Most people could save a ton of money on cooking if they only wanted to. This the area of life on which we tend to overspend, often indulging ourselves in unnecessary luxuries. If you struggle to make ends meet or just want to save more money this month then take a look at these simple tips about how to spend less on your meals.
Cook at home
Home-cooked meals will almost always be cheaper than going out or getting take out from a restaurant. When restaurants set their prices, they need to add up not only the cost of ingredients but also labor costs, etc. and then make a profit. So, of course, their prices will be higher than what you would spend making the same meal at home. Cooking at home will also be healthier for your body because you can control exactly what goes into your food.
Stick to a budget
Making a budget is the most effective way of making sure that you won’t spend more than you want on food. Calculate how much you can afford for groceries and try to see how much your average meal should cost. Plan what you are going to eat beforehand so that you don’t buy unnecessary items at the store. If you have some leeway with your funds then it is fine to indulge yourself once in a while but otherwise, stick to the budget.
Plan for emergencies
There will be times when you won’t be able to either shop or cook for yourself – for example, when you get sick. A lot of people would turn to take out in this situation but that’s an easy way of ruining your carefully-planned budget. You should always have some emergency rations at home so that you won’t fall into this trap. Simple products like pasta sauces in a jar or instant meals will do. If you find them discounted somewhere then it might be a good idea to stock up. Here you can find the best instant ramen by CurrentC.com.
Use the same ingredients for different meals
Using the same ingredients for a few days in a row, even if you don’t cook the same meals, is how you can save yourself time when grocery shopping and cooking. For example, if on Monday you are planning to make rice with curry then cook more rice than needed and use the leftovers on Tuesday to make simple fried rice with vegetables. You will save both time and gas/electricity it takes to boil water and cook rice in it. If your recipe call for two egg yolks then search for another recipe that uses two egg whites so that you won’t waste anything.
Prevent food from going bad
Spoilt food is bad both for your budget and the environment. Throwing out food feels and is wasteful so try to prevent that as much as you can. That’s why you should know how to store different types of food. For example, never put bananas in the fridge because that will make them spoil more quickly. Also, use your ingredients in the right order – start with the items that spoil the easiest.