10 Foods You Should Be Making Instead Of Buying

The other day while looking for recipes on Pinterest I came across a recipe for homemade Pop-tarts. Seriously! Maybe it's just me, but I don't have the time to make Pop-tarts. About 4-5 times a year I let my kiddo get a box of Pop-tarts from the store but I am sure not going to make them from scratch.

There are however plenty of things I do like to make from scratch. For me it is all about the balance of how long things take to make and how much I will save. Over the years I have found myself making more and more things myself.

If you are wanting to save more money check out these 10 foods you should be making instead of buying. They not only save you money but they taste great too!

Taco Seasoning

Taco seasoning is one of my favorite things to make from scratch. Taco seasoning packets can get expensive, especially if you have tacos and fajitas often like we do. Not only do I save money by making my own but I also think it is way more convenient to have a large canning jar of taco seasoning instead of little packets getting lost in the pantry.

Pancakes

I used to always buy my pancakes at the store in the freezer section. Then I finally started making my own pancakes at home. If your family loves pancakes I recommend trying to make your own to save money. You can either make up a couple of large batches and freeze the pancakes or you can make up a large batch of pancake mix to have on hand for quick pancakes.

Uncrustables

I love uncrustables but hate the price. I finally bought a sandwich cutter and started making my own. I make up batches of uncrustables with peanut butter or nutella and jelly. I love that I can make them with all different flavors. My son loves the nutella and raspberry jam ones that I make.

Jellies and Jams

Jellies and jams do take more time than just buying a jar at the store, but I think the flavor difference is worth the time to make them from scratch. If you don't have canning equipment you can always make freezer preserves. I make up 2-3 batches of strawberry jam that can be frozen and it will last us all year. It is well worth an hour in the kitchen.

Breadcrumbs

I love to use the heels of the bread to make breadcrumbs. My family is picky and won't eat heels unless they are completely desperate. Instead of throwing out the heals I just put them in the food processor. Make sure your bread crumbs are dry, if not toast them to get them dried out. Then put them in a blender or food processor. Store in a ziploc bag for about 2 -3 months.

Pizza Dough

Pizza dough is really easy to make up and saves so much money versus store-bought pizza dough. I have found that it tastes better too.

Biscuits

Canned or frozen biscuits tend to be over-priced. I prefer to make up a big batch of my favorite biscuit dough and freeze them. I just freeze the biscuits before they are cooked and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. It's easy and they taste better.

Croutons

Croutons just like the breadcrumbs are a no-brainer in my mind. I like to take leftover buns and bread to make homemade croutons. Not only are they much cheaper than store-bought but they also taste better too.

Caramel

This homemade caramel recipe is SO easy to make (it only takes 1 ingredient) and tastes amazing! I have long quit buying caramel sauce for ice cream toppings or recipes. It's easy to make up a batch myself and save some money.

Meatballs

You can save some time and buy meatballs in the store, but they won't taste near as good as these homemade meatballs. Homemade is the best! If you need to save time you can always make up a large batch of these homemade freezer meatballs.

So if you want to save your family some money try making a couple of these foods and you will start to see a difference in your grocery bill. What are your favorite foods to make instead of buy?