We are all talking about how much things (namely gas and food) have gone up and how much they are continuing to go up at the present moment. While there may be no end in sight to these increases, and while we may have no control over how much they go up, we have some control over how much food we buy, and there are some things we can do to help mitigate the rising costs of food.
Meal Plan
I don’t know how people live who don’t meal plan! I know they do because my mother doesn’t meal plan and I don’t remember too many instances of going hungry as a child- so it can be done- but a meal plan solves soo many problems! You can read all about my weekly meal planning and food prepping in this post (how I meal prep so I basically only cook once a week) but here are some tips for making a meal plan.
Look In Your Fridge
Do you have a bunch of spinach that’s about to go bad? Maybe it’s time to make a big pot of soup with spinach before it can expire!
Keep a Clean Fridge
I realized the other day (a little too late) that we currently have 3 open jars of pasta sauce in our fridge. The shelf in my fridge where I keep all the open jar items is a tad (wayyy) too cluttered and therefore we can’t see what we have and multiple items get opened leading to higher waste. If you (and me!) keep a tidier fridge then you can see what you have and this kind of waste doesn’t happen!
Freeze
If you come across something in your fridge that’s about to go bad and that you can’t use, please throw it out.
Speaking of throwing out, do you find yourself throwing out the same thing week after week? If so then you probably can stop buying it.
Use the Same Protein Multiple Ways
Try repurposing the same protein throughout the week if you will: start with a whole chicken in the crockpot on Monday, chicken stuffed croissants on Tuesday, chicken enchiladas on Wednesday, chicken Caesar salads on Thursday and homemade chicken BBQ Pizza on Friday! Yes you may start to tire of chicken by Friday but you can switch up your protein the next week, and this way you save by 1) using all of the chicken before it goes bad, and 2) only buying one protein, and buying it in bulk so it’s cheaper!
Plan around deals
Every week, stores send out flyers advertising what they have on sale. Do you ever look at these? These are usually the best deals on food you’ll find. Then plan your meals around these items, or simply use it as an opportunity to stock up while things are at a lower price- don’t go crazy buying more than you’ll ever use though!
It can be a pain to go to different stores to get the best price but a lot of times it is worth it; what’s more is many stores will match their competitors’ prices for the same exact item! It has to be the exact same thing so be sure to look at the details before asking one store to honor another store’s pricing. Many of these sales are while supplies last but not all of them. If you go to the store for the advertised item and they are out, try asking and see if you can have a raincheck, meaning the store will honor the advertised pricing when they get the item back in stock, sometimes this works!
Buy in Bulk
Buying in bulk can be a way to go broke saving money, and a way to over buy but if you have staple items that you regularly eat (I’m looking at you ramen noodles!) you can often save money buying things in bulk. I don’t just mean buying at Costco or Sam’s Club, sometimes a store will give you a discount if you buy a whole case of an item, like peanut butter, granola bars, or tortilla’s. Talk to a manager and find out!
Coupons
I’m not a big fan of coupons but they are a very valid way to save- especially if you like name brand items! Once again look over the weekly coupons and take these into account when doing your meal planning.
Shop at the Cheapest store
Nationally, Aldi tends to be the most inexpensive grocery store, followed by Costco, then Walmart. Meanwhile don’t neglect your mom and pop stores and farm markets as they often have great deals and it supports the local economy and often the food from these places tends to be fresher meaning it will last longer, and therefore you will throw out less.
Eat in Season
As mentioned above, eating things that are in season means they will be cheaper and following the seasons in your region is a great way to add variation to your meals. We all get into meal ruts, try browsing your local farmers market to see what item you’ve forgotten about and see how you can incorporate it!
Quit the Junk Food
We know junk food and baked goods aren’t the best for us, but we still end up buying them. Instead try making your own baked goods; if you can’t bring yourself to spend the time making them how important are they to you really?
Buy frozen
It amazes me how much cheaper frozen fruit is than fresh. This goes for some frozen vegetables as well. Many times frozen will work just as well if not better (in a smoothie for example) so try buying frozen if you consume a lot of fresh fruit!
Canned
Same thing goes for canned as frozen- it can be a great way to save, and if you are buying these items for a soup it can be a much more reasonable option!
I know none of these tips are exactly rocket science but it really is all the little things that we can do that add up to big savings!
Other Posts You May Enjoy:
How I Meal Plan and Basically Eliminate Cooking During the Week
Creating a Cleaning Routine
My Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe