Most of us try to make good use of our money. We try not to over spend, limit our debt and have a saving account. But everyone has to eat. You can’t just cut food out of your budget like you can a cable bill. The issue is how to eat well while saving some money. In other words the question is how to be thrifty in the kitchen?
All the advice out there usually boils down to a few essential principles: cook at home, limit your purchases of pre-made convenience foods, and avoid wasting the food you bring home. Yes, there is some comparison shopping involved and yes, there is meal-planning.
No matter the size of your budget or family, you’ll see the difference in your bank account, and possibly your waistline too, if you stick to a home-cooking regimen. Whether you’re just starting to make your lunch or you’re ready to pickle the cucumbers you grew in your backyard garden, you’ll find plenty of culinary inspiration, as well as guidance on how to maximize your thrift in shopping for and preparing your food.
To get started on your thrift journey save everything. Pack your freezer. Have a bag for vegetable scraps. When it’s full make your own stock. Use the stock to add flavor to sauces, stews and to make soup.
Leftover that can’t be frozen can be used in other ways. Fry extra potatoes for breakfast. Stir-fry leftover rice with veggies, egg and soy sauce for delicious stir fried rice.
Savings also start with your purchases. Have a good supply of staples on hand so that you will always have some options for meals. Wash and prep your vegetables when you get home, then store correctly so they last and try to use them quickly. It’s also important to be creative with what you have. See what’s in the pantry and freezer. If you have a recipe you want to try, but don’t have exactly the right ingredients, improvise a bit rather than buying more stuff.
Start small and keep going. In no time you will be cooking meals from a well stocked pantry and saving money at the same time as you begin your journey to be thrifty in the kitchen.
Nancy on the Home Front 
Excellent reminders – thank you.
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Great tips! We’re empty nesters and it’s still important to plan meals. When I don’t I make several trips back to the store and that’s no way to save.
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Sandra,
Empty nesters here as well and if I don’t plan ahead we end up eating scrambled eggs for dinner! 🙂
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Good ideas! I think one thing to look at is also what do you really like to eat? I have gotten great deals on things before that I wound up not eating because I really didn’t like them. Try to be healthy but also eat things that you will actually enjoy
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Nancy,
I so agree, no point in filling your fridge with healthy food that you got a great deal on but no one likes to eat it!!
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These are great tips. I love it when we can make our own stock from scraps. Thanks for sharing on the Waste Less Wednesday Blog Hop!
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The meal planning seems to be the most crucial step for me. Without a plan, things quickly fall apart and we end up with convenience foods, or worse, eating out (which we try to budget for on occasion). Great advice, thanks for the inspiration!
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Oh, I just love these tips! I never EVER throw anything edible away. Scraps go to chickens, leftovers go into lunches, veggies go into the freezer for soups and meat is frozen for future meals.
Since I milk dairy goats, I tend to have more milk than we can drink. My freezer is full of milk for cheese and soap. I also love to give frozen milk on warm days to my chickens. They LOVE to peck away at the frozen treat!
So glad I saw this on Our Simple Homestead Bloghop!
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Tracy Lynn,
I would love to have an excess of milk! Maybe one of these days I’ll get some goats! 🙂
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