Each Thursday in 2025, I’ll be answering a query on cash and/or budgeting. In case you have a query you’d love for me to reply in an upcoming submit, please submit it right here.
At present’s query is from Riley:
One in all my struggles with cash is that I like to cook dinner and take a look at new recipes. However our grocery funds continues ticking upward even with meal planning. How can I cook dinner creatively with out breaking the financial institution on elements?-Riley
Find out how to Prepare dinner Creatively With out Breaking the Financial institution
In case you like to cook 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 consider you don’t should sacrifice creativity within the kitchen to remain on funds. With a couple of sensible methods, you possibly can get pleasure from cooking scrumptious meals with out overspending.
Listed below are some my greatest methods that will help you strike that stability:
1. Be Strategic with The place You Store
One of many largest methods to chop your grocery prices is by being intentional about the place you store. Whereas it may appear simpler to stay to 1 retailer, you possibly can usually save considerably by buying at a number of shops—however with out working throughout city!
As an alternative of hitting 10 completely different shops, do some analysis every week to see which two or three shops have the most effective gross sales. Plan your buying journeys round these offers to get the most effective bang in your buck. For example, Aldi and Costco usually have nice costs on staple elements, whereas native grocery shops would possibly run superb weekly gross sales on produce and meat.
If buying at 2-3 shops every week seems like an excessive amount of, even simply rotating the shops you store at commonly may be an effective way to save cash. Alternate between the close by shops relying upon which one is working the most effective offers every week. Replenish on these greatest gross sales that week plus no matter gadgets that retailer provides which can be the most effective costs. The subsequent week, do the identical at one other retailer. And so forth. By rotating the shops you store at, you’re capable of replenish on the most effective offers every retailer provides commonly — with out spending much more time buying!
2. Follow the Purchase Forward Precept
In case you’re at all times purchasing for simply what you want that week, you’re probably paying full worth for a lot of elements. As an alternative, follow the Purchase Forward Precept. This implies stocking up on pantry staples, meats, and different incessantly used gadgets once they hit their lowest worth.
For instance, when you see rooster on sale for 50% off, purchase additional and freeze it for future meals. Over time, this strategy will decrease your grocery prices and offer you extra flexibility in meal planning because you’ll have already got many key elements available.
Most shops put nearly all the things on sale each 6-12 weeks. In case you purchase 6-12 weeks’ value of an merchandise when it goes on its lowest worth and also you try this with most gadgets you purchase, you will considerably decrease your grocery funds.
3. Plan Your Meals Round What You Have
As an alternative 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 elements, supplementing with sale gadgets 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 elements you could have available. This easy shift can drastically cut back your grocery invoice whereas conserving your meals contemporary and thrilling. (Word: You may kind 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 Components
A recipe with 15 specialty elements would possibly sound scrumptious, however it could actually additionally rapidly drain your grocery funds. As an alternative, search for meals that depend on reasonably priced, versatile staples like beans, rice, eggs, potatoes, seasonal greens, and cheap cuts of meat.
Attempt to incorporate extra recipes that use elements you already purchase commonly. For instance, when you love cooking with contemporary herbs however discover they usually go dangerous earlier than you employ them up, think about rising your individual or switching to dried herbs when wanted.
As well as, freeze something you gained’t use earlier than it goes again or plan your menu primarily based upon utilizing up leftovers of things you obtain for an additional recipe and didn’t want all of. Once more, Google or ChatGPT may be so useful for this. Seek for one thing like, “I’ve a number of this ingredient. What are some straightforward and cheap recipe concepts utilizing that ingredient?”
Want some fast and simple meal concepts? Go get my free cheatsheet with 60 tremendous easy meal concepts (a few of our household’s favorites!)
5. Make the Most of Leftovers
As an alternative of seeing leftovers as boring, view them as a possibility to get artistic! Rework final night time’s dinner into a totally new meal. Leftover roasted rooster can grow to be rooster tacos, a hearty soup, or a home made pizza topping. Stale bread? Flip it into croutons or bread pudding.
A weekly “Leftover Night time” will also be an effective way to scale back waste and provides your self a break from cooking a wholly new meal. We plan Leftover Night time 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 expend much more of what we have now and I don’t should cook dinner one night time!
6. Make the most of Funds-Pleasant Cooking Strategies
Cooking from scratch is nearly at all times cheaper than shopping for pre-made or processed meals. As an alternative of spending cash on costly comfort gadgets, strive making easy staples at house:
- Make your individual spice blends as an alternative of shopping for pre-mixed packets.
- Prepare 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 large budget-buster when you’re not cautious. Shopping for vegatables and fruits in season is among the greatest methods to save cash whereas nonetheless consuming contemporary and wholesome meals. Farmer’s markets and low cost produce shops will also be nice locations to seek out contemporary, reasonably priced elements.
In case you have the area 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 Funds and Monitor Your Spending
It’s straightforward to let your grocery spending get uncontrolled when you’re not conserving monitor. Set a transparent grocery funds and monitor your purchases to see the place your cash goes. Apps like YNAB or a easy spreadsheet may 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 firstly of the month and solely spend what you could have. This forces you to be extra conscious about your purchases and prevents overspending.
Keep in mind: Loving to cook dinner doesn’t should imply overspending on groceries. The truth is, it could actually enable you get monetary savings as a result of you’ll get pleasure from spending extra time being artistic within the kitchen and cooking from scratch!
By buying strategically, planning meals round gross sales and what you have already got, simplifying your elements, and utilizing budget-friendly cooking strategies, you possibly can get pleasure from scrumptious, artistic meals whereas staying inside your grocery funds. With a bit intentionality, you possibly can hold each your style buds and your pockets blissful!
What suggestions and techniques would you add to my checklist to encourage Riley and others like her who’re feeling annoyed by the rising price of groceries?
FREE One Week Menu Plan!
Completed-For-You Dinner Recipes With Easy Components and a Grocery Procuring Checklist!
