The problem.
Food has always been a large part of most people’s budgets. Inflation is a pain if you have financial resources, but it is devastating if you have been living paycheck to paycheck. As money becomes tight, people rely on other sources of cash, including credit cards, which adds more to their financial woes.
You can delay purchasing a new TV or pause on updating your wardrobe, but you can’t stop eating. I grew up in a family of seven. My dad worked, but my mom did not work outside the home. We always had food on the table, and because my mom was a great cook, it was always delicious. However, she employed many budget-stretching techniques, some of which seem lost in today’s world of fast food, prepared meals, and restaurant eating.
In the early years of my marriage, I embraced many of the modern eating patterns. When my kids were young, it was common to go out to dinner once or twice a week, and we frequently went out to breakfast after church on Sundays. Fast food was a big part of our diet and it wasn’t uncommon for us to grill steaks for dinner because we had a “taste for them.” Much of that has changed in our household, we are economizing but not feeling deprived. In many ways we are eating better than we did in the past.
How is that possible? I do most of the grocery shopping and meal preparation at our home (I’m retired) and have employed many techniques I observed while growing up. Additionally, I was divorced from my first wife and poor during the early years of my career. I developed options to survive on the smallest grocery budget possible. Lastly, over the last decade I have taught my kids how to cook and in doing so I have refined and simplified that process. In today’s post I aim to show new budgeters some of those techniques.
What this is not.
Many articles and YouTube videos have titles like: “I survived spending only $1 a day for food,” or “How I fed my family of 4 for only $25 a week.” God bless those individuals as their methods often combined starvation with monotony. My goal has never been to eat as cheaply as possible, it was to reduce costs. We are well fed in our house and still have found ways to economize.
What this post is.
My goal is not to have you incorporate every idea listed. If you are new to trying to reduce grocery costs, start by emphasizing spending less at the grocery store, and do that by using a method that works for you. Add other savings options as you become more comfortable, ignore options that I present that make little sense to you, and incorporate things that work for you that I have neglected to list. This post is intended to be a springboard for your creative process. It is meant to inspire you, not to overwhelm you.
We eat regular food.
There are always ways to economize no matter what diet you ascribe to, but the more restrictions you place on your eating, the more difficult it becomes to economize. Can you find multiple ways to reduce food costs if you are vegan, gluten intolerant, or wholly organic? Yes, of course. However, we are traditional eaters in our home, which gives us more saving options. You may object to some of my methods, citing that we should eat how you eat. I respect your choice, but you do you and let us do us.
The simple steps to saving money on food.
Buy cheaper
Buy less
Make from scratch
Keep food making simple
substitute
Be varied
Use it up
How to spend less money on groceries
There are many ways to save at the grocery store, but it is unlikely that you will use all of them. The best approach is to start with options compatible with you and then add or subtract techniques that work, or don’t work, for you.
I have always been fascinated by those who are good at coupon clipping. However, I am not one of those individuals. Likewise, I have a niece who is a pro at using a store’s digital grocery coupons, sometimes saving 30% of her bill. Using an app before or while I shop is a frustrating pain for me.
Others will shop multiple stores every week to find the best deals and loss leaders. I admire them, but I’m usually “done” after buying a week’s groceries at a single store.
Choose and become familiar with your main store.
I go to the store with the lowest overall prices to save money on groceries. In my neck of the woods that means Walmart or Aldi. I was a Walmart shopper for many years but slowly abandoned shopping there. Why? for multiple reasons: The store is gigantic, and I would end a shopping trip exhausted. There were so many choices that I would get decision fatigue comparing items and their prices. The store has so many products that I always bought more than I intended, and I despised self-checkout when I had a cart full of groceries.
This last reason is why I quit Walmart as my main grocery store. I had a full cart of groceries and there were no checkers, so I was stuck sorting items on 18” counters. I had to place things back in my cart and separate them as I checked myself out. At the same time, I was scanning and looking up fruits and vegetables on the touch screen. Our Walmart has an employee who stares you down like you are trying to steal something. It is very uncomfortable. Naturally, the machine froze, requiring me to wait for that person to release it. My final straw was when I went through that ordeal only to have the lady at the door want to review my receipt and check every purchase that I made. Nothing like a store that makes you feel like a criminal. What did they find when they reviewed my cart? They found that I paid for every item. However, that was the final straw for me.
I switched to Aldi and have never looked back. In our area, Aldi generally offers prices lower than Walmart and much lower than traditional grocery stores. Aldi has its limitations, but many of them benefit me. Aldi mainly sells house brands, but their quality is good. If you want a product, like catsup, there is only one brand to choose from. That is fine because I don’t have to ponder which item to buy. Because they have fewer brands, the stores are small and less fatiguing. Ours has super fast checkers, taking that burden away from me, and large areas to pack groceries. Aldi does run sales, but they are very clearly marked and don’t require coupons or apps. I always spend less (compared to when I shop at any other grocery store) at Aldi. That is even when I bite the bullet and use another store’s digital coupons.
Aldi has limitations and eliminates many of the frills that other markets have. You won’t be able to get a decorated cake at Aldi, and there isn’t an on-site butcher. Additionally, Aldi has limited products. You can buy any cake mix, as long as it is chocolate, white, or yellow. Need some spices? Aldi sells them at a great price, but don’t get too exotic. I have never seen the spices as basic as bay leaves or thyme at Aldi. However, stopping at another store to get those things is easy and economical as long as I buy just what I need.
Consider house brands.
When I was a resident physician I made little money. Additionally, I was paying child support and had to live alone in my own apartment as my daughter stayed with me every other weekend. Money was extremely tight. In those days, grocery stores featured “generic” products, and I bought them because I had no choice. However, generic was not the same as a house brand. They were of inferior quality. One time I opened a can of green beans that contained an entire plant, stem, leaves, and roots!
I have found that house brands are typically very good quality, and their quality has increased. My kids like Oikos yogurt, and my wife will sometimes buy that brand if she finds it on sale. However, the Adli brand tastes pretty good and is significantly cheaper. When my adult kids said, “Dad, we prefer Oikons,” I said, “Feel free to buy it; if not, I’ll buy you the Adli brand.” Given the option of buying their own, they happily ate the Aldi yogurt.
Of course, high-end products are likely better than house brands. I read recipes where the writer tells the reader to use a particular canned tomato or mayonnaise brand. However, we are not “high end” here. We are just regular eaters.
Consider making your coffee.
Buying coffee every day is a costly proposition. You can make your own for pennies on the dollar. Making coffee can be extremely simple or very complicated depending on your desire. Instant coffee (trust me, you can get used to it) is incredibly cheap and as easy as adding a teaspoon of the stuff to hot water. There are also a multitude of coffee makers available, from drip to French presses to Keurig style. You can buy a reasonable drip coffee maker for $20-$50. Using coffee pods is the most expensive way to home brew, but still much cheaper than buying Starbucks. Lastly, making your coffee at home is more convenient than waiting in line at a store.
We buy whole beans at Costco and grind our coffee for each pot. We have a Bunn coffee maker, which was expensive but has been continuously used for over 10 years.
Do we ever buy coffeeshop coffee? Yes, but mostly when we are meeting someone at a coffee shop.
Adjust your diet based on current costs.
Eggs were a mainstay in our house when I could buy a dozen for eighty-eight cents. My daughter would hard boil a bunch for a week’s worth of breakfasts. I sometimes made them for lunch and occasionally cooked omelets for a family dinner. However, eggs have gone through the roof, and we eat less of them. I have gone so far as to purchase “egg replacers.” Egg replacers can be used in cakes, cookies, pancakes, and other baked goods. They don’t have the nutritional value of an egg, but they are relatively inexpensive and bind ingredients similarly to eggs.
I mentioned earlier that we used to eat steak regularly. It is now a “special occasion” food. When we eat steak, we cut it in half, so two steaks feed four people. That amount of meat is still more than US nutritional guidelines.
Other beef products have also become expensive, so we generally eat less of them.
Being flexible is key when it comes to saving money.
Limit buying processed foods.
I have an older relative who no longer wishes to make meals from scratch and mostly buys premade individual frozen meals. I completely respect her actions, but her grocery costs for one person are roughly the same as what I spend for four adults. Most will tell you that processed foods are not the best for you. I’m here also to say that they are costly.
That said, we do buy some processed foods. Every Friday, we make frozen pizzas for dinner. By the end of the week, no one wanted to cook, and this option worked out for us. We can always find frozen pizzas on sale. Balance and common sense are the key to sustaining a food plan.
Stick with the basics.
Another reason that I love Aldi is that many of their foods are “basic.” What are basic foods? They are foods that can be utilized in many ways. I can buy premade frozen pancakes or save money using a pancake mix. Even better is making pancakes from scratch using flour, which can be transformed into thousands of different foods.
Do I ever buy frozen pancakes? No. Do I ever buy pancake mix? Sometimes. Do I ever make pancakes from scratch? Often!
If you have essential ingredients on hand, you can make many foods. If you buy a pizza, you have a pizza. If you purchase a jar of spaghetti sauce, you can make pizza, spaghetti, a manicotti bake, and lasagna. You can do all the above and more if you buy a can of crushed tomatoes. Sometimes I’ll make individual pizzas on a worknight using whatever I can find in the fridge. The kids love them.
Be reasonable.
My grandmother made bread for her family every week. It was delicious! I occasionally make bread as a treat, but I mostly buy bread. Convenience is the driving factor.
I occasionally buy a pre-made refrigerator meal, and my wife loves diet soda. As I have repeatedly said, balance is key to a successful plan. How many extras you can add will depend on your cash flow. I know of families that almost exclusively drink water to save costs. Everyone has to figure out what works best for them.
Fresh, frozen, or canned?
We do buy fresh vegetables and fruit, but we buy them carefully. Certain vegetables, such as onions, potatoes, green onions, carrots, celery, and salad fixings, are reasonably priced. Likewise, bananas and some apples can be good values. Other fruits and vegetables can be bought when purchased in season. However, how fresh is fresh? Vegetables are transported to stores, often from different countries. They then sit under bright lights as they get sprayed with water. This may make them look fresh, but it also promotes mold.
Frozen vegetables and fruits are picked and processed at the peak of their ripeness. They are often less expensive than their fresh counterparts. They also last a long time in the freezer and are flexible when cooking.
Many people have negative feelings toward canned fruits and vegetables. However, they are picked similarly to frozen and are highly nutritious. They last a long time while being shelf-stable. I often add them when bulking up something like a stew or serve them as a side after adding a few additions to make them more palatable.
Cook from scratch when possible.
We do a lot of “scratch” cooking. If you know some basic cooking skills, you can make almost anything. My family and I would agree that the food we make from scratch tastes better and is less expensive than prepared foods and even restaurant meals.
The more you cook, the easier it gets. The same techniques are used repeatedly in cooking, so when you master a method with one recipe, you can use it in a dozen more.
Consider buying a general cookbook like those from Better Homes and Gardens or Betty Crocker. They have time-tested recipes that use basic ingredients and are designed to work with inexperienced cooks. You can find hundreds of recipes online if you don’t want to do that.
Cooking from scratch can save you money.
But I only have a microwave.
I have the benefit of a fully functional kitchen. However, I know some live in basement and studio apartments and only have a mini-fridge and a microwave. You can make many things in a microwave. I traveled out of town weekly for many years working until 10 PM. I didn’t want to leave my hotel then and often made dinner in my room. Additionally, my kids have made many things in the microwave. We have made scrambled eggs, cakes and muffins, fish, BBQ turkey legs, rice, pasta, baked potatoes, bacon, regular oatmeal, tea, and much more.
Adding one appliance, like a rice cooker or an electric frying pan, will exponentially open up your culinary world. If you live in a studio apartment, you don’t have to eat out every meal.
Clean as you go.
One of the biggest lessons I taught my kids was cleaning up as you go. When I cook, I constantly wash items. I may use the same measuring cup three times, and by the time the meal is ready, that cup has already found its way back into the cabinet. Nothing will discourage your cooking more than dealing with a mound of dishes at the end of the meal. Cleaning up as you cook is a critical part of cooking from scratch.
Build your supply of staple foods.
I was going to add a link to other authors’ lists of staple foods you should have in your pantry. I decided against it because many of those lists were extraordinarily long and included items I have never used in 50 years of cooking.
Staple foods are basic ingredients that you should always keep in your pantry. However, if you are budgeting, buying all of them at once is not feasible. I suggest reserving a portion of your weekly food budget for staple items.
Start with the basic: flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, pepper, cooking oil, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, canned tomatoes, rice, potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, frozen ground meat, and the like. Slowly build up your supplies as you can, watching for sales.
We have many staple items beyond this list, including curry powder, cinnamon, rosemary, thyme, hot sauce, powdered sugar, cut-up chicken, jar garlic, soy sauce, coconut milk, and more. However, we have built up those supplies slowly. Having staple items allows you variety when cooking. There is something you can always make.
Be flexible when cooking.
This is more of an advanced skill. I’m not afraid to substitute one ingredient for another or to even omit an ingredient from a recipe. The result may not be as intended, but it will still be good. A simple example would be to exchange a can of whole tomatoes for crushed tomatoes. However, this is just the start of what you can do. If you don’t have a particular spice, you can often substitute with something similar or leave it out altogether. Only have 1 pound of ground meat and the recipe calls for 1.5 pounds? Make up the difference with another filler. However, if you are just starting to cook, follow recipes as well as you can until you are wholly comfortable switching things around. I’m usually successful at substituting ingredients but I still make “fatal errors” occasionally, so caution is advised.
Buy and eat less meat.
All meat is expensive, but beef takes the prize. Even cheap cuts are now costly. Sometimes you can substitute one meat wholly or partially in a recipe. For instance, you can do a 50/50 split of hamburger and ground pork when making meatloaf. This will result in a tastier product. We sometimes use ground turkey instead of ground beef with excellent results.
We often make many combination foods that use less meat. Think soups, stews, casseroles, hot dishes, stir fries, loaves, and more. These are delicious, filling, and nutritious and can often be made in a single pot or pan, so cleanup is a breeze. Making combination foods is as important as choosing the right grocery store to save money.
Consider meatless meals.
If you can go vegan or vegetarian, more power to you. We are not there yet. However, we will often have meatless meals that we all love. My kids get excited when we make homemade potato pancakes or mac and cheese, and my wife and I love lentil and bean dishes, which can be made with very little meat or are entirely vegetarian. There are many ways to make delicious foods that don’t require meat.
KISS
Keep it simple, silly. Basic foods, ingredients, and cooking make a sustainable behavior change.
Do a food inventory and make a list before going to the store.
Check out what you already have before going grocery shopping. A time-honored way to save money at the grocer is to create and stick to a list. Of course, don’t go to the store hungry!
Use it up.
We are good at using meat before it spoils and finishing leftovers (often for the next day’s lunch). However, we need to improve our use of fruits and vegetables. We are trying to do better by taking inventory of what fruits and vegetables are on hand and incorporating them into our meals. Additionally, we pay special attention to those items that are declining. For example, wilting celery is still terrific when used as an aromatic in a soup, stew, or casserole.
Make what you have, not what you want.
We mostly avoid making meals based on what we have a taste for. Instead we cook based on what we have on hand. This eliminates another form of decision fatigue and allows us to use up items that would have gone bad. My daughter used half of a jar of spaghetti sauce for a spaghetti lunch. I used the remainder to make an impromptu pizza.
Consider making a menu.
Another time-honored money-saving tip is to make a weekly menu. Sadly, I have been unable to do this formally. You may be better at this than I am.
Make less/Eat less.
As a poor medical resident, I made enough food for two meals. I would immediately separate half of the food into a travel container. The first half would be my dinner, and the second half would be my lunch the next day. I ate better than many of my cohorts who bought their food daily.
I have constantly had to battle with obesity my entire life. The first time that I lost 100 pounds was in the 7th grade! I gain weight very quickly. I have adopted a way of eating called “cafeteria style.” If you have ever bought a meal in a school cafeteria, you know you get a portioned amount of items. That is what you eat, no more. When I eat at home, I portion out a similar amount of food and try (not always successfully) to only eat that amount. There is no need for me to go back for seconds and thirds as to do so results in a negative outcome.
We often have leftovers that the kids take to work, but I try to make only a reasonable amount of food to avoid food waste.
Buy good items that are reaching expiration.
One of our local grocery stores often sold items nearing expiration but still perfectly good. Meats could be found for more than half off. I would buy these in bulk, portion them in vacuum-sealed bags, and then freeze them. However, recently, I have had a few experiences where I had to return meats as they were past their prime and I am no longer practicing that habit. If you have a reputable store, find out when they re-label items for bargain prices.
Portion out meals.
I avoid places like Costco as I always spend more than I intend. However, I still shop there occasionally as the quality is excellent. This is especially the case with bulk meats.
When I get home, I divide the bulk package into meal-size portions and then vacuum seal and label each package for the freezer. Meat can stay fresh with no freezer burn for over a year.
Learn the art of preservation.
There are many ways to preserve food, here are two ways we do it:
The vacuum sealer
I have used a vacuum sealer since the early 1990s and have saved a lot of money in the process. I freeze meal-size portions of meat for main courses and vegetables for soups and stews. I’ll also freeze individual portions of leftovers that I can pop directly in boiling water for a quick lunch. Additionally, I freeze many dry items. For instance, I buy bulk rice, which I portion and vacuum seal in 1-2 pound bags.
Name-brand vacuum sealer bags are excellent but expensive. I use off-brand brands with good results. Over the last few years, I have switched from a standard home vacuum sealer to a chamber-style one. Chamber vacuum bags cost only pennies, often the same price or lower than a Ziploc bag, but they are much stronger and more resistant to freeze burn.
The freezer
We have owned a separate freezer for over 30 years. It is a manual defrost model that costs very little to operate, only a few dollars a month. The freezer allows us to buy cheaper meats in bulk (which I then divide up), buy items on sale, buy items that are good but are reaching their expiration date, and much more. It is also convenient to have extra freeze space to hold that emergency frozen meal or an extra pizza to serve a friend who makes a surprise visit.
Consider buying one of these appliances when you can afford to do so.
I am a gadget lover who has been buying small electrics for my entire adult life. I have just about every gadget that you could imagine. Some of you are likely attached to a small appliance and may covet your toaster oven, or rice cooker (to name a few)—more power to you.
However, two appliances stand out for working individuals who want to transition from eating out to making food at home. Consider one or the other (or both!).
I purchased a 2.5-quart, very basic slow cooker for $9 as a medical resident, and I used it extensively to make many different meals. For instance, In the morning I would toss a couple of pork chops in it with a drained can of sauerkraut, a grated apple, a little brown sugar, and some caraway seeds (if I had them). That evening I would have a delicious dinner (plus a lunch the next day) waiting for me.
Slow cookers can be purchased for as little as $20 (fancy ones cost more) and are very easy to use. They are great for those who can plan meals in the morning, and they also save energy. I suggest a 4-quart size for an individual or small family and a 6-quart model for a larger family.
The other appliance to consider is a pressure cooker; the most energy-efficient appliance I have ever tested. Pressure cookers sometimes frighten people, but the new ones employ many safety features. You can buy a stovetop or electric version; both have advantages. I recommend an electric pressure cooker, like the Instant Pot, for the new cook. If you shop around, you can buy a decent one for $60-$80. Pressure cookers are great for those who don’t want to bother with morning prep but also don’t want to spend a lot of time cooking when they get home. Pressure cookers can cook food in about ⅓rd of the time compared to traditional cooking methods. You can make a delicious soup from scratch in under 13 minutes of pressure. A 3-quart pressure cooker works well for singles and couples, a 6-quart is best for most others.
With both appliances, you have the advantage of one-pot meals, which means less cleanup. It is also easy to make a larger batch for tomorrow’s lunch or to freeze away for a future meal.
Should you upgrade your cooking gear?
You likely have everything that you need to make, just about anything that you want to make. However, good equipment makes cooking easier. I use an inexpensive pull-through knife sharpener every time I cook. I use small electrics. I like quality cookware, and my Dutch oven is my favorite pot. However, I have built my cooking gear over 50 years. All you need is a chef’s knife, a big pot, a saucepan, a frying pan, and some cheap utensils. You don’t need to spend a ton of money to save money. Shop second hand or garage sales. They are great places for cookware and appliances like crock pots. Request items as gifts, start a gear fund or shop sales, or do none of the above and work with what you have. It is all good.
Conclusion.
Remember, progress, not perfection. You will likely fail if you immediately try to implement all of my suggestions. Come up with a solution to save money at the grocery store and then implement a few of my tips. Add and subtract options as indicated.
We are not deprived in our household. We eat very well while eating less highly processed food. Yes, we have snacks and desserts too. Our goal is to maximize our savings while minimizing deprivation. Try the same.
Peace
Mike
Addendum: I mention my efforts and my kids a lot in this post. Please note that my wife is also involved in a lot of meal prep!
