There are certain items that should always be in your kitchen. They can be used in a multitude of ways in more than one recipe. Of course this can be adjusted to the individual in some cases, but this list is a general starting point.
All of these items should be purchased in bulk when your local supermarket has them on sale. Watch the circulars, you will notice there is about a 6 week cycle of what is put on sale, so stock up accordingly on basics. It does not hurt to download your local store’s app to be able to clip electronic coupons as you shop.
Canned Items
- Beans/legumes
- Ro-Tel Tomato
- Corn
- Soup
- Flavored diced tomato (with basil, onion, garlic, etc)
- Canned tomato and tomato sauce
- Tuna
Dry Goods
- Peanut Butter
- Noodles
- Rice
- Cous Cous (cheap rice alternative to break up the monotony)
- Dried beans (if you own a crock pot – otherwise they are a pain)
- Crackers
- Bread
Pantry Liquids
- Vegetable or Chicken Stock (Beef is too heavy for most recipes)
- Vegetable Oil
- Olive Oil
- White Vinegar (can also be used for cleaning & laundry, best to get a gallon jug
- Red Wine Vinegar
Spices & Condiments
- Mustard
- Salt & Pepper
- Mayonnaise
- Salt Free Season-All such as Ms. Dash
- Italian Seasoning blend (jazzes up even the worst spaghetti sauce)
- Garlic (fresh if possible)
Refrigerated Items
- Eggs
- Milk
- Butter
- Shredded Cheese
- Frozen Vegetables
- Block cheese (for snacking)
- Horseradish
Fresh Vegetables & Fruit
- Onions
- Potato
- Lemon
- Sweet potato
- Carrots
- Bananas
- Garlic (also listed in spices)
- Lettuce
- Cherry, Roma or Campari tomato (big tomatoes go bad faster)
- Cabbage
- Apples
Queen Bee Living 
I do like to keep mandarin oranges and crushed pineapple in my pantry as well, but I do not consider them a staple only because they have limited uses in the recipes I use. That being said, I still have them in there just in case lol.
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