As a housewife, it didn’t take me long to figure out that I was spending too much money every week on things I just didn’t use. I started really considering what I needed to have in my pantry for days I didn’t want to run to the store. These are items every pantry should have in case of dining emergencies, lazy days, or if you cook more than once a week.

1. A fully stocked spice rack – Yes, you need salt and pepper. However, you also are going to need cracked pepper, red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, onion powder, garlic powder, crushed garlic, chives, paprika, cumin, chili powder, celery seed, oregano, thyme, and sage to just name a few that I use weekly.
2. Dried rice and black beans – I have plenty of dried wheat rice along with dried beans and canned beans. These are excellent sides if I forget a meal or of something goes crazy in the kitchen.
3. Flour, white sugar, and brown sugar – This is definitely necessary if you don’t want to spend tons of mixes. It’s always nice to have around.
4. Cornstarch, baking powder, and baking soda – Some of these will only last a year, but you’ll run out long before if you’re consistently baking. I’ve found that I really love making a loaf of sweet bread (cinnamon, banana, or some new thing) for Pointy’s breakfast.
5. Cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and peanut butter – You definitely need a stash of this to whip up an impromptu batch of cookies or hot cocoa.
6. Various pasta, spaghetti pasta, quinoa,
   and tomato paste – While It’s not the best meal in the world, it’s always nice to have pasta or sauces around.
7. White and apple vinegar – These are surprisingly used for a lot of recipes (sauces), to remove stains, excellent to reduce your dish washer’s water residue, cleaning your coffee pot, and helping hurt tummies.
8. A large container of apple sauce and canned pumpkin – Wonderful replacements for eggs if you’re in a pinch. Just know how to season it (cinnamon and nutmeg). You can also use banana as an egg replacement.
9. Instant potatoes, dried milk, and bread crumbs – These are great for making some delicious patties or crusts. Dried milk is also a great thing to have if the power goes out for a few days!
10. Olive oil and honey – Two sticky things that have super amazing uses. Olive oil adds a lot to a dish and can also be used to heat up a pan. And honey goes great with sandwiches, sweet potatoes, or as sugar replacement.
11. Chicken and vegetable broth – Cooking anything in broth gives it added flavour, especially if you add a chicken bullion cube in. This is also great if you want to help a dry dish or whip up a delicious soup.
12. Canned chicken & tuna and frozen meats – These are great things to use in between grocery trips. It’s always really helpful to have proteins around if you run out of fresh meat and eggs.