10 Tips & Tricks to Save Money in the Kitchen

Gourmandize

Saving money in the kitchen can be done.

Not only do you have a certain budget to stick to, but you also want to manage waste by not overbuying. It’s not necessarily an easy thing to do, especially when you’ve already formed bad habits that are hard to break.

With our 10 tips and tricks, you’ll be saving money and wasting less before you know it!

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

Remember when we taught you how to recycle leftovers?  Recycling leftovers is crucial when it comes to saving money in the kitchen. Because remember, waste not, want not!

LEARN HOW TO STOCK YOUR PANTRY

It’s a skill that chefs learn in cooking school, and so should you. Having a well-stocked pantry is the key to saving money. Not sure what to stock? Read this article to get some ideas.

DRINK TAP WATER

Replacing bottled water with tap water will not only save you loads of money, but it will also save the environment. If you don’t like the taste, then you can get a water filter pitcher like Brita, which will also extend the lifespan of your coffee machine and electric teapot. For those of you who prefer sparkling water, you can invest in a machine like ‘Sodastream’ that turns tap water into sparkling water or soda.

REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION

Take advantage of the time it takes to preheat your oven by using it to melt butter or warm another dish.

As a rule of thumb, you can turn off the oven 10 minutes before the cooking time is up. Your food will continue to cook in the residual heat of the oven. (Though its best to avoid doing this when baking as baked goods can be particularly sensitive to temperature fluctuations).

If you’re going to cook something that requires a lot of time, why not try a crockpot or slow cooker that consumes far less energy than a stove or an oven does.

Another idea is to reuse the water that you washed your vegetables in to water your plants.

PLAN YOUR MENUS

Plan a weekly menu in advance and go grocery shopping ahead of time. That way you won’t be tempted to buy too many things on the spot that you won’t end up eating. Also be sure to take advantage of the various offers and promotions that your supermarket has that week.

BUY WISELY

Buy seasonal produce. It'se cheaper and more likely to be on sale.

Compare prices between stores. You’d be surprised at how much the price can vary from one place to the next

Buying in bulk is cheaper too, especially when it comes to lentils, dried beans, dried fruit, cereal etc.

HOMEMADE IS BETTER

The best way to save money in the kitchen to is to cook from scratch and avoid readymade meals.

It’s also cheaper to buy things in their natural state, so forget about pre-washed, packaged salad, pre-grated cheese etc. Buy a whole chicken instead of precut pieces, or dried lentils instead of precooked ones, etc.

Baking cakes at home, as well as other tarts, pies and pastries, is much cheaper when you have company.

COOK money-saving products

Lentils, legumes, potatoes, grains and eggs are much cheaper than meat and fish. Without turning into a vegetarian, you can still limit your consumption of meat and fish. These types of products can open up a whole new world of cooking.

Did you know that mixing lentils and legumes with grains makes for a meal that’s higher than protein than one with meat?

Concerning meat, you should learn how to cook the cheaper cuts of meat that can really shine when they’ve been stewed for a few hours.

Concerning fish, choose fish that’s in season, and more budget-friendly types of fish like mackerel or sardines.

GET YOUR GROCERIES DELIVERED

Avoid going to the supermarket if you live far away from it. Just because you forgot one thing doesn’t mean you’re not going to end up buying 5 more that you don’t necessarily need.

Especially if you have to drive there, which is an added cost. Sometimes, especially in big cities, it’s more convenient to get your groceries delivered as it’s often a free service.

 Do you have any tips to save money in the kitchen? 

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