In this post I’m going to show you all of the best frugal kitchen essentials. It’s more than worth it to invest a little bit of money into these products now so that you can save money in the long run. And even better, all of these products are super affordable!
TOP 12 FRUGAL KITCHEN ESSENTIALS
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You probably already have at least a few of the items on this list. As for the items you don’t have yet, don’t feel like you have to add them all at once. You could purchase one item a month, and a year from now you could have a fully frugalized kitchen. (Yes, I totally just invented the work frugalized.)
Or you could just make yourself a wish list on Amazon and get what you need as you can afford it.
The main thing I want you to consider as you go through this list is this:
Will this product help me save money?
If the answer is yes, then it’s probably a no-brainer.
Alright, pep talk over.
Here are the top 12 frugal kitchen essentials.
CROCK POT
I’m sure you’re not surprised to see this old faithful, frugal friend at the top of my list.
This is the OG of saving money in the kitchen!
The Crock-Pot makes it so easy to make a warm meal for your family with very little work!
Say bye-bye to standing and stirring and hello to dump and dine.
If you don’t have a Crock-Pot, you need one.
Here is the one I have and love.
INSTANT POT
This new kid in town comes in a close second.
The only draw back of the Crock-Pot is that you need to remember to put your food in hours and hours ahead of time.
And the answer to that issue is the Instant Pot!
It cooks up to 70 times faster than the Crock-Pot and they say it uses less energy.
So, it’s best to have both on hand in your frugal kitchen.
Here is the most popular version of the Instant Pot.
MINI FOOD PROCESSOR
This little guy is so helpful when you’re DIYing meals.
I used mine just about every day when I was making my own baby food.
Now, I mostly use this for things like making pesto, grinding my own oatmeal flour for pancakes, or chopping nuts.
There are just so many things you can do with this that will help you save money on pre-made food.
Here’s the one I have in my frugal kitchen.
MIXING BOWLS
Of course, when you’re making all your food yourself, a frugal kitchen essential you’re going to need is some sturdy mixing bowls.
Here are the ones I have in my kitchen and I use them all the time.
COCONUT OIL
Coconut oil is a magical substance with about a million uses.
You can bake with it, oil a skillet with it, clean or even condition your hair with it!
If you’ve never used coconut oil before, I highly recommend you give it a try. I’m sure it will quickly become one of your favorite kitchen products.
Just so you know, coconut oil is a solid when it’s colder than 76 degrees F. I remember feeling surprised about that the first time I purchased it.
But all you have to do is run it under some hot water and it will melt.
Here’s one of my favorite brands. My other favorite is the Trader Joe’s brand.
VACUUM SEALER
This nifty tool makes it so easy to buy meat and other foods in bulk and then freeze them for an extended time.
Food definitely stays fresher when it’s vacuum sealed. And of course, keeping your food fresh longer reduces waste and saves you money!
Here’s a highly rated vacuum sealer.
SODA MAKER
So, this seemed like a luxury item to me at first. Especially because I rarely drink soda.
But do you know what I drink all the time? Seltzer!
It’s one of the few “luxury items” I allow myself to buy.
I just recently realized I could be making my own seltzer at home with a soda maker!
If you drink soda, seltzer, or any other carbonated beverage, do some quick math and figure out how much you could save by making your own.
This fun gadget might be a big money saver for you!
Here’s the one I have my eye on.
STORAGE CONTAINERS
Of course, if you’re doing any meal prep or even if you’re just being sure to eat your leftovers – you’re going to need some good food storage containers.
I like to use glass storage containers for anything that’s going to be reheated to save on dishes. These are the glass containers I use in my kitchen.
Plastic containers are also good to have around for cold foods or dry foods. Here are some high-quality plastic containers.
REUSABLE BAGGIES
You’ll save a lot of money by reusing items instead of using their disposable counterparts.
I replaced Ziplock bags with these cute and reusable bags.
They’re great for packing lunches and snacks. I love how they come in all different sizes!
REUSABLE K-CUPS
Another smart switch is to reusable K-Cups.
You could save even more by switching completely to a drip coffee maker or french press. Or if you want to be fancy, you can try a pour over. My husband says pour over coffee is unbeatable.
But if you’re not quite ready to give up your Keurig, you can just switch to reusable coffee pods.
You simply fill them with the ground coffee of your choice. And as we know ground coffee is so much cheaper than K-Cups!
HAND TOWELS
You’ll never hear me tell you to give up paper towels completely. I just think that’s too extreme to be sustainable.
But what if you just stop using your paper towels to dry your hands after you wash them?
If you simply switch to hand towels for drying off your hands, you’ll save significantly on paper towels over the course of a year.
While you’re at it, you can reuse the same paper towel more than once if it’s not really that dirty.
Here is an affordable, cute set of hand towels that I’m really liking right now.
BONUS: A REALLY GREAT WATER BOTTLE
I know this one won’t just stay in your kitchen, but it’s such a money saver!
Ditch those expensive single use water bottles and get yourself a good filtering water jug and really solid water bottle that will last you a while!
This is my favorite water bottle ever! It keeps water cold all day long. I really can’t recommend it highly enough.
SAVE MONEY WITH THESE FRUGAL KITCHEN ESSENTIALS
I can’t wait to hear how much money you save with these must-have items for your frugal kitchen! Even if you just invest in half the items on this list, you’ll be on your way to saving big in the kitchen and on feeding your family. You could always add a few more in as you can afford to. Enjoy your new frugal kitchen essentials?
Related Posts about Saving Money in the Kitchen:
- How to Set a Grocery Budget you can stick to
- The Easiest Way to Save Money on Food
- Top 10 Frugal Food Tips
Let me know in a comment: Do you any frugal kitchen essentials you’d add to this list?
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