Saving money is on most people’s mind these days. There are some areas where it is difficult to save money, but there are also areas where savings can be made relatively easily. The kitchen is one such place where you can find savings in many ways. Here are six to get you started.
- Shop at the right time
Don’t ever go to the supermarket hungry as you will want to buy everything. Also don’t go shopping until you have planned out meals for the week and you have a list of the ingredients you need. This way you will only buy what is required and, as a result, save money.
- Bulk buy and don’t buy often
Buying in bulk will often bring the biggest savings, so it’s a good idea to do a big shop once a month. This allows you to buy in bulk and then only go shopping in between when you need to replenish fresh foods. Going to the supermarket less frequently means less temptation to buy things you don’t really need.
Joanne from kitchenhome.co.uk would tell you that buying in bulk is a great idea as long as you have the space in your cupboards or fridge/freezer as doing so saves you both money and time.
- Grow your own
Growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs has become very popular for both health benefits and financial savings. If you don’t have enough room in your garden, then just make sure you cook from scratch. Buying processed foods or ‘convenient’ foods that are prepared ready for use are much more expensive.
- Only cook once
If you cook various meals in an evening to cater for everyone in the family, your bills are likely to be high. Not only are you using more energy but also probably more food than you would if you cooked one meal. If your family are not all home to eat at the same time you can still make one meal. Hot trays and hostess trolleys will keep meals warm for hours. They use less energy than cooking a full meal and by only cooking one meal you will be saving on your food bills.
- Move away from the brands
Brand shopping is the best way to waste money. If you check the ingredients of branded and non-branded food you won’t find a lot of difference. Why not put your family to the test and see if anyone can tell the difference?
- Freeze whatever you can
Buying in bulk lends itself to cooking in bulk. By cooking large dishes and freezing portions you will save money. It is also worth keeping an eye on discounted food and good offers, as even if you don’t plan to eat it straight away you can freeze a lot of things.
There are so many ways that you can save money when it comes to food. These six are a great place to start and if you put them all into practice you will see the benefits in no time. Then you can implement more and make in greater savings!
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