20 great tips for saving money in the kitchen

Meal prepping is one of the most effective ways to save money in the kitchen. It prevents you from wasting money on takeout when you’re feeling lazy and ensures you’re not wasting a lot of food. 

Planning ahead is an effective way to save money, no matter what area you’re looking to be more frugal in. In the kitchen, plan what you’re going to cook according to your budget and when, and make sure you stick to that plan. 

The grocery store is a very tempting place, and it’s easy to justify unnecessary purchases when they’re food-related. But these days, it’s easy to go grocery shopping without even setting foot inside the grocery store. Take advantage of online grocery shopping if you’re susceptible to grocery store temptations. 

Grocery shops often offer sales that last at least a week. Watch for the sales and plan your grocery shopping accordingly. Don’t buy food you don’t like just because it’s on sale; instead, stock up on staples and add variety to your cooking through grocery discounts. 

But always stick to your grocery list. Even small unplanned purchases add up, so be strict about your list. Only buy what you need, even if something you really want is tempting you. 

In-season produce is always less expensive than out-of-season produce. Pay attention to when certain fruits and vegetables are in season and plan your meals around them. Your wallet will thank you. 

Cooking from scratch is almost always less expensive than taking shortcuts, especially in the long run. Now, if making something from scratch is going to waste a bunch of time that you could be putting toward other things, don’t feel bad about buying premade. But as a general rule, make your own food. 

And if you can, grow your own food, too. Starting a garden is a bit of an investment, but even just a few plants of your most eaten foods can help you save some money. By growing your own food, you’ll probably be able to help your friends and family save some money, too. 

Lots of food waste comes from it going bad, and that is just money down the drain. When stored properly, food can last much longer than you realize. Invest in good storage and take care to store food where and how it should be stored. 

You’ve almost certainly noticed that generic brands are less expensive than name brands. Sometimes it’s worth the money to buy a name-brand food item, but quite often you’re just paying for the label. If you want to save some money in the kitchen, go generic. 

Meat is a major part of many diets, but it’s also a major expense. If you want to save some money, go meatless. You don’t have to cut meat from your diet entirely, but having just one or two vegetarian meals per week will result in a beefier wallet. 

Buying in bulk is more expensive at the outset, but it saves you money in the long run. Buy in bulk as much as you can, especially for non-perishable items. You’ll be glad to have a hefty supply of staples when you need to whip something up fast. 

Again, food waste is a huge culprit when it comes to unnecessary spending in the kitchen. One way to curb food waste is by repurposing leftovers. Use your leftover meat for sandwiches, and put your leftover veggies in soups. It keeps food exciting and is good for your budget. 

Rather than deciding what you want to eat for the week and buying ingredients for those meals, look at what you have in your pantry and build meals around those ingredients. It keeps you from wasting food and money, and it’s a great way to encourage creativity in the kitchen. 

Like anything else, foods exist on a cost spectrum. Save some money in the kitchen by eating foods that don’t cost much, like beans, rice, and pasta. 

If you want to save money, you should definitely befriend the freezer. Freezing food, especially meats, produce, and uncooked foods, extends its shelf life significantly. Invest in a good freezer, and don’t be afraid to stockpile some options. 

Canning food also extends its shelf life, and there’s not much nutritional difference between canning and freezing. If you’ve got the space and room in your budget, house some extra canned foods so you can shop your pantry. 

Save money by canning food yourself. If you grow your own produce, you can can that. You can also can produce you purchased at the grocery store or a farm stand. This allows you to have fresh produce throughout the year without paying out-of-season prices. 

Spices are expensive, but premade seasoning mixes are more expensive. However, they add lots of flavor, making them indispensable in many kitchens. Save some money by making your own seasoning mixes.  

Bread is getting more and more expensive all the time. Save some money by learning how to make your own. It’ll also serve as a great source of pride, and it’s an activity you can do with your entire family.