30 Simple Ways to Save Money in the Kitchen

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  I talk a LOT about ways to save money here on the blog and so today I thought I would compile a list of 30 simple ways to save money in the kitchen. Be sure to check out my other frugal living posts here and leave a comment below with your own money-saving kitchen tip!

Cook from scratch. Don’t pay extra for boxed dinners and meals. These are great on occasion, but cooking from scratch will save you a ton of money in the long run and be healthier. Check out my list of 25 Old-Fashioned Recipes Your Grandma Knew By Heart to get started.

DIY everything.  Just about any and every convenience product found at the store can be made at home for a fraction of the price. See my list of 30 Products to Make at Home to Save Money for recipes and ideas.

Eat at home instead of opting for expensive take out and drive thru food. You will save money and be healthier. If this sounds hard, check out my post 6 Tips to Avoid Eating Out.

Cook dried beans in your slow cooker or pressure cooker, then freeze them in two cup portions for whenever you need them.

Make your coffee at home. The occasional Starbucks coffee may be a nice treat, but buying it on an everyday basis is nuts. Save your cash and opt to brew your own for a fraction of the price.

Make a meal plan based on what you already have in your house. This will not only save you money, but ensure that what you bought doesn’t go to waste.

Stock up on sale items. When something goes on sale at a rock bottom price, don’t be afraid to stock up. Lots of fresh food can be frozen for later use such as butter, meat, chocolate chips, diced bell peppers, onions, berries, etc. Check out my list of items to stock up on around the holidays here.

Add a filler to ground beef such as oats, tomato sauce, rice or lentils. It will make your meat go further and in most cases you won’t taste a thing! Go here to learn how.

Stay out of the grocery store. The more you frequent the grocery store, the more money you will spend. Plan on only going to the store once every week or less. If you run out of something go without it until your next planned trip. Also, don’t go to the store hungry or you will make more impulse purchases.

Have an eat from the pantry month where you meal plan and cook only from what you already have in the house. If this sounds too hard, you may consider allowing yourself $30 per week for fresh milk and produce to fill in the gaps.

Eat simple food. We live in a world where anything is available at our finger tips 24 hrs per day and it’s costing us. Keep your food simple and your wallet will thank you. Opt for meals like beans and rice, spaghetti, chicken soup, sandwiches, eggs and toast, etc. Check out my list of 30 Frugal Meals to get started.

Eat leftovers. Cook enough for dinner to have leftovers for lunch the next day. Also, if you find yourself with a lot of leftovers you may want to plan a leftovers for dinner night each week to ensure food isn’t going to waste.

Brown bag your lunch. Eating lunch out everyday is costly to your health, your wallet and the environment. Plan ahead and take your own food.

Go Meatless. You don’t have to become a vegetarian, but the more meatless meals you incorporate into your diet, the more money you will save. Start with these easy and delicious Bean & Cheese Burritos.

Make your own chicken broth using FREE SCRAPS. Find out how in my tutorial here.

Buy Generic. You don’t NEED name brand items. Buying generic will save you a ton of money in the long run and normally they taste exactly the same!

Eat beans. They are a cheap and healthy source of protein that can be used in a majority of different ways. Check out my list of 25 Ways to Cook With Beans to get started.

Learn how to make several meals using one whole chicken. See how I do it here including the recipes that I use.

Grow your own. Just about anyone can grow at least one or two plants on a balcony or windowsill. The more food you can grow yourself, the more money you wills save. See my post, 10 Easy to Grow Vegetables for Beginner Gardeners to learn more.

Buy in bulk. If you know you use a lot of an item and have a place to store it, consider buying it in bulk to save money.

Make your own seasoning mixes in bulk. This will not only save you money, but will be healthier because you know exactly what is going into them. Check out my recipes for Taco Seasoning, Chili Seasoning and Ranch Seasoning.

Regrow green onions. Once you use the green part, simply place the bulb and roots in either water or soil. They will regrow quickly and you should be able to keep them for a while this way.

Eat seasonably. Berries are dirt cheap in the summer and sky-high in the winter. Learning to choose your produce based on what is in season will save you money.

Freeze leftovers. If you have leftovers, but you know that they won’t be eaten before they go bad, then consider freezing them for another day.

Use cloth instead of paper. You can make cloth towels or napkins out of old clothes or blankets and re-use them over and over instead of buying disposable paper products.

Turn the heat dry cycle off of your dishwasher. When it’s finished washing you can open the door and the dishes will air dry instead of using expensive electricity.

Use apps like IBOTTA and Checkout51 to get cash back on your grocery purchases. These are great because they normally offer generic rebates on items such as milk, produce and cheese.

Make your own breads and rolls. It’s cheaper, healthier and OUT OF THIS WORLD better than store-bought. Trust me. You want to start doing this. Check out my favorite bread recipe here and my favorite roll recipe here.

Shop dollar or discount stores. These places often have a lot of good deals that most people tend overlook. Be sure to check size and expiration dates to determine if it’s really a deal or not. See my list of whole foods that you can buy at the dollar store here.

Make soup. Soup is an amazing budget stretcher that can be done in a multitude of ways. You can go meatless or even make a “kitchen sink soup” with whatever needs to be used up once per week. Go here to see one of my favorite soup recipes.

What money-saving tip would you add? I’d love to know!

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