We’re all looking for ways to save money, right? I definitely rethink every single purchase before I spend money because I like to save everywhere I can. It doesn’t mean I’m cheap it just means I don’t like wasting money.
The absolute one place I spend way too much money is in the kitchen. I like drinking Starbucks, I hate cooking and I don’t live near any big box stores. Those three things together add up to a budget disaster. So how do I control my spending and still try to save money on food?
Over the years I’ve learned a few tricks that can help everyone save money in the kitchen.
Buy your appliances together
If you’re going to cook at home you’ll need appliances. The best way to get a good deal on kitchen appliances is to buy them all together and get the bundle price. If you’re stove still has a few days left in its lifetime stretch it as far as possible so you can buy your new refrigerator and dishwasher at the same time.
Stores like Lowes and Home Depot offer kitchen appliances packages and I think it’s a win-win: you get all your new appliances delivered together at a low price and the store gets rid of merchandise in bulk.
Accessories – Kitchen Aid. If you don’t need it then don’t buy it just because you think your kitchen needs it
Plan your meals ahead of time
Just like buying your appliances together can result in a lower price per unit so can buying your groceries. Before heading out to the grocery store plan your weekly menu ahead of time so you can use and reuse the same ingredients for several meals.
Vegetables like onions and peppers and non perishables such as noodles and pasta can be used as ingredients in several different meals. There’s nothing worse than needing to buy one ingredient for one meal and then having it sit in your pantry for a year until it either goes bad or you find another recipe that requires it. Try cooking with a few standard ingredients, it will save you both time and money.
Think about your energy bill
This is a great way to save money in the kitchen and one that many people may not think of. When you leave the room turn off the lights, when you buy your new appliances make sure they’re eco-friendly and don’t buy more food than you need for the week.
When you buy too much food it sits in the fridge and consumes energy to keep cool, then when it goes bad you throw it in the garbage – it’s a double whammy. Avoid using the over stove light as well as the kitchen room light and avoid letting your pots and pans heat up for longer than necessary. Using unnecessary energy is definitely a waste of money.
