Thirteen (13) tips to save money in the kitchen.

By Donna Miller

In today’s economic climate so many people been impacted with a financial burden due to recession or job loss. We often hear the phrase: “I’d love to eat healthier, but I just don’t have the money.” There are so many areas in day to day life that require spending our hard earned cash that health and the family meal plan is put on the back burner because of finances.

But there are many areas in life that are within our control. Often curbing our over expenditures has to do more with unlearning certain spending habits and making a few lifestyle changes to get some areas under better control.

So where can you save money?  There are many, but for the sake of focus let’s just look at one place – saving money in the kitchen.

Kitchen consumable goods and food are one of the most controllable expenses that we face each day, week, month and year. Here are just thirteen of my tips for making the most of these consumable items and food.

Non-food Kitchen Savings:

• Wash freezer baggies and aluminum foil to reuse.
• Use old credit cards as a kitchen scraper for dishes and counters.
• Trap fruit-flies for free without any chemicals using old fruit and a produce baggie.
• Use citrus mesh bags as a scrubby for pots and pans.
• Use citrus mesh bags to make your own sprouting lids.
• Reuse the wax paper that comes in the cereal box.
• Save butter wrappers to treat pans and cookie sheets instead of buying sprays.
• Use elastic to hold your pot/pan lids on the door rather than buying an ‘organizer’.
• Put all slivers of soap in a tied off toe of an old panty-hose (also a bathroom savings).

Food Savings Ideas:

• Buy and learn to use whole foods rather than pre-made mixes.
• Multiple uses for rolled oats and popping corn. One low price makes many options.
• Disguise and remix left-overs.
• Count how many items are in the pre-bagged produce items.

There are so very many more things that can be done in the kitchen to save money. The opportunities are endless.  Look for future articles to come with even more ideas and tips to try in your own home.

By putting each of this baker’s dozen of tips into practice, the savings mount up and so does your expendable income. As you learn to stretch what you have, you are also gaining a very vital skill.  Enjoy the journey!

For more detailed information on how to do these tips with examples and ideas – listen to this episode of ‘Surviving on Shoestrings’

For videos of some of these ways and more to stretch what you have in the kitchen and save money stop by the Millers Grain House Video Archive.