Budgeting can be hard. It’s not uncommon to feel the financial stress that comes with managing your money from month to month. Luckily, humans have always found ways to overcome inflation and conquer their goals.
Finding ways to maintain your finances amidst the rising cost of living can help you put your money to better use and do things like pay off debt and budget for that new car. Regardless of your financial goals, here are five ways you can get intentional and save money in the kitchen and on groceries today.
Table of Contents
1. Meal prep each week
How many times have you bought groceries on a whim and thrown just about anything into your grocery cart? Without a solid plan, it’s easy to overspend on groceries. The simple practice of meal prepping each week can help you budget and go into the store with an action plan. Instead of letting the aisles tell you what to spend your money on, you can plan your meals based off of discounts, bulk-savings, and what you want for lunches and dinners.
Here’s a great point made about meal prepping in an article from U.S. News–
…you can take enormous advantage of ordinary grocery sales when planning for a meal-prep day. I’ll give you a specific example. Let’s say my family was planning on making several pans of our much-loved spinach and mushroom lasagna. When I look at the grocery store flyer, I happen to notice fresh mushrooms and fresh spinach are on sale. Maybe I should make six pans of it so that I can score all of those cheap ingredients.
The important thing to remember from that point is that freezing meal is a great way to keep your food fresh for a long period of time. Some argue that meal prepping wastes good when, in reality, you don’t have to eat all of it that week. You can store meats, bread, fruits, and vegetables in the freezer and make them last for months.
If you plan your meals each Sunday, you can keep the excess food in the freezer and be certain that it all stays fresh. If you’re responsible for cooking lunches and dinners for your family, consider bringing them in on your weekly meal prep. Making this a family activity can be a fun way to instill the practice into your family members and get help at the same time.
2. Buy reusable kitchen items
No matter what your environmental views are, we can all agree that replacing “one-time use” items with items that are reusable can make a huge difference in your budget. Instead of continually buying kitchen disposables, you can save your money and use some awesome reusable items instead. This is a great way to get more intentional in your home, reduce waste, and help the environment–oh, all while contributing to your financial goals.
An article from “The Kitchn” gives nine awesome reusable alternatives:
- Cloth napkins
- Paperless towels
- Muslin cloth for tea bags
- Unbleached cotton muslin coffee filters
- DIY eco tawashi dish scrubbers
- Abeego (alternative to plastic wrap)
- Sandwich/snack bags
- Mesh bags produce bags
- DIY bowl covers
Try to keep track of what disposable items you find yourself using the most. This way you can pick and choose which reusables would make the biggest difference in your budget. Do you find yourself using paper towels to dry your hands, clean the spills, and use for a handful of snacks?
Simply becoming aware of the fact that you are overusing disposable items can help you fix the problem. If you’re serious about saving money, hold yourself accountable for each disposable item you use. An easy way to do this is to be intentional about counting how many things you throw away each day. Keep track of this on your phone or notepad. Understanding the numbers is sometimes the first step in changing your perspective and desiring change.
3. Start a home veggie garden
Starting your own personal vegetable garden is a great way to save money on food that you love. A few vegetables that are common for those who have a home garden are tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, zucchini, bell peppers, and broccoli. You can also grow spices and herbs instead of paying high prices at your local store.
There are a ton of online resources about starting a home garden and a community of people who are advocates for the practice.
Do some research and you might find yourself understanding that you can save money and learn a new skill that you enjoy.
A home or community garden can also help you plan your meals and grocery list. Knowing that you won’t need to purchase tomatoes for your dinner dish will save you time and money in the checkout line. What could be better?
Here are a few steps to start your own home garden:
- Find an area with good sunlight and soil with the right pH levels
- Decide which vegetables to grow
- Get the right gardening tools
- Start the seeds
- Water the seeds
- Let them grow!
If you don’t have the luxury of space for a home garden, research community gardens in your area. Volunteering at a community garden is a great way to get involved and benefit from some free veggies. If there isn’t one near you, get in touch with local government officials or the town’s rotary club and suggest starting one locally.
Another option for those who don’t have space for a home garden is to consider the practice of container gardening which is done by growing plants on a porch, window sill, or balcony. This is a great way to utilize your back porch or window sills and give the area a fresh look. Next time you have a sunny Saturday at home, keep an eye out for which spots in your home get sunlight throughout the day so that you find the right size pots for that area.
4. Take care of kitchen appliances
Home appliances can be pricey and are definitely not something you’d want to buy on a whim. While it’s easy to think about saving money on the little things, it’s important not to dismiss the monetary value of our everyday home appliances like the dishwasher or refrigerator.
If you’ve never had to buy home appliances, it may be wise to take a look at the going rate for kitchen appliances nowadays. Many homeowners have found that investing in home warranty protection programs save them from accumulating debt due to home appliance repairs.
An article on House Method explains why homeowners on a budget need a home warranty—
In 2018, 40% of American adults reported they don’t have enough savings to cover a $400 emergency bill. If you’re part of that 40%, you likely don’t have enough cash to spend on a broken dishwasher either. To most of us, $30 a month for a home protection plan sounds much more manageable than a $1,000 dishwasher replacement.
This serves as a great reminder that, while $30 a month may seem like a lot, paying monthly for a protection plan can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars in the long run.
Think about your health insurance, for example. Imagine how much more you would pay for medical bills if you needed an unexpected surgery. The same rings true for your home–it’s better to be safe than sorry.
5. Plan smart with coupons
The grocery industry has a huge amount of competition which is why many stores try to win customers with coupons and sales. Many grocery store clerks are even required to highlight or circle the amount of money you saved from their reward card. This means, as consumers, we should take advantage of all the discounts.
Download the free Ibotta app to save you the headache
The best way to start couponing is to begin gathering as many coupons as you can. You can begin your search in various ways. Ask around to see where other people find them. If you see someone at the grocery store with a handful of coupons, ask for advice.
Couponing takes a ton of time and skill, and those who have taken the time to learn how to do it would most likely get excited to share their insights with you.
Here are a few places to find coupons:
- Newspapers
- Online
- Grocery stores
- Manufacturers
Once you gather coupons, organize them in a binder. You can do this however it makes sense for you–by the expiration date, by the product name, etc. Doing so will allow you to have your own process based on what makes sense for your shopping style.
Organizing your coupons can also help you think of meal prep ideas. Displaying them in a binder is an easy way to get your family’s input–simply asking your kids to star next to what they would like for the week can make your life easier and keep everyone happy.
You can also keep your favorite meal prep recipes and your financial goals in the binder as well. This will allow you to keep everything organized in one spot.
Summary
Some of these tips may seem like they would take forever to master. Try to keep in mind that it takes time to learn new things. Saving money is a skill that takes intentionality, patience, and strategy. Applying these to your life will be a long process but will yield positive results in your budget when applied right.
Write down your financial goals and put them somewhere you’ll see them in your home. Let it serve as a reminder to why you’re implementing these new practices in your life. Get your friends and family involved in the process to help hold you accountable for your new money-saving tricks. Whatever helps you stay accountable, do that. And just remember the most important thing–don’t give up!
Use Ibotta to save money and earn cash back on every purchase every time, every day. Download the free Ibotta app to save on groceries. Money saving is super easy when you get cash back every time you shop.
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Writer Bio
My name’s Emma Cook! I’m a recent graduate and freelance writer taking some time to explore my passions and expand my writing portfolio. Whether it’s home life, mental health, or seeking financial freedom, my goal is to empower others to live their fullest life—and my strategy is writing.
Adebayo
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I am a pulmonary and critical care doctor by day and personal finance blogger/debt slaying ninja by night.
After paying off close to $300,000 in student loan debt in less than 6 months into my real job, I started on a mission to help others achieve the same. There is no magic to this than to strap up and get it done. Some of the ways we achieved this include side hustle, budgeting, great negotiation skills, and geographical arbitrage.
When I was growing up, common knowledge in Nigeria is that there is one thing you cannot trust anyone else with, and you guessed it – your money.
Being frugal came easily to me based on my background. However, the concept of building wealth did not solidify in my mind until when I finished medical school. I wish I knew what I know now when I was 14. Still, I don’t know enough and I am constantly learning to improve my knowledge.
My goal is to reduce financial illiteracy among young professionals. I am catering to the beginners – babies and toddlers in financial literacy.
