How to Save Money by Stopping Waste in the Kitchen

You don’t have to be a full blown chef to find ways to save money in the kitchen. It doesn’t require a kitchen academy either. Cooking schools and institutes may be for some but the best way to save money is using your head and stop being wasteful.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Food
• Plenty of storage space
• Containers or plastic baggies
• Be inventive

1. Vegetables
   
   Don’t rinse them until your going to use them and when storing them try to press all the air out of the bag. This trick keeps all veggies in great shape for twice the normal lifetime.
   
   Cook more then you need. If you have to heat the oven up then you might as well use it. Cooking more will cut the cost of heating the oven up twice and you can freeze it for later use

2. Meats and Eggs
   
   We all love a nice big juicy steak but can’t always have it. When trying to stretch your budget further you can use half as much in dishes and add more vegetables. We all need a little more green in our lives vegetables and cash. Other substitutes would be something as easy as bread crumbs, crackers, or oatmeal in your loose meat. My daughter loves this so much that I can’t get away with cooking hamburger any other way. Also use less expensive meats. Turkey is half the price and quite tasty. They sell all types of turkey hotdogs, ground meats and burgers.
   
   Eggs are not cheap but sometimes you can find a good deal. Keep your eggs longer by breaking them into ice cube trays and freezing them. Store the eggs in an air tight bag or container for later use. This way you can buy more when they are on sale and save money when they are not.

3. Dairy
   
   Milk is another great way to save money. It has rivaled the price of a gallon of gas for a while now in the Midwest. If you buy when it is on sale you can freeze it. It keeps for quite a while this way. Just be sure to remove ½ cup from the top of the gallon to give it room to expand as it freezes.

4. Bread
   
   Bread also freezes well. Leave it out on the countertop for about an hour to thaw before using. As mention before, it also makes great filler.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep a list of what is in your fridge and freezer. This cuts down on the need to open it for a long time and makes shopping easier.
• Always check frozen foods while thawing to ensure freshness.

[karileighk]

on 6/30/2009 These are all great ideas. *5

[MyJB]

on 5/19/2009 I like your ideas on saving money in the kitchen. This is one of the largest ongoing expenses that families incur. Thanks for the tips. 5

[alystarcrane]

on 4/18/2009 Love the egg and ice cube trays tip. Great milk tip as well. Excellent article on How to Save Money by Stopping Waste in the Kitchen. 5*

[johngalt310]

on 3/25/2009 Excellent advice for these economic times.

[tinksmagic]

on 3/24/2009 We have done this for years! Blanching and freezing veggies also is a great idea! 5*