25 Insanely Smart Ways To Save Money Cooking

Today, it’s all about 25 insanely smart ways to save money cooking! It’s no secret that eating out will cost your family a lot more money than staying home and fixing meals. Think of all the money you could be saving every year by ignoring the convenience of the drive-thru several nights a week. Are you curious about how to save money cooking at home? Since we’re all looking for ways to save money in these expensive times, I decided to update this post and share the ideas I hope can make a difference for you.

Having an already-cooked meal waiting for you when you get home from work is possible. While eating at home will certainly save you money, it’s also careful planning and buying the right items at the grocery store, that will take you to the next level. There is also the aspect of knowing what is in the food you’re eating and if those foods are as healthy as you’d want for your family.

We are all struggling with the cost of food these days, and it looks like we’ll be facing higher-than-usual prices for a while. Rather than having to cut back on grocery items, plan ahead by following the suggestions in this post. Here are some good ideas to help save money cooking at home. 

25 Insanely Smart Ways To Save Money Cooking

1. Fix What you Already Have 

You might be surprised by how many meals you still can make by simply taking a look for quality ingredients in your food pantry. Maybe you’ll find that you have all the ingredients to make one of your favorite meals and you just need to add one or two items to your grocery list to finish the job. 

It’s always good to take inventory of what you have before you head to the store anyway, that way it’s easier to come up with meal solutions based on what you already have and not purchase unnecessary things. Here is my post on the Canned Foods I Highly Recommend You Store

2. Buy Whole Roasted Chicken 

When you first walk into the grocery store, the smell of whole rotisserie birds will often greet you, especially around the dinner rush hour.

Give in to the temptation for a great price of $4.99 and you just found not only dinner but possibly a meal or two later. Many people shred the meat and use it to make chicken salad, chicken sandwiches, and casseroles. 

You don’t have to use whole roasted chicken simply for the parts. Take the bones and use them to make chicken stock, and you’ll not only save money by not buying stock, but the chicken flavoring will make your recipe batch taste better. Here are my 5 Meals From One Rotisserie Chicken     

3. Stock Up on Sale Items 

How else do you save money cooking at home? When you’re at the grocery store and see a great deal and you know it’s something that you’ll really use without wasting away on the shelf, stock up on it. You’ll pay much less than the retail price, especially if you buy that same item often. 

It might also be in your best interest to shop around and go where the deals are. In order that you get more bang for your buck that might mean having to go to 2 or 3 stores on a shopping trip to save money. Just try to schedule those visits so you’re not wasting gas driving all over town.

We also recommend that you consider getting loyalty/membership cards for every shopping center you go to, that way you don’t miss out on any other great deals.

Most major brand stores don’t charge for their loyalty cards, and many provide discounts on fuel at their company-owned gas stations based on how much you spend at the store during the month.

4. Store Brands are Just as Good 

Save yourself even more money by buying the store name brands instead of the national brands. You may be surprised, but many store-brand foods are actually as good, or better than those national brands.

We love ice cream around our house and the local Kroger store often sells their 48 oz store brand for $2.50, and at times for $1.77. A real bargain! 

Buy in Bulk

Buying in bulk is a great shopping strategy to have, especially if you have a big family. It can also be a bad idea if you waste a lot of it. Purchasing your flour, spices, beans, and rice doesn’t get any cheaper than buying it in bulk. Plan ahead for storage so you can extend the items’ shelf life. You may need to invest in some quality BPA-free plastic containers, but it will be worth it in the long run. 

5. Head to the Farmer’s Market

You can find super fresh vegetables and fruits that are locally grown at the local farmer’s market, and you’ll pay less too.  If you don’t go often, spend a little extra and stock up.

Whatever you aren’t going to use right away, go ahead, and freeze them. Your fruits and veggies will be just as fresh, once you thaw them for use.  

6. Cook Using Less Meat 

This might sound crazy, but cooking with less meat can save you money, and it may be more healthy for you. We all need more protein in our diets, but you can get your needed proteins from things like beans.

If meat is that important to you, most stores often run sales on various cuts of meat. I’ve seen some super deals on pork lately, and right now you can get certain turkeys for $.79 per pound. If it’s the flavor you’re looking for, shredded bacon can add extra flavoring to your meals that are light on meat. 

7. Use Filler in Your Protein 

Beans and rice happen to be two foods that contain a lot of protein and can help stretch a lot of meals. Need help with how to Cook Beans?

That’s why these two items are great to buy in bulk and will help complete an endless amount of meal entrees. Many people add beans and rice to their taco meat and meatloaf, which works great.  Here are some Rice Meal Ideas

8. Use Up Those Eggs! 

Eggs are another protein food that doesn’t happen to cost that much and they’re great for weight loss. Plus you can make them a number of ways besides scrambled. Yes, they are a bit higher priced than you have seen in the past but keep your eyes open for deals. I recently purchased 5 dozen large eggs at Costco for about $12.00.

Don’t forget about hard-boiling them, egg salad, or a fried egg sandwich. 3 Ways To Cook Hard-Boiled Eggs or My Egg Salad Recipe or My Demo of Classic Hard-Boiled Eggs

9. Select the Bigger Packages of Meat

When you do buy meat, make sure that you go after the family packs and the thick cuts. You’ll save more money this way. Be sure and watch your weekly sales at your local stores.

If you can buy one and get one free, it’s a win-win for our budget, right? Be sure and check out the cost per pound when you purchase those bargains.

The same goes for your hamburger and chicken breast. If there’s a good deal at the time, don’t hesitate and hope to save your family even more money later.

10. Divide and Conquer

After you’ve brought home the family packs of meat, cut and divide them up into meals. Now you have meat that can be used in a number of dishes.

Whatever meat you don’t plan on using over the next few days, go ahead and store it in the freezer. Investing in a vacuum sealer to reseal your meat supply might be in your best interest.   

11. Plan on Cooking Big Batches

Cooking big batches is also a smart way of saving your family money and providing quick and easy meals for many days to come.

Again, whatever your family doesn’t use up, you can store in the fridge and freezer and then enjoy it at your own convenience.  

12. Get Yourself a Slow Cooker

With a slow cooker at your disposal, there really isn’t a reason that you can’t have a meal ready for you and your family when you get home from work. I actually have two slow cookers, one large one and a smaller one.

Just by throwing in a few ingredients and letting it simmer all day, you’ll be coming home to food already set to go and that can feel really good. Plus, you can say goodbye to so much fast food in your life and say hello to healthier eating.  

13. Senior Citizen or Military Discount

Here’s the deal, certain stores give 10% off your entire grocery bill on certain days. If you use coupons, you still get the additional discount, depending on the day each store designates their discount day. Check which days they have discounts for seniors and the military, it’s worth asking about and taking advantage of.

14. Use Your Pressure Cooker

A really easy way to save money while cooking is to use your pressure cooker, like an Insta Pot. I can’t tell you how many pressure cooker meals I’ve used over the years.

It’s one way you can cook from swatch without spending a ton of money since you can soften up some of those tough meats that tend to be less expensive. It also saves time when it comes to cooking beans, pasta, rice, etc.

15. Buy Frozen Fruits and Vegetables

Buying fresh fruits and vegetables is nice, but there is a lot of food waste that happens this way. A shortcut I like for saving money in the kitchen is buying frozen fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits that I continue to buy include bananas, carrots, celery, and cauliflower. I usually buy frozen corn, peas, broccoli, and green beans.

The great thing is they taste just as good, if not better, and you can plan your meals around their use rather than having them dictate meals before they go bad.

16. Plan Out Your Menu Before Going Grocery Shopping

Planning out your menu before going grocery shopping is a good idea. Whether you shop at Aldi or Costco, you can easily plan the meals before you grocery shop, so you can stay on top of your food budget.

We all are tempted to buy items on impulse, particularly if we shop when we’re hungry. Take that list with you and stick to it. To save time, plan out the whole week and buy what you need on one shopping trip.

17. Shop The Weekly Sales

Weekly sales aren’t going to just appear in your shopping cart. You have to look for those deals. Sometimes you’ll get flyers in the mail. Other times you’ll get emails since you’re a “loyalty card” member. Again, it may mean more than one stop, but good planning can make it worthwhile.

Many stores here in Utah have case lot sales. They will put full cases on sale at real savings. If you have room, consider this cost-saving approach.

18. Make a List and Stop Impulse Buying

As mentioned, impulse buying can happen anytime you go to the supermarket. I know I’m guilty of buying chips, pizza, chicken breasts, and berries – those are always the foods I go over budget on! Make a list and stick to it.

19. Make Your Own Salad Dressings

Many of you may not have made your own salad dressings in the past, but this is something worth doing in the future. You can make your own salad dressings out of olive oil and by adding other herbs and flavors that you enjoy.

20. Make a Larger Batch of a Meal and Freeze Half

Making a larger batch of a meal is always a good idea. Things that are good to freeze include broth, noodles, butter, beef, cheese, broccoli, garlic, and even pork! You’ll need to plan on the size of portions to be served, but with some practice, that shouldn’t be too hard.

21. Buy Extra Produce when It’s On Sale and Freeze It

Besides buying frozen vegetables and fruit, you can buy fresh produce when it’s on sale and freeze it. Frozen produce is great for making soups and other recipes from scratch.

22. Check Out the Freezer Section for Sales

Next up on saving money is checking out the freeze section for sales. Simply walk past the freezer section and see what you can find on sale!

23. Make Some Breakfast Items Ahead and Freeze Them

One of my favorite things to do meal prep-wise is to make breakfast items ahead of time and freeze them.

24. Grow a Garden and Preserve It

I highly recommend this seed company, SeedsNow, I buy all of my heirloom seeds from there. I have a series on my archive where I tell you what to plant and when based on the “zone” you live in.

Each location is known for what can be grown and when you need to plant it for success. I’ve done your research for you, and I even have a link in each “what to plant” post so you can determine your zone.

25. Organize Your Kitchen Like A Restaurant

Save money by organizing your kitchen like a restaurant. You’ll love knowing what you have and where everything is in your kitchen and pantry. That way you don’t run out of things or buy items you already have. These are the containers I use in every drawer in my kitchen and cupboards. Storage Organizer Container

Does cooking at home actually save money?

One of the biggest benefits of cooking at home is that it can actually save you money. This is because you will be able to prepare your own meals at a much lower cost than if you were to eat out. Additionally, by taking control of what goes into your dishes, you can also eliminate highly processed foods and instead focus on fresh, whole ingredients. This can also help to reduce your grocery costs, and possibly your health care expenses in the long term.

How much money do you save when you cook at home?

Well, that depends on several factors. First, there is the cost of ingredients. Purchasing items in bulk can be a great way to save money, especially if you plan on cooking often and for large groups of people.

By choosing fresh and whole foods over processed or pre-packaged options, you are likely to pay less at the checkout. Leftovers can also help you save a ton of money when you cook at home.

What is the cheapest way to cook your food?

There is no one “cheapest way” to cook your food, as this will depend on a number of factors, including the ingredients you choose, your cooking methods, and even the appliances that you use.

However, some general tips might include using cheaper cuts of meat instead of expensive steaks or seafood, choosing budget-friendly foods like canned or frozen vegetables, or being mindful of how much water you use when cooking rice or pasta.

Final Word

You see, there are plenty of ways to save money by cooking at home. You also don’t have to use the excuse that you don’t have time to make dinner anymore. With some careful planning and a slow or pressure cooker, you’ll save tons every year by cooking more if you eat at home. 

Tell us your tips on how to save money at home. Please keep prepping, stay well, and stay safe. May God bless this world, Linda

Copyright Images: Cooking Depositphotos_42749243_s-2019