Cooking at home on a budget doesn’t depend on finding cheap recipes, but on always having a handful of basic ingredients on hand. With them you can improvise complete meals without going to the supermarket every day.
Pantry staples
- Brown or white rice, and pasta.
- Dried legumes: lentils, chickpeas and beans.
- Canned crushed tomatoes and tuna or sardines.
- Olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper and paprika.
- Oats, if you have them for breakfast.
Fresh protein
- Eggs.
- Chicken, thighs or breast, whichever is cheaper.
- Frozen fish, which keeps well and is usually cheaper than fresh.
- Plain yogurt or fresh cheese, for sauces and sides.
Seasonal vegetables and fruit
Seasonal vegetables are almost always cheaper and tastier. A good starting point: onion, garlic, carrot, pepper, zucchini and a leafy green. Frozen vegetables are also a practical, waste-free option.
How to use it
With this base you can put together two or three recipes each week: a legume with vegetables, a chicken or egg dish with rice, and a frozen-fish stew. If something isn’t on the list, buy only what that recipe needs.
A well-stocked basic pantry prevents both impulse spending and wasted food.
How much to buy per person
A list is of little use if you don’t know how much of each thing to buy. The most widely used reference in Spain is the SENC portion table (2004), published by the Spanish Ministry of Health, which always measures raw, net weight:
| Group | Weight per serving (raw, net) | Reference frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Rice and pasta | 60–80 g | Cereals and potatoes group: 4–6 servings a day |
| Legumes | 60–80 g | 2–4 a week |
| Fish | 125–150 g | 3–4 a week |
| Lean meat and poultry | 100–125 g | 3–4 a week, alternating with eggs |
| Vegetables | 150–200 g | 2 or more a day |
| Fruit | 120–200 g | 3 or more a day |
| Potatoes | 150–200 g | Within the cereals group |
These are reference weights, not individual guidance: adjust them to your appetite and activity. To multiply them by people and meals, use the shopping calculator. The WHO, for its part, recommends at least 400 g of fruit and vegetables a day from age 10.
How to know what you really spend
Divide spending by servings. With made-up prices, only to show the formula: if a kilo of lentils costs 2 and one serving is 70 g, each serving costs 0.14 (2 ÷ 1000 × 70). Do the same for each ingredient in the dish and add them up. For whole recipes, including trim loss, follow the method in how much each serving really costs.
Five habits that lower spending
- Compare by price per kilo, not per package: the biggest pack isn’t always the cheapest.
- Shop with a plan and a list. Start with the weekly plan.
- Freeze portions. According to the USDA, leftovers last 3–4 days in the fridge or 3–4 months frozen.
- Lean on a cheap, versatile base: legumes, rice and seasonal or frozen vegetables.
- Throw away less. That’s where the most money slips away.
The invisible cost: food waste
According to the UN’s 2024 report, about 1.05 billion tonnes of food waste were generated worldwide in 2022, almost one fifth of the food available to consumers, and 60% of it happened in households. Buying only what you’re going to cook is the most direct way to save.
An example of how much to buy for two people
With the weights in the table above you can work out the week’s shopping. Example with mid-range values: if you want 3 servings of legumes a week, that is 2 people × 3 servings × 70 g = 420 g of dried legumes. For 3 servings of fish, 2 × 3 × 140 g = 840 g of cleaned fish. It is just arithmetic with the table: adjust it to what you really eat, and use the shopping calculator so you do not have to do it by hand.
How to store what you buy
- Fridge at 40 °F (4 °C) or below. This is the safe temperature the USDA recommends for storing cooked and perishable food.
- Eggs: in a cool, dry place, ideally in the fridge, and without sudden temperature changes, which cause condensation on the shell (FSA).
- Potatoes: in a cool, dark and dry place. If they sprout, remove the sprouts and any green parts before cooking them (FSA).
- Opened cans: move what is left to a container and keep it in the fridge; do not leave it in the can.
- Very ripe fruit: if it has no mold, there is no need to throw it away. It works for cooking, baking or smoothies (FSA).
Mistakes that make shopping more expensive
- Going without a list and hungry. You buy more, and worse.
- Buying large amounts of what spoils quickly. Fresh vegetables and fish need to be cooked or frozen in the first few days.
- Not using what you already have. Before you go out, check the fridge and the pantry and buy only what is missing.
- Trusting the package size instead of the price per kilo. Always compare in the same unit.
From the kitchen · 7 years on the jobSalt and pepper are essential, and I like to always have fresh herbs. To eat well without processed products, I use apps to weigh what I eat.
Sources and review
- Spanish Ministry of Health (SENC portion table, 2004): Portion weights by food group
- UN Environment Programme: Food Waste Index Report 2024
- World Health Organization: Healthy diet
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA/FSIS): Leftovers and Food Safety
- Food Standards Agency (UK): Home food fact checker (eggs, potatoes, opened cans and very ripe fruit)
- USDA/FSIS: Leftovers and Food Safety (fridge at 40 °F or below)
Last reviewed: October 18, 2026. Weights and frequencies come from a 2004 reference table; they are indicative, not individual guidance. If you spot a mistake, write to us from the contact page.