Cooking at Home – 7 Tips for Saving Money in Your Kitchen
Spending less and saving more money is simple if you cook at home as often as possible. Here are seven easy, effective tips for saving money in your own kitchen. You’ll achieve your financial goals much sooner by cutting your restaurant and grocery costs — and you may even drop a few pounds!
Before the tips, a quip:
“I cook with wine…and sometimes I even add it to the food,” said W.C. Fields.
Cooking with wine isn’t a tip for saving money on cooking at home…unless you drink enough to impair your tastebuds so you can happily dine on crackers and Cheez Whiz! For inexpensive recipes, click on 5 Meals for $5 – How to Feed 5 People 5 Meals for $5.00-$8.00 or Less! And, read on for my tips for saving money on cooking at home…
7 Tips for Saving Money on Cooking at Home
1. Halve the amount of meat you use. Add filler (oats, crackers, mashed potatoes) to your burgers, meatballs, or meat loaves and use half the amount of ground beef. Instead of cooking a whole steak or chicken breast, cut half of one portion into strips and put it into a stir fry. Nobody will notice there’s not a full portion.
2. Splurge on a chicken or roast on Sunday night. We’ll rotisserie a chicken or roast on the BBQ, and then use the meat for meals all week: sandwiches for lunch, stir fries for dinner, etc. To save money in your kitchen, don’t go overboard on the amount of meat you use. Remember that a proper food portion can fit into the palm of your hand - the size of a deck of cards.
3. Enjoy your leftovers. To save money on cooking at home, do NOT throw anything away. I love leftovers – the flavors have had a chance to meld into a sweet symphony of taste. I use my leftover rice, mashed potatoes, or stir fry veggies in soups or stews. I eat leftover pizza and potato salad for breakfast. I refuse to cook new dishes until we’ve eaten our leftovers.
4. Freezing your leftovers is another great way to save money in your own kitchen, and time (it’s quicker to thaw a meal than cook one from scratch). Anything can be frozen; if it doesn’t thaw well – like rice – then add it to soups or stews.
5. Make your own dressings and sauces. We don’t use dressings on our salads; instead, we sprinkle sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raisons on top. It’s healthier and tastier! I make my own BBQ sauce – much more delicious than store bought – and my hubby makes cocktail sauce and bean dip. Have fun making your own dips and sauces – it’s a great way to save money on home cooking.
6. Experiment with the food in your stocked kitchen! Make sure you always have food at home – here are 7 Tips for Saving Money on Your Grocery Bill – and don’t be afraid to try new things in the kitchen. It’s easier to experiment with cooking than baking. For instance, we’ve been adding canned corn to our spaghetti sauces and pizza toppings – it’s a great way to save money on cooking because it’s cheap, filling, and delicious.
7. Experiment with egg recipes. The high egg-cholesterol scare is over! There’s no need to fear eggs – as long as you don’t eat them every day. Plus, Canadian researchers have recently learned that eggs may reduce high blood pressure. So, make it a habit to cook an eggy dinner once a week: frittatas, lazy man’s quiches, omelettes, French Toast with bacon.
If you have questions or tips for saving money on cooking at home, please share below…
Do you have a poor credit report? Sky Blue Credit Repair is an awesome program that helps with credit repair, including credit bureau disputes, debt validation, and comprehensive counseling services. This program is ideal for anyone interested in real and lasting credit improvement.
Comment by Laurie PK on 20 May 2009:
Not eating until you’re so stuffed you can’t move will help you save money while cooking at home (and eating out). Eat until you’re satisfied, or until you’re 70% full. Not only will you save money (I’ve extended one restaurant dinner into 2 or 3 meals!) – you’ll also lose weight and feel great.
Comment by Imee on 26 May 2009:
Thanks for posting these. Our family likes homemade meals so much more than cheap but not-so-healthy instant dinners, so these tips would be of great help. The money we can save from this could be used for other stuff like an emergency fund or to pay off bills and such.
Comment by Laurie PK on 27 May 2009:
Eating out is one of my least favorite things to do – and not just because cooking at home is so much cheaper and healthier! The only restaurant food I like is sushi. It’s more complicated to make at home, and finding exotic ingredients can be difficult.
Thanks for your comment, Imee!
Comment by Malyka on 19 June 2009:
Buying food from ethnic stores saves money! The quality of the food is good, and you can buy in bulk at a low cost.
Comment by Laurie PK on 19 June 2009:
One of my favorite places to shop for groceries is Chinatown in Vancouver — but I don’t get there near as often as I’d like. The produce and other exotic foods is inexpensive, delicious, and fascinating….going there is like visiting a different country!