I love a brgain, bargain hunting is the best and it’s even better when I’m trying to save money in the kitchen. I’m always looking at finding products cheaper but with the same quality, which I’m guessing most people also like. I thought I’d put together a list of 23 different ways I try and save money in the kitchen.
Top 23 Ways To Save Money In The Kitchen
Brand Swapping
Swapping brands are one way I’ve managed to save hundreds of pounds in the kitchen. If you’re looking at ways to save money on groceries brand swapping is the way to go, try shopping in Aldi for the majority of your food and not Asda, you might save a fortune each month!
Reduced Food Shopping
Everyone loves a reduced sticker, I know I do. When you go shopping make sure you head to the reduced section to see if you can grab any goodies. However, don’t be fooled into just grabbing anything as it’s reduced if it’s on your shopping list and it’s reduced; grab it. Check out this post and make sure you don’t overspend at the reduced section while shopping!
Meal Planning
I meal plan, I either meal plan dinners for a week or the whole month depending on my situation. I find that meal planning helps to cut costs to shopping and also stops me from getting take out which is just as bad for the wallet! I also make sure I make loads of healthy meal plans if I want a good weight loss meal plan that is and a slimming world meal plan is perfect. Take a look at this beginners guide to meal planning and how I saved over £400 a month by meal planning.
Write A Shopping List
Never go shopping without a shopping list, otherwise, you might start buying random products you just don’t need! A grocery shopping list means you’re going to get the right products to fill up your fridge, freezer and cupboards and not run out of room when you get home.
Set A Shopping Budget
Shopping on a budget can be quite fun, being able to see how much you can get for a certain amount is also rather interesting, something we do every time we shop at Aldi. A food budget is one way that you can ensure you only spend what you have and you get exactly what you need in the process!
Don’t Buy All Deals
Deals are there to make you spend even more money. Supermarket deals can soon have you spending more than you intended to, so unless you need the products, think twice about buying them all!
Shop Around
If you’re going to spend a load of money it’s better to shop around, price comparison is something you need to think about when shopping for the best prices, if you can get a product you buy regularly cheaper at another supermarket, you might as well.
Food Markets
Take a look down your local market, farmers market or general food market. You might find that some items are a lot cheaper than that sold in supermarkets and possibly a lot tastier!
Use Coupons and Vouchers
Food coupons and food vouchers are perfect for saving money on your food shopping. Money off vouchers means you’ll be able to get more for your money and make it all last longer!
Clubcard Points
This mainly applies for Tesco with their Tesco Clubcard points or Sainsbury’s with their nectar points but use them up. Make sure you have a card and save every time you go shopping. I do this and then I use all the vouchers to save money on Christmas food shopping, it works each year and I save a fortune!
Food Shopping Apps
Shopping apps are perfect for saving money on your shopping. I love using the CheckoutSmart App which is perfect for free food and discounted food, it also means you’re going to save on your shopping bill each month which is perfect. Look into cashback apps to get better prices on food.
Don’t Go Shopping Hungry
Never go shopping hungry. I’ve been shopping on an empty stomach before and I’ve ended up buying things I didn’t need just because they looked good and I wanted them at the time. I’ve then spent too much money because I’m hungry and put weight on due to buying too much naughty food!
Don’t Waste Food
If you buy it, use it. That’s why meal planning is so efficient, it means you’re only buying food for the meals you’re making and you won’t have any food waste left over at the end of the week because you’ve used it all up in some healthy slimming world recipes! If you want to find out more about freezing foods go ahead!
Purchase More Frozen Foods
Some foods are better to buy frozen, it means you’re not going to throw them away after a week of them being sat in the fridge. Frozen foods can also be cheaper than buying fresh foods which means you’ll save on your food shop.
Use Your Bag For Life
I’m sure just like me you have a cupboard under the sink full of bags, or maybe in the hallway closet. You need to take the reusable bags with you when you do your shopping, otherwise, the cost of buying bags each time is going to soon add up! In fact, leave a couple of bags in your boot so you don’t forget them!
Freeze Foods
If you’ve got some vegetables that you’re not going to use or some meat just sat in the fridge, freeze it. If you can freeze food and not waste it that means you’ll have it for meals in the future and you’re not throwing away money! Take a look at To Freeze or Not to Freeze – Vegetables and Fruit for more details!
Use Best Before Foods
There is a common misconception that because a food is near or just past their best before date you should throw it away, not true. You might not have heard of them buy check out approved foods, they sell best before food and it’s all fine. We have rogers wholesale in Bournemouth who does the same and I believe there is one in Southampton so be sure to look them up!
Cooking In Bulk
Make meals ahead of time, batch cooking if you like. Make meals for the week and then portion them up. You can do this with work lunches or quick dinners before you go to work if you work at night or you’re just too busy to cook a meal when you get home. Bulk cooking is great and you’ll save money if the food is already there, resisting that takeaway!
Get Great Cooking Containers
Freezable tubs and cooking containers are great for batch cooking or lunches for work. If you’ve got something to take food in you’re less likely to waste food and you’ll save money in the long run!
Use A Slow Cooker
I love slow cookers, if you haven’t guessed already I make quite a few recipes with the slow cooker; one example being the very yummy Slimming World Slow Cooker Diet Coke Gammon (2 syns). You’ll be able to plan meals in advance and have them ready when you get home, again avoiding a cheeky take away every other night!
Sign Up To Freebie Websites
If you love free stuff I’d suggest looking for these types of websites, not just cashback apps as I’ve mentioned before with the CheckoutSmart App! Check out the Latest Deals website and you might get some handy kitchen equipment for free that you don’t have to buy in the future!
Use Your Student Discount
You can get a student discount at various stores, one that I love using my NUS card at is Co-Op who give students a nice discount when buying Co-Op products, so if that sounds like something you need think about getting an NUS card. Not that it’s shopping related but you can also save a fortune eating out and you get a free McDonalds cheeseburger with an NUS card!
Conclusion
If you want to save money shopping and get a reduced food bill, follow the 23 simple tips above. The money saving tips might not be for everyone but I’m sure there are one or two money saving methods that you can use above. Remember when you’re shopping to compare prices, shopping at Aldi is going to save you a fortune rather than shopping at Asda. Little changes in your shopping could save you a fortune and that’s the main thing!
If you have any more money saving ideas that you think should be on the list for saving money in the kitchen or saving money on food shopping do let me know. It’s always great to find more ways to save money and make my shopping go further!
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