Ok, I know I’m not the only one in shock at the insane prices for food at the market. Everything just keeps getting more and more expensive. I’m constantly scouring ads to find the best deals to try and stretch my grocery budget as far as it will go. I refuse to compromise on cooking from scratch, and using the most wholesome ingredients I can get my hands on. But I have to admit, it’s getting harder and harder to do. So it got me thinking about some of the simple things I do to save some money and not waste anything.
My mother and grandmother were extremely frugal. Growing up during the war they were forced to use what they had on hand and learned how to stretch it to feed their family. Absolutely nothing went to waste. They canned food, grew vegetables in their garden, sewed their families clothes, and cooked everything from scratch using whatever they had on hand. Many of us are working moms and finding the time to preserve food and grow a large vegetable garden isn’t possible. The good news is that there are a lot of little things you can do that don’t take a whole lot of time and will save you a lot of money over time.
Today I’m sharing my top 10 favorite, easy, money saving ideas that just about anyone can try. If you plan ahead a little and you can spend just a few short minutes a day in the kitchen you can save yourself a truckload of money.
1. Save veggie scraps in the freezer.
Whenever I peel carrots, use an onion for a dish, or I have leftover celery stalks that are getting a little long in the tooth, I pop the peels, onion skins, and celery stalks in a large plastic freezer bag.
I keep adding to the bag until I have a bag full of veggie scraps.
Place them in a large stockpot, (no need to thaw them) cover with water and boil them for 90 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the broth cool to room temperature. Strain the broth and pour it into glass jars. Vegetable broth will keep in the fridge for a couple weeks and you can use it to make soups, stews, and sauces.
2. Make your own chicken broth.
Save the chicken carcass the next time you purchase a rotisserie chicken at the market. Remove all the meat and use it for cooking or freeze it for later use.
Save the skin and bones in a freezer bag until ready to use.
Place the skin and bones in a large stockpot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 90 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow it to come to room temperature. Strain the broth and pour into glass jars.
Use your homemade chicken broth in all your favorite recipes. Like a good for you homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. Grandma knew it was the cure for anything that ails you.
3. Buy staple ingredients in bulk.
I have a very busy Winco market nearby that has an extensive bulk foods department. I always check the bulk foods section for ingredients before I purchase packaged items. Everything from nuts to baking ingredients like chocolate chips, oatmeal, shredded coconut, to rice, beans, flour, popcorn, cereals and spices are just a few of the items I purchase from the bulk bins. Buying in bulk will save you a lot of money since you’re not paying for the packaging. The only caveat is you need to be sure that there is a good turnover of the items in those bulk bins. Otherwise you may end up with stale items.
HELPFUL TIP: Place the cooking instructions inside the jar for later use.
4. Save and reuse glass jars.
If you start purchasing items from the bulk bins you are going to need airtight containers to store those items. Those plastic bags will quickly become unmanageable. They are unattractive and cumbersome to organize, plus they’re not ideal for storing items long term. Every time I empty out a glass jar of pickles, sauerkraut, pepperoncini, salad dressing, jam, or jelly I wash it out and soak it in a sink full of hot water overnight. Once the label is soft it should peel off easily. Use a scrubby sponge to rub off any adhesive that’s left on the jar or use some Goof-Off to remove really stubborn glue. Run the jars through the dishwasher to sanitize them and remove any residual smells from whatever foods were previously in them. Use these jars to store items purchased from the bulk food bins at the market. Just be sure to label the jars so you know what’s in them.
5. Bake your own bread.
I was in shock the other day, $7.49 for a loaf of bread!!! Seriously? It’s just flour, yeast, salt, and water for goodness sake! Start baking your own bread. Not only is it much healthier for you, it won’t have any added chemicals or preservatives in it and it will cost you just pennies per loaf if you make it at home. Start with this super easy method, How to Bake Bread, if you are new to bread baking. Not only is it an easy method for beginners that produces beautiful, tasty loaves of bread, it will cost you just pennies per loaf. It’s delicious with soups, stews, and all your pasta dishes. This quick method is easy to do and you will be able to bake a fresh loaf of bread even on a weeknight after working all day. Yes you read that right, freshly baked bread with dinner on a weeknight is totally possible.
Slather a few slices with The Best Ever Garlic Butter. A delicious, ridiculously easy to make garlic butter using just a few basic ingredients to spread on just about anything and everything! This delicious homemade garlic bread pairs perfectly with your favorite spaghetti recipe.
Looking for a tasty sandwich bread for your kid’s lunch box? Try baking this Easy To Make, Delicious, Soft White Sandwich Bread. This quick, simple to make loaf of bread bakes up soft and fluffy. It slices easily, making it perfect for all your favorite sandwiches. Slices freeze beautifully so you can pull out what you need each day and leftover bread makes great croutons or breadcrumbs.
6. Save bacon grease for cooking.
The next time you’re frying up bacon for a recipe don’t toss out that bacon grease!!!
If you start doing a little research there is strong evidence showing that cooking with bacon fat may actually be better for your health than using highly processed oils like vegetable or canola oil. Not only are you saving money using something you typically toss out but cooking with bacon fat adds loads of fantastic flavor to your dishes. Try cooking up eggs, potatoes or croutons in bacon fat. It’s absolutely FANTASTIC tasting!
Strain bacon grease through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a paper towel.
Store in an air tight container in your fridge. Using one of those glass jars you saved is perfect for storing bacon fat.
7. Make croutons with left-over bread.
When I have leftover bread that’s starting to get hard I cut it up into chunks and store it in ziplock sandwich bags in the freezer to use later as croutons. When I make a salad I fry them up in a little bacon fat to make some of the tastiest croutons you will ever eat.
8. Make your own breadcrumbs.
When there’s just a few last pieces of bread left that’s gotten hard place it on a wire rack to dry out completely.
Once bread is completely dry and hard break it up with your hands into a few large pieces and place it in the bowl of a food processor.
Process until you have breadcrumbs.
Store breadcrumbs in an airtight container. Another use for those glass jars you’re saving!
9. Make your own salad dressings.
I haven’t bought a bottle of salad dressing in a very long time. Not only is it extremely quick and easy to make your own, it’s so much healthier for you too. Of all the tips I’m sharing with you this is probably the one that will save you the most money!
Have you looked at the prices of a bottle of salad dressing lately? It’s insane how much it costs! Not only will making your own save you a truckload of dough but it is so much healthier too. There are not weird unpronounceable ingredients in it. No preservatives, or toxic chemical additives that are bad for you either.
If you love vinaigrettes try this easy to make tangy Dijon Vinaigrette. It’s better than anything you can buy in a bottle, guaranteed!
Everyone should have a go to, easy to make, absolutely fabulous Caesar salad recipe. You can create one of the best tasting salads you will ever eat using just a handful of simple, high quality ingredients. Rich & Creamy Caesar Salad With Crisp, Garlicky Toasted Croutons. I guarantee this is one of the best Caesar Salads you will ever eat!
If you’re a fan of Blue Cheese, try this Easy To Make Creamy, Rich, Blue Cheese Dressing. This one is oh so very good!!!!!
If you’re a lover of all things ranch, try this Copycat Recipe: How To Make Chili’s Creamy Buttermilk Ranch Dressing. This is by far superior to anything you can buy in a bottle!!! This is what you’re craving when you get a hankering for a truly delicious Ranch dressing. It’s inexpensive and oh so quick and easy to make too.
10. Check weekly ads & plan menu around what meats are on sale.
This strategy can save you some big bucks! When chicken is on sale I pull out my favorite chicken recipes for the week. When ground beef is on sale I pull out my favorite ground beef recipes. Can you guess what’s on the menu for the week when pork is on sale? With a little menu planning you can still get delicious, healthy meals on the table without breaking the bank.
11. Stock up on meat that’s on sale items and freeze for later use.
Is freezer space at a premium? Try this space saving hack. This is probably my all time favorite kitchen hack of all time. It’s The Best Kitchen Hack, EVER! When ground beef goes on sale, stock up. Portion it out into 1 pound servings and place each portion of meat in a 1 gallon zip lock bag.
Use a rolling pin to roll out the meat inside the bag out to the edges, and up towards the top of the bag as thin as possible. Seal bag pushing out excess air. Date and label contents.
Stack in the freezer.
Not only is this a great money saving tip but it saves loads of room in the freezer. You’ll still have plenty of space for some ice cream. Use this process for thin pork chops, boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs, and thinly sliced beef.
When you’re ready to cook, just drop a sealed bag in a sink full of hot water to thaw it in just a few quick minutes.
12. Grow your own herbs.
Even if you don’t have a lot of space, if you have a spot in your yard that gets a lot of sun you can easily grow your own herbs in pots. Some of the easiest herbs to grow are thyme, oregano, mint, parsley and basil.
The next time you shell out for a fresh basil plant place a few stems in a glass of water.
It will root and you can transplant the stems in some soil. You will have fresh basil all summer long.
Not only is basil delicious but it’s oh so pretty when you cut a few stems and display it in your kitchen. It is also a thoughtful gift to give your friends when you visit. Just about everyone loves gifts from the garden.
I hope you try one of these money saving tips and that it saves you loads of dough. Let me know what your favorite money saving tips are. Let’s face it, we are all looking for easy ways to save money and stretch every dollar as far as we can.
What is your favorite money saving tip?
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Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”
John 6:35
Remember…Jesus ❤️’s you!