Survivalist Pro
Photo by Rauf Allahverdiyev Pexels Logo Photo: Rauf Allahverdiyev

What should I stock up on a depression?

More Frugal Pantry Inspiration from the Great Depression Dried Beans and Dried Peas. Meat was not as frequently used at dinner time during this time, but beans were very much used! ... Potatoes. ... Spices and Salt. ... Rice. ... Canned Green Peas and Green Beans. ... Cured Meats like Hot Dogs. ... Dandelions. ... Pasta.

lemonzestandbasil.com - Frugal Pantry Basics: 17 Staples From the Great Depression
What is the kindest personality type?
What is the kindest personality type?

1. ESFJ. People who fit the ESFJ personality type can usually be recognized by their big hearts and kindly manner. ESFJs are warm and welcoming and...

Read More »
Last updated Jan 28, 2020
Can opening a text message be harmful?
Can opening a text message be harmful?

SMS attacks can lead to theft of private data and spreading malware to other users. Attacks based on SMS and other text messaging may use many...

Read More »
Last updated May 25, 2020

More

Building a frugal pantry is a great way to save money, but it also helps simplify and streamline meal planning. And using the great depression era as a source of inspiration to build a frugal pantry? Is brilliant! Never was there a generation that had to take frugality to a whole new level. Surely, we could all still benefit to learn and glean from them– even if that means peeking inside their pantry!

Related:

Why Building a Frugal Pantry Simplifies Meal Planning

Having a constant supply of rice, dry beans, potatoes, and flour on hand means you can readily add these items in as sides, and fillers to any meal, saving both time and money.

Even homemade biscuits only take about 20 minutes to make from scratch!

There need be no last minute running to the grocery store or ordering take out. Plus rice and beans help to stretch and fill both soups and casseroles. When I sit down to meal plan, I like to include rice, potatoes, and homemade breads (using my sourdough) to craft meals. Cooking from my frugal panty means I‘m buying that much less when grocery shopping...and doing a lot less asking— what should I make? Why, it’s already in my pantry! That’s what I’ll make! Frugal Pantry Tip: They Used the Ingredients They Had on Hand To Make Their Meals Meals weren’t fussy. They used what they had, which were already frugal items. Things like butter, eggs, coffee and fish however, were rationed items– even then, they did still make their appearance in homes, they just weren’t as readily available as say potatoes, and rice. I don’t know about you? But crafting recipes using what I already have in my pantry doesn’t just save money, but hassel. No need to look at a recipe book, and carefully measure all the ingredients. I can just taste, and season, and perfect it using what I already have on hand. Well for one thing, this era was unique in that they depended on root cellars for storage and cooling. Fresh fruits and vegetables were not in amply supply at the grocery stores ALL YEAR ROUND, so self-sufficiency was really more of a thing born out of necessity. This looked like growing gardens, and canning and preserving the harvest for the the rest of the year. And it also meant all of the meals were cooked from scratched. Ingredients were purchased or grown, rather than bought ready made. Food was also bought in bulk, which still saves us money today! While not all of their food choices could be called healthy today, many of them could be! From homemade dressings, to homemade mayo, you will see many of these in whole30 books as more and more people move back to homemade cooking for health reasons.

1. Flour

What are signs that humans are still evolving?
What are signs that humans are still evolving?

Recent, that is, in evolutionary terms. After all, Homo sapiens have only been around for about 200,000 years — and Earth is nearly 4.5 billion...

Read More »
Last updated Oct 4, 2021
Can you have running water without electricity?
Can you have running water without electricity?

Generally speaking, you do not need electricity for water to flow through the pipes to your home faucets. But here are few reasons why you still...

Read More »
Last updated Aug 23, 2019

Breads were made often– from biscuits, to everyday bread– to cake without eggs and milk! Yes, because eggs and milk were rationed, they got scrappy and came up with a crazy cake so they could still make and enjoy cake on less. Homemade bread is still a great way to stretch just about any meal!

2. Corn Meal

Corn meal was on hand to make corn bread, and to base the bottom of homemade breads, pizza and English muffins, but could also be used in waffles and made into a corn meal pudding and mashes.

3. Olive Oil, and Vinegar

Homemade dressings were easily made with just these ingredients with a good handful of seasonings for flavor. They even made their own mayo!

4. Dried fruit: prunes, dates, raisins

Yes, this may not be as well known, but they can still be found in many great depression recipes. They last longer!

5. Baking Powder, and Yeast

Again, because many breads and muffins were made at home, these were always on hand. Frugal tip: Did you know? You can actually freeze yeast to make it last longer.

6. Preservation

Drying herbs from the garden, to making homemade jerky, this was a method to keep food longer when refrigeration and freezers were not yet invented.

7. Canned Goods from the Garden

Canned goods were starting to be marketed and sold in grocery stores but were typically rationed. So most people still relied on the harvest from their garden to can vegetables that would help sustain them for the winter.

8. Homemade Lard

Nothing was ever wasted! Pork fat was reserved to render homemade lard.

9. Oatmeal

This makes for a very easy, simple, and nutritious meal for breakfast even today, and was very much used in the depression era.

More Frugal Pantry Inspiration from the Great Depression

10. Dried Beans and Dried Peas

Meat was not as frequently used at dinner time during this time, but beans were very much used! In addition split peas, and other dried legumes were a pantry staple. Acquiring these are still super frugal!

11. Potatoes

Full of vitamin C, and easily filling, these were commonly used in the depression era, and could be easily stored in root cellars.

12. Spices and Salt

With just about every meal being made from scratch many cooks still relied on and used herbs to season their food. They didn’t have chemicals and MSG injected into their food to stimulate artificial flavor. Instead, they used seasoning, from real ingredients. Of course, salt and pepper were among these!

13. Rice

Rice is another great filler item, like potatoes, and can easily be throw into casseroles and soups to stretch a meal into enough. Plus, it works as a great side with just about any meal. Even leftover rice was never wasted, and commonly repurposed into rice pudding.

14. Canned Green Peas and Green Beans

Is it better to be in a cold or hot room when sick?
Is it better to be in a cold or hot room when sick?

Staying warm when you have a sniffle seems logical, and now US scientists have discovered that a warmer body temperature actually helps fight the...

Read More »
Last updated Jul 31, 2019
Which animal can predict earthquake?
Which animal can predict earthquake?

Unusual behavioural patterns Elephants can also show unusual movement patterns before earthquakes. Elephants can also show unusual movement...

Read More »
Last updated Aug 4, 2022

“Peas and pasta” is a classic depression era meal. But green beans were also popular. They are both cheap and healthy. Many families canned their own vegetables, but sometimes stores also stocked them. Even today I find it beneficial to have a stock pile of green beans. I just prefer the frozen kind!

15. Cured Meats like Hot Dogs

I was a little surprised that hot dogs were a thing in the depression era. But apparently it was a staple during this era! (source).

16. Dandelions

Foraging is the ultimate example in using what you have around you. Well, during the spring collecting dandelions was one way families boosted their nutrition.

17. Pasta

Perhaps not as commonly used, but still prevalent during this time. There wasn’t always meat to go with said pasta, but with some seasoning and peas, it would commonly be eaten during this time. Other Frugal Pantry Staples from the Depression Era that Were Common but Rationed:

Coffee

Sugar

Butter

Eggs

Fish

Canned goods (source)

In Summary: How to Build a Frugal Pantry Inspired from the Great Depression As you can see, their pantry was simple, no fuss and reflected what was most available to them at the time. Building a pantry around basic staples, and building recipes on the regular– using what we already have is still a great way to save money. Personally, I love to stock up on rice, beans, and oils from Costco. I typically DO NOT need to do this every week, but it really does help to cut costs, and simplify meal planning. Even on nights when I really push my grocery shopping way out, I can manage to whip together a meal using the basics mentioned above. I just prefer a little more canned tomatoes, and quinoa thrown into the mix! If you’d like a full list Costco staples worth buying (because they actually do save you money), make sure you grab your checklist down below:

If there was anything I miss, let me know in the comments!

Looking for More Old Fashioned Ways to Save Money?

PIN FRUGAL PANTRY IDEAS FOR LATER:

lemonzestandbasil.com - Frugal Pantry Basics: 17 Staples From the Great Depression
Can a cruise ship survive a tsunami?
Can a cruise ship survive a tsunami?

Experts agree that a cruise ship sailing out over a body of water is not likely to feel any impacts from a tsunami's waves.

Read More »
Last updated Aug 1, 2022
What things never expire?
What things never expire?

According to Eat By Date, granulated white sugar, white sugar cubes, raw sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, sugar substitute, Equal, and Sweet n...

Read More »
Last updated Apr 25, 2018
What is the golden rule of happiness?
What is the golden rule of happiness?

5 . The golden rule of happiness is that “the more you make others happy: the happier you will be”. Jan 21, 2016

Read More »
Last updated Mar 19, 2019
What is the hardest code ever?
What is the hardest code ever?

Let's get cracking with a countdown of some of the world's most difficult and amusing codes and ciphers. Australia's Somerton Man. ... The MIT...

Read More »
Last updated Nov 25, 2022