How to Reduce Food Costs: Not Your Average Tips and Tricks!
These aren't your average tips and tricks because I've already tried those...
As part of my Low Spend Year, I’ve been keeping track of what I spend each month and although it’s been helping to curb my spending when it comes to things like clothing and home decor, it has not helped AT ALL when it comes to reducing food costs. I spent more on groceries last month than on my mortgage! I feel a lil’ barfy admitting that. (If you’re nosy and want to learn the exact numbers of what I spend each month, I share everything with my paid subscribers. Hit the button below to become a paid subscriber.)
And let’s be real: I already do a lot of the normal tips and tricks to reduce food costs. I always make a list. I always check the fridge before I go and I rarely buy name brands. I also shop at less expensive grocery stores like ALDI and my local Food Lion. So, I’ve been trying some different strategies. I don’t need your average tips and tricks! Here’s 10 things I’ve been trying to reduce my food cost:
1. Make Meals with Less Ingredients
I’ve been leaning into meals with less ingredients. I’m not saying I don’t love a little spice! Variety is the spice of life, after all! What I am saying is that to save money, I’m cutting down on meals that need 15 different ingredients. There’s so many one pot and 5 ingredient recipes out there that make healthy and delicious meals. And generally, these 5 ingredient meals are both cheaper and easier. Buying those ingredients that you only use once in a recipe and never again means more waste. I’m looking at you, powdered sugar!
Obviously you can Google around for 5 ingredient or even 3 ingredient meals. If you need a little help, there’s so many good ideas for 5 ingredient meals over on this page.
2. Use Your Freezer
If you’re just a two person household like mine, the freezer is an amazing resource to avoid food waste and keep more money in your pocket. I love freezing things like bananas for smoothies and even half of an onion to use later. We never go through bananas or onions fast enough.
You can even freeze things you might not think of like butter, milk and rice! If you start doing this, be sure to go through your freezer before you go shopping to help you avoid over-buying.
3. Make Your Own Convenience Foods
Is it basic of me to admit that I love frozen pizza? I don’t care! I love it. But, the decent frozen pizzas are edging up to the $10 mark. That’s just too rich for my blood. Instead, I googled around to find an easy pizza recipe– emphasis on easy. Yeasted dough is delicious, but I’m never going to make it on a weekday.
Instead, I use this sourdough discard pizza recipe. I’ve been making it once a week. It uses something I already had (bonus tip for food waste reduction!) and costs pennies in comparison to a store-bought pizza.
4. Have a “Chopped” Night Once a Week
I don’t have cable (hello, money saving, remember?), but the gym I go to is always playing the Food Network. And let me tell you this: Chopped is a wild ride. Chefs get a mystery basket and have to make a meal with the ingredients. And while you might not have durian or offal sitting around in your fridge, you might have some odd combos. Instead of using this as an excuse to go out and buy other ingredients, have a Chopped night and make a meal with the ingredients you have on hand.
Bonus tip: If you aren’t feeling creative, sites like What’s In The Refrigerator can help! You put in what ingredients you have and it’ll suggest recipes to make.
5. Shop Other Stores
Your big-name grocery chain probably isn’t the cheapest. Instead, try searching out the ethnic markets and salvage grocery stores in town. I like our Asian Grocery store for giant bags of rice, spices and produce. Salvage grocery stores can be fun to poke around in too. They won’t have everything, but they often do carry a lot of preprepared items that may be dented or discontinued. This can be helpful if you’re not a big cook or just need those quick items sometimes. It still is cheaper than takeout!
Farmer’s markets are oftentimes more expensive than the grocery, but sometimes you can find deals there– especially on things like eggs and in-season produce. And obviously, you’re supporting farmers which is always a win!
6. Send My Partner to the Store Instead
I do most of the cooking and grocery shopping in our home, so I’m always keeping a mental list of what we need. Sometimes we do run out of things like milk for our coffee which is a must-have. Instead of going to the store myself, I’ll send my partner. He doesn’t know the other 15 items we need, so he’ll just get what I asked. It’s always more expensive when I go to the store because I’ll pick up other things we’re close to running out of.
7. Try “Reverse Meal Planning”
I like to go to the grocery store with a plan. If not, disaster falls upon my house.
If you’re more flexible than me, try shopping first, then meal planning. Shop based on deals or markdowns, then plan meals around what you bought. If you’re flexible, this can help you take advantage of discounts. If you’re like me and get overwhelmed in the grocery, just stick to the list. We gotta do what we gotta do sometimes.
8. Switch Your Snacking
I rarely eat a “proper lunch.” I mostly just make a snack plate and call it a day. Unfortunately snacks are a budget killer. Instead of single-serve items, I’ve been trying to buy larger bags I can portion out and snack on. For example, I love the 100 calorie bags of nuts, but they’re way more expensive than buying a big bag and portioning them out. It does take a little more time, but saving money (and packaging!) is worth it.
9. Track Food You Throw Away for a Week
I’m pretty good at not throwing away food. I absolutely hate food waste and can compost anything that looks a bit questionable, but this is a good tip if you find yourself throwing things away each week. Keep a note on your phone of every item you toss for a week. This will help you to identify patterns. Maybe you always forget that sad bagged lettuce in the bottom of your crisper drawer. Maybe you buy too much dairy. Knowing what you waste is a smart first step to reducing food costs.
10. Rearrange Your Fridge
If you’re ADHD or just plain forgetful, it’s easy to forget what you have in your fridge—especially when it comes to items that are in those bottom drawers. Don’t put your veggies in those drawers. It’s too easy to forget about. Keep your veggies out where you can see them and are more likely to use them. It won’t hurt the veggies, I promise. I like to keep drinks in the bottom drawers because I’ll never forget about those.
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Got any more unexpected ways to reduce food costs? Share the wealth in the comments!
I only price compare shop on items that I know are pricey or don't buy often so it doesn't take too much extra time.
Substitutions can save money, too. Olive oil has become very pricey, but you can often sub applesauce for oil in baking and vegetable broth for sauteing. I also sub dried cranberries for pomegrante seeds. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy an herb plant than a dried spice bottle or fresh herbs. DIY applesauce is easy. Cook Granny Smith apples for 5 minutes in water or until soft, drain the water, and blend. Freeze leftovers.