Wednesday, July 4, 2012

5 Tips for Saving Money in Your Kitchen


Stocking your kitchen is probably one of your biggest monthly budget items.  Most people or families usually make at least one grocery run per week.  It can cost a lot of money just to fill your freezer and pantry shelves.  So who wouldn’t want a few tips on how to lower your kitchen costs? These aren’t drastic changes, just a few simple ideas that will lower your grocery bill.  Read on for four money-saving tips for your kitchen needs.

1.              Scope out deals.  Coupon Clipping seems to be a lost art in this day an age.  In reality, you can find huge savings on your every day groceries by using coupons. A new trend of sites like Coupon Cravings dedicate pages to grocery, retailer, and travel coupons, and often offer tips for raising families on a budget. Another trick is to always bring in a coupon for any store you’re shopping at, even if you don’t buy what’s advertised – often times they just have one barcode for all promotions, and this can help you save tons of money.

2.              Buy all your produce in season.  According to GetRichSlowly.org, buying produce out of season means you’ll have to pay more.  That’s likely because it’s not locally grown.  Instead it’s being shipped to your grocery store from warmer climates.  That’s why you should get your produce in season, it will be cheaper, and it might even taste better.  It may mean changing the way you cook based on what’s in season, but it will be worth it with all the money you save on produce.

3.              Get a canning kit.  When you buy produce in season you can get great deals and stock up on your favorites.  But you need to make sure you use them before they go bad, or you’ll have wasted money.  That’s where a good canning kit comes in.  About.com explains that canning your own fruits and vegetables can save you money you would later have spent on these items in the grocery store. 

4.              Use dry milk in recipes.  Dry milk is so much cheaper than fresh.  Most people can taste the difference if just drinking it straight.  However, when you use it in cooking, the other flavors will mask the flavor of the dry milk.  When eating the finished meal, you won’t even be able to tell that it’s there.  Save your fresh milk for cereal.  But use dry milk in your next recipe to cut costs.

5.              Buy cheap cuts of meat for use in the slow-cooker.  Meat prices can be through the roof.  But not all cuts of meat are expensive. Usually you can find various cheaper cuts of meat.  The problem lies in how to best cook them so they are flavorful.  Tipnut.com suggests using a slow-cooker for these tougher cuts.  Give them enough time and they will be fork tender and delicious.

Your kitchen can be the source of a lot of your expenses.  It requires regular purchases to keep it well-stocked.  Remember these cost cutting ideas the next time your pantry needs replenishing.  The savings can really add up.  

A guest post by FrugalDad.com

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