Home Cooking Money Saving Tips, Ideas and Advice on How to Reduce Your Monthly Budget

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COOKING ON A BUDGET

COOKING ON A BUDGET MONEY SAVING & BUDGETING TIPS

Make Your Own

Prepare Your Meals Ahead Of Time

Save On The Ingredients

Waste Not

Make Your Own

Sometimes, the best way is the “old” way. In the case of saving on eating expenses, nothing could be truer. In today’s world, most everyone relies more and more on foods prepared by someone else. We eat out often, doing take-out has become common, and processed foods, both cooked and uncooked, have become an everyday staple. The convenience can be great, but the cost can become a burden. Consider making most of your own meals and save a bundle.

1. Eating out can be fun and even affordable, if done in moderation and with a bit of common sense (look under the “Eating Out” heading in the “Health & Leisure” section). However, when eating out (including take-out) becomes a habit, it becomes just an expensive way of life. Just try to “break the habit” and cook something at home, save and enjoy. You can even make home-made pizza instead of becoming a regular at the pizza joint. You will find that saving this way is healthier, tastier and even more fun.

2. Even when not “going out to eat” many people still go out to eat. At least that is the result on their wallet or purse. That Starbucks coffee and morning pastry, that fast food or restaurant lunch, a little snack or drink from the vending machine, snacks and drinks for the kids when running about town, and maybe even that school lunch, all add up to significant expenditures. Think about it. Ten dollars a day of these types of expenditures for a family is over $3,600 per year (and many families spend a lot more). And that is after tax dollars. It’s closer to $5,000 a year before taxes. How many of us would like to have a $5,000 raise, or even a $2,500 raise? Knock out most of these types of expenditures by making your own coffee, snacks and lunches, and bringing your own drinks, and that is what you will get, a big raise. Maybe paying down that credit card debt, or buying that big screen high definition TV, might just get a bit easier.

3. Buy less of those processed foods that are pre-cooked or packaged for convenience, rather than thrift. This has become a favorite at grocery stores and convenience stores. Those pre-packaged salads and oven-roasted chickens are nice, but they do come at a cost. And all those frozen pre-cooked foods that you just pop in the microwave are not really cheap, when you start adding them up. Same goes for foods that are packaged in small portions or individual serving packages for convenience. Does your child really need a single serving “lunchable” bought at the grocery store, or would a nice sandwich and piece of fruit be better and less expensive? Wouldn’t it be cheaper to put a few cookies in a plastic bag (or in some foil) for a snack, rather than buying small individual bags? You might think you are saving money by reducing waste and preparation costs, but your per meal cost is considerably more expensive with prepared foods and convenience packaging. So, try to buy ingredients instead of meals or conveniently packaged small portions and save. And try to avoid the “junk” foods altogether. Homemade snacks are usually healthier and cheaper.

4. Many processed items, like salad dressings, cocktail sauces, jellies, etc. can easily be made from scratch and be better tasting and less expensive. Ingredients can be bought in bulk and mixed when a new batch is required.

5. Instead of buying those ready-made baby foods, consider making your own. Talk to your pediatrician and look on the Internet for the know-how, but it’s quite easy. You pretty much just need to puree foods for the baby, and be aware of what foods your baby should be eating. And you will be avoiding a lot of salt, sugar and preservatives. And talking about “making your own”, how about breast feeding your baby. It costs less and most experts say it’s better for the baby.

6. Talking about overuse of processed foods, try to break the habit of buying bottled water. In most households, the water from your tap is fine to drink. If you have an ice maker, you are already drinking tap water in the form of melting ice in your drinks. And tap water sure is a lot less expensive than bottled water. If you like those small plastic bottles for ease of use, try refilling them from your tap, rather than buying them pre-filled at the grocery store. If you do have concerns about water quality, buy an in-line water filter. But, in any case, make sure you do not freeze bottles of water, as there is some concerns that the plastic bottles when frozen can release some chemicals into the water. Try not buying bottled water, it is an easy way to save.

Prepare Your Meals Ahead Of Time

People often buy expensive prepared foods because of convenience. There is nothing like buying a prepared “meal” at the supermarket, or throwing a frozen entree into the microwave, to save some time at the beginning or end of a day. That’s understandable. But you can “have your savings and eat them too” if you plan and prepare your meals ahead of time. Since most convenience foods are frozen so they are available when required, why not make your own “convenience” foods for your freezer. Not only will you save money, but your meals will be much more enjoyable and nutritious.

1. Pick out your favorite breakfast, lunch and dinner meals that can be prepared and frozen, and develop recipes for making large batches at once. If you are not sure a certain recipe can be successfully frozen, try freezing a small amount next time you make it and see how it works.