9 Smart Ways to Save Money in the Kitchen

There are so many ways to save money in the kitchen, and it doesn’t have to be a chore! It can actually be a fun challenge that sparks creativity. From meal prepping to smart shopping, there are plenty of simple tricks you can use to cut costs without sacrificing flavor or nutrition.

Ways to Save Money in the Kitchen

Let’s jump into some easy tips that will keep your wallet happy while you whip up delicious meals.

Seasonal Produce for Lower Costs

Buying seasonal produce can really help your wallet. Fresh fruits and veggies are often cheaper when they are in season, plus they taste better! Chain supermarkets will have avocados and citrus cheaper in the winter months here in the US because that’s when those items are in season in their growing environments.

Another way to find seasonal vegetables and fruits is to shop local markets and farmers markets. You can also search for a local CSA to join that will ensure a regular delivery of seasonal foods.

So check out your local market and grab what’s ripe!

Growing Your Own Herbs and Vegetables

Growing your own herbs and vegetables is a fun and easy way to save money in the kitchen. Just a few pots on your windowsill can give you fresh flavors with seasonal herbs without the grocery store price tag.

No matter your climate, or gardening zone, you can grow something all year even if you don’t have any outside space to put in an official garden. Here are some things that can be grown anywhere, some year round:

• Herbs like rosemary, parsley, and chives
• Sprouts of all kinds, which can be “grown” in jars on your counter
• Microgreens which can replace pricier salad greens in the winter
• Green onions – easy to grow from scraps of the plants purchased at the grocery store

Plus, it feels great to cook with ingredients you’ve nurtured yourself!

Utilizing Leftovers Creatively

Leftovers can be a great way to save money and minimize waste in the kitchen. Transforming yesterday’s meals into new dishes not only sparks creativity but also makes for quick and easy meals.

There are two ways I approach using leftovers for future meals

1. Reuse the item as it is, either as a replacement for a future meal, as an accompaniment to another meal, or in a buffet type meal with multiple bits and bobs of leftovers and filling in with things like spiced beats or olives from the pantry.
2. Leftover wizardry, which is a term I learned in The Tightwad Gazette book many years ago and fully embraced. This is taking leftovers and turning them into a new dish! It’s truly magic, and I’m so proud of myself when I accomplish this. 😂

Examples of leftover wizardry include turning leftover soup into a casserole; using leftover meats, vegetables, and mashed potatoes for a cottage pie or shepherd’s pie; and turning leftover meats and veggies into a pasta skillet meal.

From mixing proteins with fresh veggies to crafting tasty soups, the options are endless!

Meal Planning to Reduce Waste

Meal planning is a simple way to cut down on food waste and save some cash. By mapping out your meals, you can use up ingredients before they spoil.

You can do this as simply as listing out a few meals you can create from what you have on hand, or get seriously elaborate and plan out an entire month to help you with a big shopping trip. You do your thing and find what meal planning technique works for you!

Here are some options and some great info on meal planning:

• Amazing family meal planning ideas
• Assigning days for certain types of meals = super easy meal planning
• Monthly meal planning inspiration with a printable menu plan

Meal planning saves sanity, simplifies life, and even makes grocery shopping way easier!

Smart Shopping Techniques

When shopping for groceries, it pays to be prepared. We all know the basic things we should do to help save money at the store:

• Make a list before you head to the store to avoid impulse buys that can add up quickly.
• Stick to your list and compare prices to ensure you’re getting the best deals on what you need.
• Don’t go to the store when you’re hungry! (This seriously makes a huge difference in the final cost at the checkout – ask me how I know!)

And here are some of my personal helpers that I’ve found help us spend less on the food bill:

Pick-up ordering: We only have Walmart and ALDI as the good chain grocery stores in our area, but both of them have the ability for me to shop online and pick up at the store. The Walmart service is free, and ALDI uses Instacart so it has a service fee, and they raise some of the prices higher than if you shopped in store. We currently use the Walmart pick-up.

This saves us money just by not being in the store as often. I can see the numbers as I’m adding items to the cart, and I can decide when to cut back or when to add a few things to help stock the pantry. It has really helped keep my weekly grocery and household budget in check and has saved me a lot of time from shopping in the store!

The downside is that not every worker at the store has the same shopping experience I have to be prepared for the produce to not have been picked over as carefully as I personally would have. But so far I’m willing to trade that for the time and money savings we’re getting in trade.

Using up what’s on hand: I touched on this in info about using up leftovers, but this is going a bit deeper. Keeping our pantry, freezer, and refrigerator stocked means we need to rotate through foods and make sure we’re using up items so they don’t get wasted. This is especially important in the refrigerator!

I do a few things like keep a section of the fridge devoted to leftovers and check those every day for what can be used. I also sort through the produce in the fridge frequently to make sure we’re getting every bit of use out of them that we can. And I even keep an eye on the shelving in the fridge door in an attempt to use up any opened jars or condiments. I call it grocery management and honestly I feel like it’s my creative outlet sometimes!

Buying in Bulk for Savings

Buying in bulk can seriously save you some cash in the kitchen. When you stock up on essentials like grains, spices, and legumes, you cut down on packaging costs and often get a better price per unit. Plus, having a well-organized pantry makes cooking at home more enjoyable and efficient!

Another pro to bulk shopping is that it often means that organic items are within my budget so that’s a win-win!

Good places I’ve found to bulk shop:

• Warehouse stores like Sam’s or Costco – Our nearest warehouse stores are over 2 hours away so I don’t personally use these, but I hear they have good shipping for non-perishable foods so this might work for you.
• Local health foods and specialty stores – We do have a couple of really good health food stores and a new organic grocery store in our area. At the health food stores, I’ve found the best prices (that fit my personal budget) to be the herbs and spices. The organic grocery store actually has really good prices on produce that’s in season and they also source some of it locally. This has been a great way for me to try to get in some local, organic nutrition through veggies, and the store is on my way to either ALDI or Walmart for the rest of my shopping so it’s not even out of the way!
• Azure Standard – This is a great option if you live within driving distance of a drop-off location. Their organic dry goods and produce seem to be within what I consider reasonable pricing for current prices. I’m hoping to use this service in the future.

I also just do regular stocking up on items I like to keep on hand like canned tomato products, vinegars and oils, and some baking goods, so I just buy 1 or 2 extra items as I’m doing the regular grocery shopping when I have a bit extra in my weekly budget. Since we are now empty nesters, this is working well for us.

DIY Condiments and Sauces

Making your own condiments and sauces can save you a ton of money in the kitchen. Simple recipes for ketchup, mayo, or salad dressing often use ingredients you already have. Plus, you can tweak flavors to match your taste perfectly!

I keep a few varieties of vinegar on hand, as well as healthier oils. I also have a well-stocked herb and spice pantry so we can always season with whatever flavors we’re craving. We make salad dressings, marinades, and sauces from scratch, and they really don’t take hardly any time to make.

Here are some helpful resources I’ve personally used for recipes and ideas to make more condiments and sauces from home:

• 30 DIY condiments you can make at home
• 9 easy homemade salad dressings (so good!)
• Amazing sauces to make anything taste fancy

I haven’t gotten my husband acclimated to homemade ketchup, mustard, or mayonnaise, but I’ll keep working on him!

Batch Cooking for Cost Efficiency

Batch cooking is a fantastic way to save money and time in the kitchen. By preparing meals in larger quantities, you can cut down on grocery bills and reduce food waste. Plus, having ready-made meals in your fridge makes weeknight dinners a breeze!

My main way of batch cooking is to simply make two of something I’m already making, with one of them going straight to the freezer. This works well with these meals we make:

• Lasagna – I put this in the freezer unbaked, and it can be cooked from frozen or thawed and then baked. I also put leftover cooked lasagna in the freezer for lunches when we’ve tired of eating it after a couple of times.
• Chicken Pot Pie – Again, I’ve frozen this uncooked and cooked and both ways turn out yummy when baked either from frozen or thawed.
• Chili – I freeze this in wide mouth quart mason jars with the metal lids on for airtight storage. Stick it in the freezer and then set out in the sink or on a towel on the counter the day you plan on making it for dinner. Or thaw it in the fridge over a day or two.

See my notes above on using leftovers, as those are often caused by my purposely making more than we need for one meal just so we can have another meal later in the week that I don’t have to start from scratch!

Reducing Energy Costs While Cooking

Cooking smarter can help lower your energy bills. I don’t really think about these things as being helpful for our utility bills simply because it’s what I learned growing up or during my early homemaking years when I was getting my own household started. But it turns out that these things are not only practical but also help save money on energy costs!

Here are some everyday habits I use in the kitchen that will help cut utility costs:

1. Try using pots and pans that match the size of your burner for efficient heating.
2. Use lids for the pans, especially when bringing liquids to a boil. This also helps keep the mess to a minimum so less food particles (like sauce or grease) float into the air.
3. Consider turning off the oven a few minutes early; it will stay warm enough to finish cooking your meal. This may not work with precise baking, but it’s totally ok for things like casseroles, meatloaf, or lasagna.
4. Plan to make the entire meal in the oven if you’re using it for one dish. For example, when we make meatloaf, we automatically make potatoes and even put frozen vegetables in the oven as it’s closer for the other items to be done. That way the oven makes the entire meal when it’s already being heated for one dish.

Final Thoughts

Saving money in the kitchen is about combining smart strategies – from seasonal shopping and home gardening to batch cooking and energy efficiency. By implementing even a few of these tips, you’ll likely see your grocery bills shrink while your cooking confidence grows.

Remember that every small change adds up, and the journey to a more budget-friendly kitchen can be both rewarding and delicious. Start with what feels manageable, and you’ll be amazed at how much you can save while creating wonderful meals for yourself and your loved ones!