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Last week we gave you some tips on how to eat out on a budget. This week we are covering eating at home for less! Even when making smart, cheap decisions, eating out can add up, and you don't want to fall into the habit of doing it regularly. Here are eight tips for eating cheaply at home!
When planning your meals for the week, ensure to keep in mind what is on sale at your local grocery store. This tip will also give you variety, as your meals will change up week to week as specials change. Additionally, you could visit different supermarkets during the week and get even more variety.
A surefire way to waste money is re-purchasing items you already have. Keeping an organised kitchen will ensure you don't end up with seven jars of cinnamon sugar that you won't be able to eat before the ants get to them.
Markets are a great place to shop, as they can be cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and you can support small business owners and farmers with your purchases! Bring your reusable bags, some cash, and make it your Sunday ritual.
Bulk buy food that is on sale, or fruits and vegetables that are in season and freeze them for later. By buying in bulk, you will avoid having to pay more for off season foods later down the track. Fresh produce massively fluctuates in price throughout the year! This tip works best for meats and fresh fruit and vegetables.
Meat is usually one of the most expensive items on our shopping list, so stretching it as far as you can is a great way to save money on your cooked meals! Combining black or kidney beans with your mince dish will mean your meat will feed more people than you expect.
As meat is so expensive, you could consider skipping it entirely for one day of the week. Lots of households around the world participate in Meatless Monday, where for one day of the week, they will eat a vegetarian diet. This will help cut down your grocery bill, and as a bonus, it's great for the environment!
We all have a cookbook (or bookmarked webpage) that calls for weird and whacky ingredients that cost an arm and a leg and require you to hunt through four stores to find. Instead of forking out for an ingredient you won't ever use again, consider modifying the recipe to use what you already have at home, or can buy cheaply.
Maca powder, spirulina, activated almonds, and matcha have all had a cult-like moment in the past few years, and their price tags reflect it. While the health industry will have you believe that you need these odd items in your cupboard, the reality is, you can have a very healthy and balanced diet without them. Stock up on fresh fruits and vegetables instead. They're a fraction of the price, taste better, and are packed with just as many essential vitamins and minerals.
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