Popular Grocery Items You Can Make Instead of Buy, According to Home Cooks

With high grocery prices continuing to take a significant bite out of shoppers' budgets, more people are opting to cook at home, making DIY household staples like bread to save money. Plus, some things taste better when they're made from scratch.

A Redditor recently posted on the r/Frugal forum, sharing the things they have started to make at home that they would normally buy in a store.

"It’s a bit of a balancing act with the time and effort required, but I’ve made a few swaps," they wrote. "I now make our own bread and yoghurt, and as of recently am now converted to homemade tortillas and grinding our own mince."

They then reached out to fellow community members for more ideas, asking: "What items can you buy in the supermarket that you now make at home?" Here are some of the most popular responses from the Reddit thread.

Taco Seasoning

"I never buy it in store anymore," one Redditor wrote about taco seasoning, and another chimed in: "Agreed! Once you make it yourself, you’ll wonder why you used those taco seasoning packets." Thinking about mixing up your own? A fellow Redditor said it's "super easy" and shared their recipe. Per pound of meat, they recommend mixing a 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, 3/4 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of smoked paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. If you prefer it spicier, add 1/2 a teaspoon of cayenne pepper.

Salad Dressing

Salad dressing is one of the easiest items to make from scratch. "Store-bought salad dressing is gelatinous goo," one poster said about why they make their own version of this pantry staple at home. Another said that "Caesar is SOOOOooo much better fresh, and it’s super simple. I never buy it in the store anymore."

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Bread

Several posters included bread on their list of homemade items, with one commenter saying: "It’s so much better made at home—obviously cheaper, but you can also control what’s in it....I bake four loaves at a time and freeze it, so even with a family of five, I’m only baking it every one to two weeks. Once you get in the rhythm, it doesn’t even take much time—lots of time with it sitting around while rising or the 30 minutes in the oven, but the amount of active work involved is minimal."

Hummus

Hummus, which features chickpeas as its main ingredient, is another food item Redditors make at home, according to the thread. "SO much better homemade and I can make variations by adding one or two extra ingredients (roasted red pepper, basil and pesto, chicken shawarma). And it’s always a hit. So basic, just use a blender,” one person commented.