Food & Cooking

Reduce your food budget with these tips

29/07/2021 3:52 PM10 min read Susan S. Johnson

Reduce your food budget with these tips

Megan Callahan

18 hrs ago

Reduce your food budget with these tips

Looking for ways to reduce your monthly grocery bill without sacrificing nutrition? Faced with today’s rising food costs and supply chain slowdowns, students and families alike are looking for ways to eat well on a budget. Here are 20 tips for cutting your food costs while maintaining a healthy diet.

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Shop at bulk stores

Are you a parent with many mouths to feed? Buying in bulk can be a great option for saving on food essentials. If you live in a big city, look for local discount or ethnic grocery stores, which often carry large quantities of cheap frozen and dry goods. For an annual fee, you can also stock up at membership-only wholesale clubs like Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club, which boast extremely low prices.

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Avoid pre-packaged foods

Convenience foods may save you time, but they cost you in the long run. In fact, pre-chopped fruits and veggies can cost up to three times more than whole, unpackaged produce. In addition, the plastic bags and containers used to package convenience foods lead to excess waste. Hone your knife skills at home to save money and help the environment!

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Go frozen

Frozen foods tend to have a bad reputation, conjuring up thoughts of frozen pizzas and microwavable meals. Remember those mushy, sodium-packed TV dinners of our childhood? In some cases, however, buying frozen is a healthier and more affordable choice. Fruits and veggies, fish, and seafood are frozen at their peak freshness, ensuring great flavour and high nutritional value. Plus, going frozen can be 50 percent cheaper than buying fresh.

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Eat less meat

With meat prices on the rise, embracing alternative protein sources can have a big impact on your bank account, as well as reduce your carbon footprint. Plus, cutting back on meat has many health benefits. Beans, legumes, soy, and buckwheat are all nutritious and low-cost protein substitutes. If you’re inexperienced with meatless meals, explore vegetarian food blogs for tips and recipes.

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Start an herb or vegetable garden

Depending on the season, fresh vegetables and herbs can be expensive, especially if you opt for organic. Plus, their brief shelf life often leads to waste. Ever discover sludgy, month-old lettuce in the back of your fridge? Growing veggies and herbs can be a great way to eat organic while saving money and reducing waste. If you don’t have a yard or balcony, consider joining a community garden in your neighbourhood.

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Make a weekly meal plan

It may sound overly simple, but making—and sticking to—a weekly meal plan is one of the best ways to limit your food expenses and reduce waste. Once you have your week’s meals mapped out, you can maximize the ingredients you already have on hand and buy only what you need. This tried-and-true method will also help you avoid impulse buys and unnecessary purchases.

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Get couponing

If you thought couponing was a thing of the past, think again! While our parents and grandparents had to clip coupons from cereal boxes, today’s shoppers can use digital coupons to access incredible discounts. Check out Flipp’s weekly digital flyers, or visit Checkout 51 to browse savings opportunities. Certain couponing apps have also been developed specifically with grocery shopping in mind.

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Keep a well-stocked pantry

Given their almost limitless shelf life, it’s easy to forget about the non-perishables in the back of your pantry. If you get creative and buy wisely, though, they can help you save time and money. Basic items, like canned produce, canned fish, whole grains, and beans, are cheap, healthy, and versatile. Plus, they make meal planning a breeze! Simply figure out which pantry staples you want on hand and stock up when they’re on sale.

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Make your own snacks

Healthy snacks can be pricey, especially if you buy them in large quantities. To keep the munchies at bay and save money, try making your own snacks at home. Nutritious treats, like trail mix, roasted chickpeas, flavoured popcorn, and muffins, can be made in bulk at low cost and are sure to please even the pickiest eaters. Smoothies and shakes are also a great way to use up leftover produce!

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Bake your own bread

When stay-at-home measures were first imposed, novice bakers across the globe tried their hand at bread making. If you haven’t mustered up the courage yet, consider adding this cooking skill to your repertoire! While the proofing and rising times required for some recipes aren’t practical for busy professionals or families, there are plenty of quick, easy-prep breads that will cost a fraction of what you’d pay at the supermarket.

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Make your own cheese

Cheese lovers haven’t had it easy these last few months. Due to a series of pandemic-related supply chain issues, the price of cheese has reached an all-time high. Fortunately, making cheese at home is a low-cost and delicious alternative that requires very few ingredients. Whip up ricotta overnight with milk and lemon juice, or try your hand at 30-minute mozzarella!

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Start canning

Canning may take time, but your efforts pay off in the long run! You not only save money, but also get to control the ingredients in your food. Canning is especially economical if you grow your own produce, or stock up on fruits and veggies in peak season when they’re at their cheapest. To save on equipment costs, try borrowing tools from friends, or get used canning jars—but make sure to check for cracks!

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Buy local, seasonal produce

Fruits and vegetables are cheaper when they’re in season and bountiful, so aligning your eating habits with the calendar can benefit your wallet. It also has health benefits, since peak-season produce has more nutrients, not to mention better flavour. What’s more, eating locally and seasonally reduces your carbon footprint!

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Follow sales

Instead of planning your groceries around your meals, why not do the opposite? Pay attention to what’s on special at your local supermarket, then create your week’s meal schedule based on those ingredients. If you shop with restraint, this easy strategy can really slash your food costs.

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Go gourmet at home

To celebrate a special occasion on a budget, why not make a gourmet meal at home? A well-made hollandaise, béchamel, or tomato sauce can elevate the simplest of dishes and require only a few low-cost ingredients. You can also make your own fancy salad vinaigrettes and dressings for a fraction of what they cost at the supermarket, and don’t forget to whip up a hot fudge sauce or custard for a decadent dessert.

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Save your scraps

Food waste impacts the environment as well as our wallets. Instead of tossing your kitchen leftovers, try putting them to good use. For instance, turn stale bread bits into croutons, vegetable scraps into broth, and citrus peels into candied treats. Using up what’s in your fridge is a simple way to slash your grocery bill.

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Plan for bigger expenses

If you’re a foodie, buying only the essentials week after week can make mealtimes less enjoyable. To indulge once in a while without busting your budget, simply plan ahead! For instance, if you know that Friday is filet mignon night, simply adjust your other food expenses accordingly.

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Cook batch meals

Whether you’re cooking for one or many, batch meals are a good choice for thrifty food shoppers. Chilis, soups, stews, and stir-fries are hearty, affordable, and make tons of leftovers! As a bonus, you spend less time at the grocery store and in the kitchen. Plus, if you always have something in the freezer, you’ll be less likely to splurge on takeout.

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Buy imperfect produce

Imperfect produce are the bruised, funny-looking fruits and vegetables that are often thrown away by farmers and grocery stores due to their imperfections. To fight food waste and help Mother Nature, some grocery stores and food subscription boxes, like Spud and Imperfect Foods, sell imperfect produce at extremely low prices.

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Pickle your veggies

Making your own pickles can help shrink your grocery bill and reduce food waste. With just vinegar, spices, and salt, you can transform the wilting contents of your vegetable drawer into crunchy, tasty treats. Besides the classic cucumbers, carrots, radishes, and cauliflower are all great pickling options. If you’re short on time, make quick pickled veggies!

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