicken, celery, broccoli and whatnot not withstanding - along with all the other mis es ples, it can be done just like that. My source is Tastes Better from Scratch.

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