10 Tips for How to Save Money in the Kitchen
So, you want to learn how to save money in the kitchen? Well, congratulations for taking the time to read this article and make the effort. Saving money in the kitchen is a quick way to boost your household’s disposable income, so that you can enjoy your money. I mean after all, you earned it or at least convinced someone to deposit it into your account. In that case, good on you!
1. Cook from Scratch
Do you own a blender? Yes? Do you own a slow cooker? Yes? Okay, time to save some money. I personally always make my pancakes from scratch using the Good Old Fashioned Pancakes recipe. You should already have all the ingredients; all you need to do is pop into the market for some baking powder (maybe) and you’re good to go. I also make apple sauce, salad dressing, and lemonade from scratch. If you take your time and master one recipe at a time, you’ll be saving money in no time. My next mission in life is to master ketchup because apparently it’s the bee’s knees if made from scratch.
2. Buy in Bulk on Sale
This tip is a leftover from my couponing days, which I will be starting back up soon. The idea is that there are certain staple items that you need in your house regularly. If you know you’ll go through your supply before it expires, stock up. For example, pasta consistently goes on sale below a dollar at my store all the time. Whenever I see a price drop on a shelf safe item, I pick up a few extras to last me until they go on sale again. It’s much better than buying one 99¢ box of pasta today and one $1.50 box next week.
3. Shop at Aldi’s
If you are like me, then maybe you don’t have the time to watch deals or shop sales all the time. You once woke up with your daughter’s flip flop in your mouth and you’re not sure how it got there. Now your early morning is spent bed hunting for lost treasures rather than couponing. In that case, I suggest you consider shopping at Aldi’s. They have amazing prices that a lot of the time, beat Wal-mart. They have organic and gluten-free food. They also have gluten for the gluten lovers out there like me. I suggest you really give Aldi’s a try if your bill has gotten out of control. I’ve shopped at Aldi’s for 3 months now and love it.
4. Only Buy Dirty Dozen Organic
Now we’ve all been there, you finally get around to watching your DVR episode of Dr. Oz and he tells you about how some chemical in your banana might be dangerous to your health. You freak out and decide to go organic. You visit Whole Foods and have to be resuscitated back to life after you stumble through an aisle, experiencing the most extreme case of sticker shock in your life. First of all, what are you doing in Whole Foods? Didn’t I just tell you to go to Aldi’s? Second if you’re worried about your budget, try just buying the dirty dozen organic. The following fruits and vegetables have been identified as the dirty dozen because they’ve tested higher for chemicals and pesticides when not grown organically. At least do yourself a favor and buy these organic:
5. Stop Buying Clean Fifteen Organic
Okay, so here’s the other side to that coin – If you’d rather be safe than sorry, try not to purchase the clean fifteen organic. They don’t tend to have as many chemicals and pesticides. I once purchased organic onions for twice the price of regular; I now regret that.
6. Meal Prep
This is a major way to save money in the kitchen. If you’re constantly meal prepping and having your food ready, you’re more likely to actually use it and eat it. How dare produce spoil after you spend your hard earned money on it? I once stood in front of my refrigerator giving the evil eye to a tomato that I had looked forward to eating all week but spoiled before I got the chance. Don’t be like me. Use your food and save yourself some heartache (and money).
7. Always Shop with a Grocery List
This one also piggybacks off of the previous topic. We don’t want to waste any of our food. If you have a list of items that entail exactly what you need for a recipe, then you won’t buy the wrong thing and end up not using it. Also, if you have a grocery list, you’re less likely to add that artisan cheese from the deli that was calling your name. “What are you going to use it for, Licia? Really? Seriously? You don’t even know what artisan means.” No, put it down and stick to your list… and save that money!
8. Buy Cheap Items More Often
Have you ever eaten rice? Yes? Okay, good. Then you know how to eat the cheap stuff and like it! I don’t like rice a lot but I love beans. If you buy beans dry and boil the hell out of them yourself, then they’re really cheap, nutritious and filling. Eggs are also amazing if you’re on a budget. A quick trip down the Google and/or Pinterest rabbit hole is a great way to look for low cost meals. Hint: A good bunch of them will include the 3 items I’ve listed.
9. Use Coupons
I’m not going to talk too much about this subject because well I could talk forever about it. Let me just say this: www.thekrazycouponlady.com. You’re welcome.
10. Pay Attention to Meat Prices
Lastly, meat is one of the quickest ways to add to the total of your cart. I’d love to tell you to buy meat on clearance but honestly, it’s a little questionable. Instead, focus on knowing the average price of meat. You’d be surprised how much cheaper it is to buy chicken legs to fry instead of thighs. Also, after a barbeque holiday, high quality steak and burgers are quite cheap. Just do yourself (and me) a favor and pay attention to those prices, when they go up and when they go down.
Bonus – Use Ibotta
So who doesn’t love getting money back? No one. Well, at least no one I’d hang out with. If you use Ibotta, you can upload receipts and earn money back. There are other ways to earn money back but I think Tina from Free Stuff Finder explains it best in the video below.