Each Thursday in 2025, I’ll be answering a query on cash and/or budgeting. When you’ve got a query you’d love for me to reply in an upcoming submit, please submit it here.
At present’s query is from Riley:
Certainly one of my struggles with cash is that I like to prepare dinner and take a look at new recipes. However our grocery funds continues ticking upward even with meal planning. How can I prepare dinner creatively with out breaking the financial institution on substances?-Riley
How you can Cook dinner Creatively With out Breaking the Financial institution
For those who like to prepare dinner and experiment with new recipes however discover that your grocery funds retains creeping up even with meal planning, you’re not alone! I hear from so many who’re feeling the pinch of rising grocery prices.
The excellent news is that I imagine you don’t should sacrifice creativity within the kitchen to remain on funds. With a number of good methods, you possibly can take pleasure in cooking scrumptious meals with out overspending.
Listed below are some my finest methods that can assist you strike that stability:
1. Be Strategic with The place You Store
One of many greatest methods to chop your grocery prices is by being intentional about the place you store. Whereas it may appear simpler to stay to at least one retailer, you possibly can typically save considerably by procuring at a number of shops—however with out working throughout city!
As a substitute of hitting 10 completely different shops, perform a little analysis every week to see which two or three shops have one of the best gross sales. Plan your procuring journeys round these offers to get one of the best bang on your buck. As an illustration, Aldi and Costco typically have nice costs on staple substances, whereas native grocery shops may run wonderful weekly gross sales on produce and meat.
If procuring at 2-3 shops every week seems like an excessive amount of, even simply rotating the shops you store at commonly will be an effective way to save cash. Alternate between the close by shops relying upon which one is working one of the best offers every week. Top off on these finest gross sales that week plus no matter objects that retailer provides which are one of the best costs. The following week, do the identical at one other retailer. And so forth. By rotating the shops you store at, you’re in a position to refill on one of the best offers every retailer provides commonly — with out spending much more time procuring!
2. Apply the Purchase Forward Precept
For those who’re at all times looking for simply what you want that week, you’re possible paying full value for a lot of substances. As a substitute, apply the Purchase Forward Precept. This implies stocking up on pantry staples, meats, and different incessantly used objects once they hit their lowest value.
For instance, in case you see rooster on sale for 50% off, purchase further and freeze it for future meals. Over time, this method will decrease your grocery prices and provide you with extra flexibility in meal planning because you’ll have already got many key substances available.
Most shops put virtually all the things on sale each 6-12 weeks. For those who purchase 6-12 weeks’ price of an merchandise when it goes on its lowest value and also you do this with most objects you purchase, you’ll considerably decrease your grocery funds.
3. Plan Your Meals Round What You Have
As a substitute of planning meals primarily based on what sounds good within the second, take inventory of what’s already in your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Then, construct your meal plan round these substances, supplementing with sale objects from the shop. This prevents waste and helps you get artistic with what you already personal.
Use on-line instruments just like the AllRecipes Ingredient Search or looking out on ChatGPT to seek out recipes that use substances you’ve got available. This easy shift can drastically cut back your grocery invoice whereas protecting your meals contemporary and thrilling. (Be aware: You may sort a question on ChatGPT like, “I’ve this ingredient, this ingredient, this ingredient, and this ingredient. I must make a dinner in half-hour. What can I make?”)
4. Simplify Your Elements
A recipe with 15 specialty substances may sound scrumptious, however it could additionally shortly drain your grocery funds. As a substitute, search for meals that depend on inexpensive, versatile staples like beans, rice, eggs, potatoes, seasonal greens, and cheap cuts of meat.
Attempt to incorporate extra recipes that use substances you already purchase commonly. For instance, in case you love cooking with contemporary herbs however discover they typically go dangerous earlier than you utilize them up, think about rising your individual or switching to dried herbs when wanted.
As well as, freeze something you received’t use earlier than it goes again or plan your menu primarily based upon utilizing up leftovers of things you acquire for an additional recipe and didn’t want all of. Once more, Google or ChatGPT will be so useful for this. Seek for one thing like, “I’ve lots of this ingredient. What are some simple and cheap recipe concepts utilizing that ingredient?”
Want some fast and straightforward meal concepts? Go get my free cheatsheet with 60 super simple meal ideas (a few of our household’s favorites!)
5. Make the Most of Leftovers
As a substitute of seeing leftovers as boring, view them as a chance to get artistic! Rework final night time’s dinner into a very new meal. Leftover roasted rooster can turn into rooster tacos, a hearty soup, or a home made pizza topping. Stale bread? Flip it into croutons or bread pudding.
A weekly “Leftover Evening” may also be an effective way to scale back waste and provides your self a break from cooking a wholly new meal. We plan Leftover Evening into our menu rotation. I simply set out all the percentages and ends from the fridge and folks could make their plates up primarily based upon what they’re hungry for! It means we burn up much more of what we’ve got and I don’t should prepare dinner one night time!
6. Make the most of Finances-Pleasant Cooking Strategies
Cooking from scratch is sort of at all times cheaper than shopping for pre-made or processed meals. As a substitute of spending cash on costly comfort objects, attempt making easy staples at dwelling:
- Make your individual spice blends as an alternative of shopping for pre-mixed packets.
- Cook dinner dry beans as an alternative of shopping for canned.
- Bake home made bread, muffins, or granola bars to save lots of on snack meals.
- Make massive batches of soups, casseroles, or stir-fries and freeze parts for future meals.
7. Store Seasonally and Domestically
Contemporary produce generally is a massive budget-buster in case you’re not cautious. Shopping for vegetables and fruit in season is likely one of the finest methods to save cash whereas nonetheless consuming contemporary and wholesome meals. Farmer’s markets and low cost produce shops may also be nice locations to seek out contemporary, inexpensive substances.
When you’ve got the house and time, think about rising a few of your individual produce. Even a small herb backyard in your windowsill can prevent cash whereas including contemporary taste to your dishes.
8. Set a Finances and Monitor Your Spending
It’s simple to let your grocery spending get uncontrolled in case you’re not protecting observe. Set a transparent grocery funds and observe your purchases to see the place your cash goes. Apps like YNAB or a easy spreadsheet may also help you keep accountable and spot areas the place you could be overspending.
One other nice technique is utilizing money for groceries. Withdraw your grocery funds in money in the beginning of the month and solely spend what you’ve got. This forces you to be extra aware about your purchases and prevents overspending.
Keep in mind: Loving to prepare dinner doesn’t should imply overspending on groceries. In reality, it could allow you to lower your expenses as a result of you’ll take pleasure in spending extra time being artistic within the kitchen and cooking from scratch!
By procuring strategically, planning meals round gross sales and what you have already got, simplifying your substances, and utilizing budget-friendly cooking methods, you possibly can take pleasure in scrumptious, artistic meals whereas staying inside your grocery funds. With a bit of intentionality, you possibly can preserve each your style buds and your pockets pleased!
What ideas and methods would you add to my listing to encourage Riley and others like her who’re feeling annoyed by the rising price of groceries?
FREE One Week Menu Plan!
Performed-For-You Dinner Recipes With Easy Elements and a Grocery Procuring Listing!
