Frugal habits Archives

March 15, 2023 Frugal habits

Meal Planning On A Budget

Food costs are rising these days, so it’s essential to learn how to meal plan on a budget! There are several great ways to lower your food costs:

Plan your meals.
Shop for sales.
Cook for in bulk.
Use leftovers.
Make simple meals!
Avoid pre-packaged meals.
Store food properly.

Plan Your Meals

Before heading to the grocery store, plan your meals for the week. Consider what you already have in your pantry, what’s in season, and what’s on sale. Make a grocery list based on these factors to keep costs low. Don’t forget to keep in mind any events you have planned for the week – this may impact how much food you need to buy or what kind of meals you’ll have time to prepare.

Shop For Sales

Take advantage of sales and buy in-season produce, typically less expensive and more flavorful. For example, apples are plentiful in the fall, and clementines are often on sale around Christmas.

Also, consider purchasing store-brand or generic items, as they are often cheaper and just as good as name-brand products. This is an excellent idea for various ingredients, such as canned beans or vegetables or beef or chicken broth.

Cook In Bulk

Cooking in bulk can save time and money. Make large batches of meals and freeze the extra portions for later in the week. This saves you from having to prepare meals from scratch every day. It’s so handy to get something out to thaw the night before and have it all ready for dinner the next day!

Use Leftovers

Repurpose leftovers into new meals, such as turning grilled chicken into a salad or using cooked vegetables in a stir-fry. If you’re not a creative cook, you can save leftovers for lunch the next day!

Make Simple Meals

Focus on simple, staple ingredients such as rice, pasta, and beans, which are affordable and versatile. Mix and match these ingredients to create different meals throughout the week. One of my very favourite simple meals is grilled cheese – it tastes so good and is cheap and easy to make!

Avoid pre-packaged meals

Pre-packaged meals and snacks are often more expensive and less nutritious than homemade alternatives. Instead, opt for fresh, whole ingredients and make your own meals. Cooking doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated – you can make a great meal with just a few essential ingredients!

Store Food Properly

Proper food storage can help reduce food waste and keep your meals fresh. Store food in airtight containers, label them and keep them in the refrigerator or freezer to extend their shelf life. The last thing you want is to pull something out of the freezer and then realize it’s freezer burned!

What’s your best tip for meal planning on a budget?

Let me know in the comments!

November 1, 2022 Frugal habits

5 Tips for Saving On Groceries

With grocery prices rising these days, everyone is trying to find ways to lower their grocery bills! I’ve got some great tips to help you out:

Shop the flyer.
Cut back on meat.
Check what’s in your pantry and freezer.
Take a look at your last grocery bill.
Try new recipes.

Shop The Flyer

See what’s on sale at your grocery store this week – the best sales are usually on the first and last page of the flyer. If it’s an item you’ll use frequently and stores well, stock up, especially if it’s an excellent deal.

Don’t buy an item just because it’s on sale, though, if you wouldn’t usually buy it otherwise – because if you do that, you’re not saving money!

Cut Back On Meat

Meat isn’t generally cheap anyways, and cutting back on it is always an excellent way to save. If you can’t do without meat, try to incorporate it so it’s just a part of your meal instead of the central part. For example, putting meat into soups, stews, or chilli and adding lentils, beans, and root vegetables can be a great way to get a healthy and tasty dish for less!

Check What’s In Your Pantry And Freezer

Before you go out shopping, see what you already have. You may have stocked up previously on something and promptly forgotten to use it! You don’t want to waste food you’ve paid for, so keeping a list of what you have in your pantry and freezer can be a great way to keep up with what you do and don’t have.

Take A Look At Your Last Grocery Bill

Looking at your last grocery bill can give you a good idea of where you’re spending money. You may not realize how much something costs you if it’s priced by the pound (for example, apples or grapes). Everyone wants to eat healthy food, but it can get pricey – here are some ways to save:

Consider frozen fruits and vegetables. They’re nutritious, easy to use, and don’t go bad!
Try to stick to what’s in season. Apples are plentiful in the fall, and berries are cheaper in the summer than in the winter!
Try to avoid a lot of impulse buying – make a list and stick to it!

Try New Recipes

Most of us do the same thing every week for lunch and dinner. But if the cost of your favourite dishes’ ingredients has gone up, it may be time to branch out and try something new. There are many great sites on the Internet to find new recipes for any meal.

What’s Your Best Tip For Saving On Groceries?

The more tips, the better – please leave your tips in the comments!

September 15, 2022 Frugal habits

Four Frugal Strategies You May Not Have Thought Of

My last post covered nine ways to prepare for a recession. In this post, I’m going to explain four frugal strategies that can help you out if you’re in a financial pinch:

Mending
Hang your clothes to dry
Start a garden
Canning

Mending

You may not know how to sew or own a sewing machine, and that’s OK! You can help your clothes last longer with a simple needle and thread. By sewing back on buttons that have fallen off or patching up small holes in shorts or socks, you can get more use out of clothing you already own.

If something can’t be mended, you could turn it into rags or keep it for “around the house” only for cleaning, painting, or other messy chores.

Hang-Dry Your Clothes

You can save on electricity costs by hanging clothes and other items (such as sheets and towels) up to dry. Even if you don’t want to hang everything up, you can hang up heavier items, reducing the time required to dry the remaining items in the dryer.

Worried your towels will end up stiff if you put them over a drying rack? Just pop them in the dryer for a few minutes to soften them up once they’re finished drying.

Start A Garden

It’s fall, so you may not be able to grow much this time of year. But you can start preparing for next year by setting up some space for a garden or buying containers, soil and seeds that may be heavily discounted.

If you like to cook using a lot of herbs, it’s worth setting up a herb garden inside over the winter. It’ll make your house smell lovely, and you’ll have access to fresh herbs whenever you want them!

Canning

Canning is a great way to make produce last longer. When produce is in season, you can often buy a lot of it for a very reasonable price. For example, you can buy tomatoes or apples in bulk when they’re in season – but the problem is, you can’t eat them all up before they go bad.

That’s where canning comes to the rescue! You need a few essential resources to get started – such as a pot to boil water in and jars – and you’re good to go. You can enjoy the fruits of your labour for months on end!