Why?
Other sources will tell you how much you can save making your own pantry and freezer staples, but the market research on grocery prices is complicated and subjective, so I am not going to tell you exactly how much money you can save making a particular staple. But here are some criteria:
- Do you/your family like it?
- Is it it easy to use and store in your kitchen?
- Does the homemade staple compare favorably price-wise to the store bought? If you had to travel a long way for an ingredient, or had to buy a new container, think about that also, as well as the store where you usually shop.
- Is the quantity convenient for your situation? Do you end up with too much or not enough?
An important advantage that is often missed is that preparing your own pantry and household staples makes them scaleable. For example, for dinner for two last night I made fresh,hot and very delicious biscuits. Three of them. Only what we needed. Did not bake a dozen or throw half the can away -- or use a questionable purchased mix with the shelf life of Cher. A whole can of cream of chicken soup sometimes drives the size of the casserole you make, but the leftovers can last long past their welcome.
You will also learn when your homemade staple is not an appropriate substitute. Take that cream of chicken soup. Sometimes, a recipe calls for slathering it over the top of something, which is more (not less) complicated with a dry mix. But it will taste fantastic!