This post might get some pushback, and that is OK. Frugality doesn’t look the same for everyone. Some things that I consider frugal might be more work than other families can handle. There may be things that I see as a splurge for someone else to do, but that helps them stick to their budgets in other ways.
One area where frugality can play a role is in making things from scratch. There is often high mark-up on pre-made or processed foods, so making those things from scratch can be cheaper in the long run. However, there are some items that I have just never considered to be worth making from scratch.
In some cases, these items taste a lot better than the store bought version, but the time and effort put into them is more than I’m willing to pay. Remember that money has value, but so does time. Below I’m going to share 10 foods not worth making from scratch (in my opinion) and give you an estimate for how cheaply you can get them at the grocery store these days!
To compare, here are some things I think ARE worth making from scratch.
10 Foods NOT Worth Making from Scratch
Tortillas
I have tried my hand at making tortillas in the past. They are always delicious. However, with the tools I have, I can only make one at a time, and rolling out the dough becomes tedious to make enough tortillas to feed my family. You can get a pack of 10 tortillas at Harris Teeter this week for only 84¢. While they may not be as good as homemade, it’s hard to beat that price.
However, if you want to give it a try, here’s a recipe.
Yogurt
Whether or not to make yogurt from scratch comes with a caveat. If your family eats a lot of yogurt, or if you have specific dietary needs (such as non-dairy), it MAY be worth it to make it from scratch. However, if you’re usually just buying regular yogurt at the store, it is probably not worth it to make it at home. You can get a 6 oz cup of Yoplait yogurt at Target for 60¢ this week, and the bigger tubs are often on sale for only a couple dollars.
If you want to try it, you can make it in the Instant Pot.
Pumpkin puree
This one is a very easy decision for me. I do not want to mess with the inside of pumpkins. You can get a can of pumpkin puree for $1.20-$1.50 at stores this time of year. Last year, I bought a case of 24 and used them all year long. A pumpkin costs several dollars, and then there’s all the work of prepping the puree. Additionally, this is a food where the homemade product tastes exactly the same as what you buy in the can!
That said, Pioneer Woman has a great post about making your own pumpkin puree if you’re dead set on trying it.
Ketchup
This is a situation where I just don’t think we need to have this amazing ketchup to eat with our meals. An exception might be if we were hosting people for dinner and wanted to make something fun. But for regular use, I’ll just buy ketchup for less than $2 at Winn-Dixie like you can this week!
Pie Crust
Pies aren’t something I make often, so maybe if I did, I’d have a much stronger opinion about going the entirely homemade route. I’ve had many pies others have made with store bought, refrigerated pie crust, and it tasted delicious to me. You can get 2 pie crusts (enough for one pie) at Walmart for a little over $2, which seems worth it compared to the work that goes into making it from scratch.
If you do want to try to make your own, here is a recipe.
Pasta
Now, homemade pasta is delicious. There’s no argument there. But it is a lot of work, and if you want it to be done well, you need a special attachment or appliance. Unless I already had one, this would automatically make this something I wouldn’t make from scratch.
We actually have the pasta maker attachment for my Kitchenaid (thanks to a sweet gift). All my girls and I quickly decided that even with the attachment we would only opt for homemade on very special occasions. You can get a box of pasta on sale for $1 or less most of the time.
Fried chicken
I like fried chicken as much as the next person, but the work required and mess it makes leads me to leave it to the restaurants and grocery stores. You can of course buy fried chicken from a place like KFC, but when we’re really in the mood, we like to get it from Publix. It’s made fresh and tastes just as good as homemade!
(If you do want to try to make it, here’s a recipe.)
Marshmallows
A caveat: I’ve never made marshmallows. But making them homemade gets a big no from me because it requires me to buy something I don’t usually have on hand (gelatin) and it involves more work than I’m willing to do for something we don’t eat often. A bag of marshmallows is about $1 at the store, and while I am told the homemade ones are substantially better than the store bought, it’s not worth it to me.
If you want to try it, you can following Alton Brown’s instructions.
Poptarts
These homemade Pop-tarts do look delicious. But I just can’t see myself going to the trouble when you can get a box for less than $2 at Walgreens this week. I did try making them from scratch once, and guess what? My kids liked the store bought kind better!
Tater tots / hashbrowns
This is another thing I’ve tried making from scratch before, because potatoes are really cheap. However, you then have to shred them and make sure you get enough of the moisture out to actually turn them into something good. And in the end, the frozen kind don’t taste any different. In my opinion, homemade tater tots are not worth making from scratch when a 2 lb bag is usually available for less than $2!
Do you agree or disagree with my list? What is something you think is NOT worth making from scratch? Let us know in the comments!