9 Homemade Kitchen Staples That Save You Over $2,000 Per Year
Making these kitchen staples at home doesn’t just taste better and let you control the quality of the ingredients and the process; it also saves a significant amount of money. Here’s the math behind 9 homemade staples that can save your family between $2,000 and $3,185 every year. Maybe even more. Yes, I’ve done the math. Not everything homemade saves money, but these recipes definitely do.
Save This Page
I'll email you a link to this post!
Sourdough Bread (or Any Bread)
Homemade Cost: $1 per loaf
Store-Bought Cost: $8 to $10 per loaf
Weekly Use: 2 to 3 loaves
Annual Savings: $400
Baking sourdough at home with freshly milled organic wheat berries and a sourdough starter costs me $1 per loaf. A similar loaf from the store, which I can’t even find made with heritage and ancient grains, costs $8 to $10 or more.
You don’t need to make sourdough. You don’t need to mill your own grains into homemade flour. And you don’t need organic if you can’t find it or afford it—yeasted breads will do just fine, and you will still save tons of money while feeding your family a higher quality product.
If you’re wondering how to save money on groceries, these kitchen staples are one way I’ve saved my family thousands of dollars on groceries. Not everything is cheaper to make at home, but these nine items are. And they’re not just more affordable, they’re also better quality than what you can find on store shelves.
Related: Here’s How I Cut My Family Grocery Budget By Thousands of Dollars
The Digital Meal Planning Tool I Wish I Had When I First Became A Wife And Mother
I am creating a meal planning tool for homemakers who are done with last minute dinners and expensive convenience food. If you want a simple and affordable way to feed your family real meals every night, join the waitlist and you will be the first to try it when it launches.
Yogurt
Homemade Cost: $0.88 per 500ml (2 cups)
Store-Bought Cost: $1.67 per 500ml (cheapest organic plain)
Weekly Use: 2 quarts (8 cups)
Annual Savings: $150
With just milk and a little hands-off time, you can make creamy, thick yogurt for less than half the cost of store brands. It also keeps longer and avoids unnecessary fillers. I use my Instant Pot for this and it’s become my favorite method.
Oven-Roasted Vegetable Sauce
Homemade Cost: $2.50 per quart (very rough estimate)
Comparable Store-Bought Items: Curry starters, jarred veggie sauces, etc., $5 to $8 each
Annual Use: 1 to 2 quarts per week
Annual Savings: $250
This one’s harder to price, actually —it’s almost impossible—but I cannot stress enough how essential this recipe is to my kitchen, as it makes everything simpler. I use it for making pasta, gnocchi, meat curries, slow-cooker meals, and poaching eggs for breakfast. The cost is low, and the versatility makes it worth prepping in bulk and freezing.
A similar recipe is my Sataras, although you can also add whatever other veggies you like, such as eggplant. A great way to make use of seasonal produce on sale, as this sauce freezes beautifully and can be reheated from frozen. Roast the veggies in the oven and then pulse them in a food processor, adding tomato passata or canned tomatoes.
4. Avocado Oil Mayonnaise
Homemade Cost: $2.73 per 12 oz
Store-Bought Cost: $9.99 per 12 oz (Chosen Foods brand)
Monthly Use: 1 jar
Annual Savings: $85
You can make your own mayo in 60 seconds using an immersion blender. When made with high-quality oil and fresh eggs, it costs a fraction of the price of clean, store-bought versions. Also, look into fractionated coconut oil if you dislike avocado oil.
Yes, it’s hard. You’re not alone.
Join My FREE 7-Day Homemaking Essentials Email Course & Grab my Meal Plan with 50+ recipes
5. Granola
Homemade Cost: $2.50 per quart
Store-Bought Cost: $7 to $10 per quart (organic, clean brands)
Weekly Use: 1 quart
Annual Savings: $300 to $700
Granola is an easy win. Toss oats with nuts, honey or maple syrup, coconut oil, and cinnamon, bake it, and you’ve just saved up to $7 on breakfast or snacks each week.
Another way to save money on groceries—meal planning. Meal planning can save your family thousands each year by eliminating waste and impulse purchasing. Check out my digital meal planning tool and get on the waitlist for when it launches: Heritage Kitchen Revival. You’ll be given a free 2-week trial to start.
Related: How to Start Meal Planning for Your Family (Even If You Hate It)
6. Bone Broth
Homemade Cost: Free to $2 per quart (using veggie scraps, saved bones)
Store-Bought Cost: $7 to $10 per quart (organic, gelatin-rich)
Weekly Use: 1 to 2 quarts
Annual Savings: $500 to $1,000
Save your chicken carcasses, beef bones, pork bones, onion skins, and veggie scraps in the freezer. Homemade bone broth costs virtually nothing and is more nutrient-dense than its boxed counterparts.
Recipe: Chicken Feet Bone Broth
Homemade cooking with fresh ingredients can be overwhelming if you’re new to the concept of an ingredients-only kitchen. It doesn’t have to be, and eventually it becomes second nature. One way to manage the tasks is some thing called ingredient prepping.
Related Articles: 20 Fresh Ingredients I Prep to Make Homemade Cooking a Breeze
7. Fermented Ketchup
Homemade Cost: $1.25 per 500ml
Store-Bought Cost: $5.99 to $7.99 per 500ml (fermented or clean ketchup)
Monthly Use: 1 bottle
Annual Savings: $36 to $75
This ketchup uses sauerkraut brine or whey for natural fermentation. It’s tangy, full of probiotics, and far cheaper than anything similar in stores.
8. Salad Dressings
Homemade Cost: $2 to $3 per bottle
Store-Bought Cost: $5 to $10 per bottle (organic)
Monthly Use: 1 to 2 bottles
Annual Savings: $130 to $360
Store-bought dressings are often filled with seed oils, preservatives, and artificial flavors. Homemade salad dressing versions made with olive oil and herbs taste better and cost less.
Recipes: 11 Homemade Salad Dressings Better Than The Bottled Stuff
9. Dips (Like Hummus)
Homemade Cost: $1.75 per cup
Store-Bought Cost: $4.99+ per cup
Weekly Use: 1 cup
Annual Savings: $150
Homemade hummus is just chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic. You can make variations of it with ingredients like beets, smoked caramelized onions (my favorite), and roasted red peppers. You can also make various dips with other types of beans.
This list is just a start to get you going. And these things are very manageable for the homemaker or career mom to accomplish, you just have to organize your time and kitchen so that you can set aside a few hours each week or couple of weeks to make these kitchen staples. Not everything homemade saves money, for example homemade butter is frequently more expensive than just buying it. It’s also not always about just the cost either, as quality matters too.
According to my real world calculations and my own grocery budget, these kitchen staples save anywhere from $1185 to just over $3000 every year on your family grocery budget and that is a significant savings.
If you’re just getting serious about grocery budgeting and home economics, this is a great starting point that makes real changes.
