Making my own pasta sauce saved me hundreds | Budget Friendly Meals

Eric Allen · 2026-03-08T23:30:45.153113+00:00

I used to grab jarred sauce every time I made pasta, which added up fast. Now I just cook down canned tomatoes with some onion and basic spices. It costs way less and I can make a big batch to freeze. My food budget has way more room for other stuff. Give it a shot if you're tired of overpriced store stuff.

mia_scott776mo ago

My local grocery store now feels like a museum of overpriced convenience.

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derekflores7mo ago

When @the_cora mentioned jarred sauce tasting fake, I laughed because now I can't unsee it. My kitchen has turned into a sauce lab and I judge store bought stuff like it's a crime. Following her herb tip actually made my cheap tomatoes taste expensive. This whole thing turned me into one of those annoying people who brags about their freezer full of sauce. Guess I'm a homemade sauce convert with a slightly too big opinion on canned tomatoes now.

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the_cora7mo ago

Totally agree with this. Once you get the basic method down, you can make it even cheaper by growing a couple basil or oregano plants on your windowsill. The flavor from fresh herbs blows any dried stuff in a jar out of the water. Plus, you control the sugar and salt, which is a huge deal because most store brands load it up. Honestly, the jarred stuff tastes kind of fake once your palate adjusts to the real thing.

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