How to Save Money When Cooking Homemade Meals
Cooking at home can save your family a lot of money if it is done properly. Savvy chefs can find ways to save money on ingredients while still preparing tasty, healthy alternatives to fast food or the oversize portions of chain restaurants. Read on to learn how you can save money when cooking homemade meals.
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Instructions
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Watch the grocery store sales circulars in the paper that usually come out on Sunday. Plan your week's meals around what is on sale at the store. This strategy works especially well when cooking with meat.
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Take inventory of what is in your pantry before you go shopping. This helps you avoid purchasing duplicates and also gives you an idea of what you already have, which helps when searching for recipes to cook during the week.
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Eat vegetables and fruits that are in season. When certain types of produce are plentiful, their prices are lower.
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Choose recipes that have common ingredients. This way, you can be certain to use all of each ingredient to avoid wasting food and money. For example, if you plan to make hamburgers with a blue cheese sauce, also plan a salad topped with blue cheese crumbles for another day.
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Use coupons. Many homemade meals are made from fresh ingredients that do not qualify for coupons, but if you are the type who likes to cook from boxes (e.g. macaroni and cheese, boxed mashed potatoes) then coupons can work well for you. Beware because sometimes the store brand is cheaper, even if you have a coupon for the national brand.
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Stock up when you run across good deals. Watch for clearance carts in the grocery store. Freeze what you cannot eat right away and plan your meals around the bargains you find.
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Divide and freeze meat into family-sized portions immediately upon returning home from the grocery store. If you are a family of two, and you buy a package of six chicken breasts, prep three packages of two breasts each for freezing. This way you only thaw what you need when you are ready to cook, thus avoiding wasting the rest. Don't become guilty of defrosting an entire package of meat, only to let the unused portion spoil.
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Tips & Warnings
Avoid driving all over town to get ingredients at several different places, no matter what their price. The time, hassle and money you spend on gas far outweigh any small savings you may achieve.
