Many years ago, I went to get a haircut. The line was short, so I thought I would be in and out, but the stylist was gabby and spent an inordinate amount of time with the person she was working with. I had to leave; in those days, my time was not my own. When I finally got a haircut, I watched what the stylist did. I’m a baldish guy, and all that she did was run the clippers over my head, similar to the way that I cut my lawn; that was it. That day, I went out and bought some clippers and started to cut my own hair. Those clippers reached the end of their life, and I replaced them a few months ago with a cordless set from Wahl for $36. Recently, Amazon “tickled” me to do a review on the clippers, so I went back to their product page. Those same clippers are now over $47, a more than 30% price increase in just a few months. Inflation and the Trump tariffs are real, and both are impacting everything from appliances to utilities to medication costs, and especially food.
But what foods should a senior make? A common option for seniors is to buy frozen meals. However, inexpensive frozen dinners are pretty terrible, and better quality ones can be quite expensive. I often have an emergency pot pie or a frozen dinner on hand, but neither is part of my regular diet.
I found this photo from 2009. I was having this for dinner at work. Wow, it looks pretty terrible, and look at those portions. The apples look like a tablespoon’s worth, and the corn isn’t much better. So much for cheap frozen dinners.
I know many seniors live on very limited incomes. Some are already doing things to reduce their expenses, following the use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without rule. However, one of the main and never-ending expenses in life is food. You can’t avoid buying it, even when the cost doubles. Food is one of life’s great joys, so it should be more than rice and beans, but then how can you save money? One way to deal with rising food costs is by using rational thinking. We eat well at our home and enjoy our food. Yet, I am careful with my purchases and try to avoid food waste whenever possible. I have attempted to be conscious of what I buy during my retirement years. I understand that I’m in a spending phase of life, not an earning phase. I am adopting many of the tricks I learned from watching my mother cook, who had to feed 7 on a single salary, as well as the methods I used when I was a poor medical student and resident. Could I spend more? Sure, but why? There is no status in overspending.
Through my years of talking to patients, it was apparent that many, including seniors, never learned the frugal habits I did. If this post helps a single person become more food-secure, it is a post worth writing. It is meant as general ideas to spark your own plans. You may have restrictions that will alter what you can eat. You need to determine your needs. Remember, you do you.
My current household consists of three adults. However, I lived many years as a single man and student with very limited funds. I discovered what worked for me, and you will need to do the same, as one size doesn’t fit all. Here are some general considerations.
- If your food situation is dire, please check out options such as senior lunch programs, SNAP benefits, free or reduced-cost meals from Meals on Wheels, and local food pantries. I’m going to list many suggestions, but they assume that you have at least some discretionary funds. No one should go hungry.
- Consider where you shop. This will be limited by what is available in your area. Generally speaking, Walmart is less expensive than other stores, and Aldi is less expensive than Walmart. I try to do most of my shopping at Aldi because I like its smaller stores, better prices, and more limited selection, which leads to less decision fatigue. I’m in and out in no time, and I save quite a bit of money to boot. With that said, I will shop at other grocery stores for items I can’t get at Aldi and to take advantage of their sales.
- I like to have certain fresh vegetables on hand that keep well for a long time. Celery, carrots, onions, potatoes, and the like. These vegetables are inexpensive and extremely versatile.
- I do some unconventional things. I know you are not supposed to store potatoes in the fridge because their texture can be altered, but I often do because they tend to stay fresher longer. It is a compromise that I make.
- Fresh fruits can be expensive, but some, like bananas, are always reasonably priced. I’ll watch for sales on other fresh fruits. Instead of tossing out overripe fruit, I try to repurpose it. For instance, I’ll use overripe bananas to make a delicious smoothie.
- I’m not afraid to buy canned vegetables and fruit, and I particularly like having a jar of applesauce around. Applesauce is extremely versatile. It can be eaten as a standalone dish, mixed into oatmeal, utilized in baking, and more.
- Frozen vegetables and fruits can be more cost-effective than fresh, and should be considered when possible.
- Both canned and frozen fruits and vegetables offer good nutrition. Plus, there tends to be less waste as fresh items go bad quickly.
- Some people save quite a bit of money by using coupons. I’m not great at doing that, but when I do, it has saved me some cash.
- Reduce the amount of meat that you use. Many cuts of meat have become extraordinarily expensive. However, meat adds flavor and interest to many foods. Try to use meat as an accompaniment rather than the main ingredient. Soups, stews, and casseroles are excellent in this regard.
I made a delicious cream of chicken soup from the carcass of a Costco roasted chicken.
- Consider meatless meals. The options are endless. The internet is awash with vegetarian recipes, but there are many options that you likely already know. How about scrambled eggs on toast for a light lunch or potato pancakes with applesauce for dinner?
Potato pancakes are simple to make and really tasty.
- Reduce your waste. Plan your menu from your refrigerator. If you know that a salad’s life is ending, eat it now. I have taken wilted salad greens and tossed them into a soup for greater nutrition and less waste. If you use only ½ of a can of tomato paste for a recipe, put the other half in a container or small Ziploc bag and freeze it for future use. If you are sick of eating that big pot of stew you made, freeze the leftovers for an easy lunch or dinner later. Is bread often going stale? Don’t leave it out, freeze it, then thaw what you need by leaving it on the counter, toasting it, or using the microwave.
- Eat what you like, but also try new things. If you can’t stand a new food, that’s fine. However, if a new food is OK, you will probably learn to like it after a few exposures. A good place to start is beans and lentils. They are delicious when made with a few spices, dirt cheap, super healthy, and can be incorporated into a thousand dishes.
This 15-bean soup was fantastic. My sister gave me some leftover ham from Easter that I vacuum sealed, froze, and used months later. I’m using a pressue cooker, but you could also make this soup using a large pot.
- Cook from scratch! It is less expensive, healthier, and more nutritious. The more you cook using basic ingredients, the faster and easier it becomes. Basic ingredients can be used in many different ways. Frozen pancakes are tasty and easy to prepare. However, if you have a sack of flour, you can make pancakes, waffles, and a thousand other foods.
The more you cook from scratch, the easier it gets.
- Consider hybrid cooking. It’s OK to use prepared foods/ingredients sometimes, but the more prepared a food is, the higher the cost. However, some prepared foods can be bargains. I will sometimes use a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup in a casserole when I’m too lazy to make a cream sauce. When I was single, I often had a box of instant rice and a box of instant mashed potatoes on hand, as I could easily make the right no-waste quantity of a side dish. Certain foods, like frozen meatballs or pierogies, are nice because you can easily use part of the bag to turn a mundane dinner into something special. Life is all about balance.
Sometimes it is reasonable to use prepared foods. Here I’m using some cream of mushroom soup to make an easy tuna fish casserole.
- Come up with a cooking-and-eating pattern that works for you. When I was single and working 60-80 hours per week as a resident physician, I would make a meal for two and immediately portion out half for dinner and the other half (using a Rubbermaid container) for lunch the next day. My adult kids have their own ways of saving on grocery bills. My one daughter makes a meal for 4 and divides it up into 4 containers, so she always has a nice dinner waiting for her when she returns home from work. My other daughter makes breakfast foods that keep well for several days in the fridge. She will also batch-cook meals, then freeze portions that she can easily pull out and microwave.
I used a container very similar to this one when I cooked for two and saved the second portion for the next day’s lunch. However, they now have many more options for food containers.
My daughter sent me this photo. She made this large lasagna and portioned it into 4 meals for 4 days, plus 1 or 2 to freeze.
My other daughter made a pot of red beans (for red beans and rice). She then vacuum-sealed and froze individual dinners for future meals. Like father, like daughter?
- Make your own coffee. You are probably already doing this. However, if you like to go out for coffee every day, you are wasting a lot of money. I go to coffee places on occasion to meet friends. However, I always make our morning coffee at home. Since there are three of us, I make a big pot that is consumed by 9 AM. However, if it were just me, I would either make a smaller quantity or use a capsule coffee maker, like a Keurig. Yes, coffee capsules have their own issues, and they are more expensive than ground coffee, but they are still considerably less expensive than going out for coffee. Looking for the cheapest option? Instant coffee is less expensive than ground coffee and easy to make. The taste is slightly different, but people get used to it. In fact, Europeans drink more instant coffee than ground coffee.
It is much cheaper to make your own morning coffee.
- Consider tea. Coffee is getting more expensive. If you feel you can’t afford it, but you need a caffeine fix, brew some tea. It is less expensive and delicious.
- Reward yourself. Life isn’t all hard tack. Many cookies are very simple to make. Bake some sweet treats and portion them out. Cookies freeze especially well, but so do other desserts. Add a little sweetness to your day!
Many cookie recipes are simple. Freeze a batch and take out a couple for a dessert or treat. Personal confession: I will eat them frozen on occasion.
- Be unconventional. Breakfast food for dinner? Why not! Leftover dinner food for breakfast? Of course! You are retired, so you no longer have to abide by food police rules.
- Think outside the box. Microwave a potato for dinner and then top it with whatever you like. Traditional add-ons like butter and sour cream, or how about some leftover chili or even canned chili? I microwaved a sweet potato and topped it with butter, a little brown sugar, cinnamon, and a dash of nutmeg for a quick lunch. I have taken leftover mashed potatoes and mixed them with chives and an egg, and fried up potato pancakes for a creative dinner. How about scrambled eggs with a side of pork and beans? Don’t knock it, it is surprisingly good.
- Soups, stews, and casseroles are your best friends. There is no better way to stretch meat or make a meatless meal. The options are absolutely endless, and these dishes are extremely flexible. You made soup, but ran out of noodles? Use rice, potatoes, or pasta; it is all good.
We frequently have soups, stews, and casseroles for dinner. They are real comfort foods. I’m serving this soup with some homemade bread.
- Do you remember the commercial that announced, “Wednesday is Prince spaghetti day!” Why not designate one night a week for a pasta dish?
- Spice it up! Adding spices can turn a bland meal into a delicious one. Additionally, different spices can transform the same ingredients into a totally different dish. You don’t need every spice under the sun, but consider having more than salt and pepper. Inexpensive brands include Aldi, dollar store brands, and Walmart’s house brand. Some spices that I always have are oregano, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, thyme, cumin, rosemary, and cinnamon. Don’t run out and buy all of these; pick up one or two as needed. Spices don’t go bad; they just become less potent over time. Ignore their expiration date.
You can buy spices affordably if you know where to shop. Aldi sells spices for very reasonable prices.
- Fake vanilla if you bake? Most people can’t tell the difference between imitation vanilla and real vanilla in baked goods (it is a different story with cold items). If you can’t afford the real stuff, don’t be afraid to go imitation.
If you can’t afford vanilla, go with the imitation stuff. Most people can’t taste the difference.
- Consider protein extenders. TVP (soy protein) can be soaked and added to many dishes to extend meat and increase the meal’s nutritional value. Think meat loaf, tacos, and spaghetti sauce. The same can be said using beans and lentils as extenders.
TVP is a great way to extend your ground meats.
- Learn the art of substitution. I’m constantly substituting one thing for another. No black beans? I’ll use pinto beans. If I don’t have all the spices listed in a recipe, I’ll use what I have on hand. If I don’t have an onion for a dish, I’ll use dehydrated onion or even a packet of onion soup mix. You get the idea.
- Consider old-fashioned breakfasts. Traditional foods like Oatmeal and Cream of Wheat are cheap and filling. Add extras to customize these bland foods to make them your own. I like adding a big spoonful of peanut butter to my cooked oatmeal, but there are many more ways to up your porridge game. When I make oatmeal, I cook it in a bowl in the microwave. It takes less than two minutes to cook, and I don’t have a pot to clean. I always use an oversized bowl to avoid boil-overs.
Dress up your oatmeal to elevate a bland dish and turn it into something special.
- Spare the fruit! I’ll use over-ripe bananas to make banana bread, and I’ll mash over-ripe strawberries and raspberries and add them to yogurt. Of course, I toss out moldy fruit. A thick slice of homemade banana bread with some butter or jam is a wonderful way to start the day!
Don’t toss out over-ripe bananas, make some yummy banana bread!
- Make your own yogurt. Nothing could be simpler, and it is considerably less expensive to make yogurt than to buy those tiny 6-oz tubs at the grocery store. Yogurt incubators are cheap, but you don’t even need to buy one. There are recipes that use an Instant Pot, others that incubate in an old cooler, and even some that use a slow cooker. I like to add some granola, fruit, and a little honey to my homemade yogurt. It tastes so much better than the stuff at the grocery store.
This yogurt incubator was less than $20, but you can also make yogurt using equipment that you likely already have.
Here is my homemade yogurt after incubating milk for 8 hours. Amazing and delicious!
- Peanut butter! I love peanut butter, and it is one of my breakfast staples. I mentioned peanut butter in my oatmeal, but I also like it on a sliced apple or banana. Another favorite is peanut butter with jam on toast. A fast and easy breakfast or snack!
Peanut butter on a cut up apple makes an easy breakfast.
- Bulk up canned soups. If you’re going the canned soup route for an occasional lunch or dinner, add ½ to a full can of drained vegetables to add nutrition and bulk. String beans work well here.
- Bulk up boxed pasta dishes. I usually make pasta from scratch, as it is quick and easy. In fact, I make a “world-famous” mac and cheese. However, sometimes it is just easier to use one of those boxed pasta dishes. Consider tossing in some canned meat (like tuna or chicken) and some frozen veggies to turn a side dish into a delicious main-course casserole. This is something that I do when I’m camping, and it is surprisingly good.
- Consider the humble frozen pizza. When both my wife and I worked, we were pretty beat by Friday, and neither of us wanted to cook. Originally, we would order pizza, but carryout pizza has gotten pretty expensive. A number of years ago, I started making frozen pizza for Friday dinner. If the kids were with us, we would make two. If it were just the two of us, I would make one and have the leftover slices for lunch the next day. Frozen pizzas vary from OK to pretty awful. We watch the sales and can often get a decent brand for around $6, which is fairly inexpensive. With that said, I would encourage you to make highly processed foods an extra rather than the main offering in your diet.
- Are you feeling salty? If you are in need of a salty snack, consider popping some popcorn. I’m not talking about the microwave stuff, I’m referring to regular popcorn. You only need a pan with a lid, popcorn, and some oil; special equipment isn’t necessary. Put some oil in a pan. Heat a single layer of kernels on medium heat until you start to hear popping and shake the pan now and then. When the popping slows, remove from the heat. Add a little salt and butter, or another flavoring, to make your treat even more special. Why buy pre-made popcorn when homemade is so much better and cheaper?
Homemade popcorn tastes better than pre-popped popcorn, and it is less expensive. You don’t need any special equipment to make homemade popcorn.
- Consider other ground meats. Ground beef prices got you down? Consider ground chicken or turkey. You may find that frozen ground meat in tubes is even cheaper (but often of somewhat lower quality). When I was a struggling resident, I sometimes found that pre-made hamburger patties were less expensive than ground beef, and I would use a couple of them when making meatloaf or meatballs.
Frozen tube ground turkey is very inexpensive, but I prefer the slightly more expensive ground turkey at the meat counter.
- Consider dry beans. Cooking dry beans is easy and costs about one-third as much as canned beans. Make a pound and freeze them in 1-2-cup portions, adding some of the cooking liquid to keep the beans moist.
- How about Meatless Monday? Consider having one day a week as completely meatless. You would be surprised how many delicious meatless dishes exist.
- Caution with Costco. If you are struggling financially, you won’t be going to Costco. However, if you are retired and trying to economize, you may belong to a warehouse club. Warehouse clubs can be wonderful, but also dangerous. It is easy to go in for two items and wind up spending $300. There can also be waste issues. That 10-pound bag of potatoes is only a deal if you eat all of the potatoes. You may be better off spending a few pennies more per pound for a smaller quantity of a food that you will actually finish. Where does Costco shine? Their meat is very high quality, their $5 rotisserie chicken is a steal, and many of their cleaning products are good values. You may also find that some of their pharmacy items are decently priced. You may like buying other items at a warehouse club, but think twice before you do. If you know you will finish the food, go ahead. However, if it is something new and in large quantities, consider buying a smaller package at a regular grocery store to test it out first.
- Slowly stockpile. I have extras of certain foods, like canned tomatoes, flour, canned/frozen fruits/vegetables, and pasta, always on hand, as they are so useful to use in so many different dishes. You don’t have to buy everything at once, but if possible, slowly build up a little backup pantry. In the long run, this will reduce your food costs, as you can shop sales and always have something to make, so you won’t need to hit the drive-through.
I like to stockpile certain staples. Here I have some cases of tomato products. However, you can buy an extra can every time you go grocery shopping and achieve the same goal.
- Eat what you have, not what you want. Shop your pantry and fridge and make what you have. If you are throwing out a lot of food, you are wasting money.
- Consider portion control. Folks, I’m a big guy in all ways. I’m 6’3” and have constantly battled my weight. I like to eat. I have long ago tried to eat sensibly to manage my weight. This is also a great way to reduce food costs. By eating normal-sized portions, groceries last longer, and it is better for my health. I’ll never be a skinny minny, but I would like to continue to be healthy and active in my senior years. I like to eat in what I call “cafeteria style.” What are the portion sizes that I would get if I were eating in a cafeteria? Those are the portion sizes that I eat. Of course, sometimes I fail. I’m not perfect,t and I don’t expect you to be perfect either.
Spend money to save money? WHAT???
The following suggestions are just that. I’m not telling you to go out and buy everything on this list. It is likely that you already have many of these things. If so, I would like to encourage you to utilize them. You may choose to buy one or two additional items when you can. Don’t forget that thrift shops and garage sales may have these for pennies on the dollar.
I love machines, and I like most kitchen gadgets. However, there are some standout appliances and tools that make cooking much easier and more cost-effective. These are items that let me save money by giving me options when I cook. I’m not listing some gadgets that I love, like a stand mixer. A stand mixer is great, but only if you bake a lot, so it is not essential for most seniors.
Cooking tools and appliances to consider.
- A decent 8” chef’s knife. I use a chef’s knife multiple times a day. You don’t have to spend a lot on a decent knife. Food service knives work well and cost between $10 and $30. I have used the same food service chief’s knife for over 20 years. My secret? Every time I take it out of the drawer, I run it through a pull-through knife sharpener. The pull-through sharpener I use was less than $10, and I have used the same one for years. It is likely that all you will need is the pull-through, but I like a razor-sharp knife, so I go the extra step of formally sharpening my knives a few times a year. I taught myself how to sharpen knives professionally, and it was surprisingly easy.
If possible, also pick up an inexpensive foodservice pairing knife for smaller jobs. Additionally, you should have a real cutting board. Cutting on a glass plate can quickly ruin any knife, and it is dangerous.
Oh, and for those who watch those YouTube videos that show metal being ripped off a knife when using a pull-through sharpener, destroying it, that’s BS. Remember, I have been using one on the same knife daily for 20 years. The result? It looks no different, and it is as sharp as a razor.
I bought this ten-dollar food service chief’s knife 20 years ago, and I use it every day. I keep it sharp using a little pull-through knife sharpener.
- General utensils. I’m assuming you already have these, but you should have some basic utensils, such as a potato peeler, a turning (pancake) spatula, a silicone spatula, and so on.
- A few decent pots, pans, and bakeware. You probably already have these. What if you don’t, and you don’t have the cash? Try a thrift store! You can often substitute and adapt. Before I had a loaf pan, I would make free-form meatloaf on a cookie sheet.
- A microwave oven. You probably have one already. For some, this may be the only cooking appliance that they have. If you are in the latter category, don’t fret, you can still make meals and save money. Sure, you can reheat in a microwave, but you can do so much more. You can make rice and pasta in a microwave. You can bake a cake in a microwave, you can make scrambled eggs in a microwave, cook fish and chicken in a microwave, and on and on. When I was single, I cooked entire meals in the microwave as it was fast and didn’t involve heating up the oven. And yes, it is safe to cook chicken in a microwave, follow an established recipe, and use a meat thermometer if indicated.
You probably already have a microwave oven. Don’t fret if that is your only cooking appliance. You may be surprised by how many dishes you can make in a microwave.
- A slow cooker. You probably already have a typical one. However, a 2-3 quart one is better when cooking smaller quantities. When I was a medical resident, I bought a basic 3-quart slow cooker for $9, which still works today. At the time of this writing, you can buy a small slow cooker for under $20. Slow cookers are super useful and very economical to run. As a resident, I made many simple meals in a slow cooker, and it was a joy to come home to the smell of dinner waiting for me. Here are a couple of my very simple, poor resident dinners.
-Put a drained can of sauerkraut, around a teaspoon of caraway seeds, a tablespoon of brown sugar, and a grated apple in a slow cooker. Season a couple of pork chops and add them. Cook on low for 6-8 hours and serve with instant mashed potatoes and applesauce.
-Add 1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup (undiluted), ½-1 pound stew meat, ½ packet of dry onion soup mix, 1 drained can of mixed vegetables (or any other canned vegetable or thawed frozen vegetable), and 1 drained can of whole potatoes to a slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours (or more). Serve with bread and butter.
I’m not claiming that the above recipes are gourmet; there are certainly better ways to make pork chops and stew; however, they were quick, easy, and tasty. I made a number of other slow-cooker recipes, and you can find many recipes online.
I bought this 3-quart slow cooker in 1985 when I was a resident, and it still works today!
- A pressure cooker. A stovetop unit starts at around $40, and an electric one starts at $70-80, so a pressure cooker is not an inexpensive purchase if you are on a strict budget. If possible, go with an electric version (e.g., an Instant Pot) as it is easier for first-timers to use. You may find deals around Black Friday, or you may have a generous friend or relative gift you one for your birthday.
Pressure cookers do so many things well. I grew up with my mom using a stovetop pressure cooker at least once a week, and I use an Instant Pot multiple times a month. Pressure cookers are extremely energy-efficient and cook food in about ⅓ of the time it takes in a regular pot. Pressure cookers are great for soups, stews, tough meats, dry beans, and so much more. Using a pressure cooker will pay for itself in the long run. However, you can make the same foods traditionally; they will just take longer and use more energy.
I love my electric pressure cooker. Here I’m making a one-pot spaghetti. I’m serving it up with a homemade loaf of herb-and-cheese bread.
- Food storage containers. Needed for so many reasons. In a pinch, you can use decent used carry-out containers, but the ones from companies like Rubbermaid, Pyrex, and Tupperware are the best and will keep your food fresher. When I was single, I would sometimes have small amounts of leftover food that didn’t make it into my next day’s lunch. How would I store it? In a sandwich-sized Ziploc bag. Well, actually, I probably used the house brand of the bag, but you get the idea.
Having some food containers of different sizes will serve you well.
- A vacuum sealer. The Food Saver brand is the most popular, but there are many others that work well and are less expensive. I just saw one in Aldi’s “aisle of shame” for $19. A vacuum sealer lets you seal food in an airtight bag, preventing freezer burn while keeping it perfectly delicious for up to a year in the freezer. Refrigerated food will also last 2-3 times longer when vacuum sealed. I have saved thousands of dollars over the years using a vacuum sealer. I’ll buy meat in bulk and freeze it. I’ll save leftover soups and stews and serve them up months later. I’ll even vacuum-seal ½ of an avocado to keep it from turning brown. This week, we bought some chicken breasts on a super sale. We baked them, cut them into chunks, and vacuum-sealed them into meal-sized portions. To the freezer they went. They will be perfect for fried rice, a chicken salad, a tossed green salad, casseroles, and more. I’m a huge fan of vacuum sealers. Pro Tip: Buy off-brand Food Saver-type bags online as they are considerably less expensive.
A simple vacuum sealer can save you thousands of dollars over time. Here, I’m vacuum sealing some leftover soup. It will be as fresh as the day I made it, months later. I froze the soup in a “Souper Cube” and then placed it in the Food Saver bag for a future meal.
I bought bulk ground beef on a super sale and vacuum-sealed it in 1-pound bags. The hamburger will be good as new even a year after its sealing date.
- Consider a dedicated freezer. A freezer?? You likely think I’m crazy, but you can buy a simple freezer for very little. Check out Marketplace, as used ones are always being sold there. However, a new small freezer can be had for less than $200. In addition, freezers use very little electricity. I like the standard ones because they are cheaper, more energy efficient, less mechanically complicated, and keep food fresher since they don’t go through a nightly defrost cycle. A freezer lets you buy items on sale. A freezer means that you will have food available when you don’t want to go to the store. A freezer will allow you to cook in batches or to save leftovers. Make a small pan of lasagna, eat one portion, and freeze the other three. Now you have frozen dinners that are much less expensive yet better in quality than the stuff you buy at the market.
Our 20-year-old basic freezer has saved us thousands and is extremely energy-efficient.
When I was a resident physician, I saved up and bought a small 5-cubic-foot freezer and used it constantly, since my crappy apartment had a very old one-door fridge with a freezer compartment about the size of a shoebox. I remember helping a nurse write her personal statement for medical school. I like to write, and I served on my school’s admissions committee, so I had an idea of what reviewers look for. She thanked me by baking a variety of delicious cookies, which I kept frozen. Every night, I would take a couple out for dessert or for a treat with a cup of hot tea. I still have fond memories of those cookies; they really brightened my day. We bought our current freezer over 20 years ago; it is around 12 cubic feet, and it just keeps going. It is one of the best purchases we have ever made. By the way, she did get into med school.
- Buy a bread maker. Whoa! Am I crazy? No! Guess what? You can pick up a used bread maker for pennies at a thrift store. I have bought several between $4.99 and $10.00. You can buy cheap store bread for a couple of bucks, but it is pretty terrible. Bakery-quality bread can cost $4-6 a loaf. I make my own bread, rolls, and even hamburger buns for next to nothing. It is fun, and the results are bakery-quality delicious. I just toss in some ingredients and press a button. Homemade bread doesn’t contain preservatives; if you know you won’t eat it in 3-4 days, cut the loaf and freeze half. If you take the frozen bread out the night before, it will taste as fresh as the day you baked it. Oh, and there is nothing like the smell of bread baking!
If you have a bread maker, you can have bakery-quality bread for pennies. I have a couple of them. My wife found me this one at a thrift store for $5.
I make a lot more than bread in my bread maker. I also make dough that can be turned into many delicious treats. Here, I’m making some dinner rolls.
- A hand mixer. Great if you bake a lot. Otherwise, not needed.
- A toaster oven. We love ours, as it is quick and energy-efficient. I have a friend who picked up one at a garage sale and used it for years. However, if you have an oven, that may be all that you need.
- A rice cooker. This is another unnecessary item, but a great one. Yes, you can make rice in a rice cooker, but you can also make many other dishes, from cakes to homemade mac and cheese. A rice cooker can be a good, inexpensive option if you don’t have a formal kitchen. College kids use them, as do van dwellers, sometimes as their only cooking device. Many rice cookers are very inexpensive.
If you are on a fixed income, it is important to be conservative with your finances. Yet, you have to eat. Making delicious food is one way to save money. I hope the above suggestions spark your own ideas for stretching your pennies. To reiterate, there is no status in overspending.
Peace
Mike
Photos are mostly mine, with some stock photos from websites. All images are for educational purposes only.