37 Ways To Save Money In The Kitchen
1. Get all your pots and pans and utensils at the Thrift Store. They always have a good selection! There is a lot of junk so do a little research on what makes a good pan and look at what are the best brands and then start your quest for inexpensive, well-made pots and pans at the thrift store. I love thrift store shopping because I feel like I am on a treasure hunt. SO MUCH FUN!
2. When remodeling and looking for cabinets check online on Craig’s List to see if someone is remodeling and selling their old cabinets for CHEAP. Put out the feelers and ask friends that you know in the contracting business if they know of any way to get well-made cabinets, appliances, and flooring for LESS. Put out a plea on Facebook. Lastly, check out IKEA for many well-made products for your FRUGAL REMODEL.
3. Make your own dishwasher detergent.
4. Don’t use paper towels. I purchase well-made navy blue hand towels to use instead of paper towels. They don’t show stains and are WAY CHEAPER than paper towels. When they get tired looking and start to fray they go to the rag bag for use in cleaning. I use navy blue because it matches my decor but you could use and dark color…black or red would also work well. To make this even cheaper, ask for them for your birthday or Christmas!
5. Saving money on grocery’s will be another post, so stay tuned! I still wanted to put in a few ideas. Use coupons, purchase in bulk, learn how to can vegetables and fruit, grow your own food, make sure you eat all your leftovers by freezing them instead of putting them in the refrigerator.
6. Never ever purchase anything at full price! Wait for a sale or use a coupon or both for really good savings
7. Make an easy indoor garden and grow your favorite herbs for cooking. Seeds are very inexpensive and would also make a great project to do with your children.
8. Use washcloths to wipe your counter with a homemade disinfectant spray.
9. Don’t use paper napkins to make your own cloth napkins.
10. Make your own Brillo pad from an old onion bag. It’s easy just tie it in a big knot!
11. Replace plastic containers with glass canning jars.
12. Don’t purchase bottled water! Get your own water filter, check out The Berkey. Hands down, the best and most cost-effective water filter available on the market today!
13. Invest in an energy-efficient freezer.
14. Don’t eat out, learn to cook and you will be healthier too! Then you will save on medical bills.
15. No matter where you are, compost. If you just compost your kitchen scraps you will save on fertilizer and on purchasing dirt for the garden or planting indoor plants.
16. Own chickens, they give you eggs and you can feed them your kitchen scraps and save on feeding them and they will even compost your kitchen scraps for you 🙂 Chickens are easy and give you free entertainment too. I love owning chickens!!
17. Purchase a reusable coffee filter.
18. When baking something in the oven in winter crack the oven when you turn it off. It will help you save money on heat! * WARNING…if you have small children do not let them in the kitchen while this is happening!
19. Simplify your small appliances…For example, I have a Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor
so I don’t need a blender. I also don’t need a coffee grinder. If you can look at each small appliance you own and see how some users overlap each other you can save space and save money by getting rid (sell) of the ones you don’t need!
20. Use cast iron pans, they last forever
21. Use a slow cooker instead of the oven. It saves money on your energy bill.
22. Purchase stainless steel bowls and cooking utensils. Why? They last an eternity, they are healthy, and they don’t break! It is win…win!
23. Drink from pint-size canning jars. They don’t break and in my home, with 6 children we need all the help in that area we can get. An added bonus is that since I live in a turn of the century farmhouse they match my decor very well. I find them at the thrift store and at garage sales. My friends have also been known to donate them to me too…very thoughtful!
24. Reuse your tea bags, use mine twice.
25. Use a grocery list that is posted somewhere in your kitchen. A cute idea is to use a chalkboard for that purpose. I use a list posted on my refrigerator. Good organization saves money. I write down whatever I need and then look for it on sale somewhere.
26. Post a list of ingredient substitutions on the inside of one of your cabinet doors. This will keep you from running to the store unnecessarily.
27. Use energy-efficient light bulbs in the lighting in your kitchen.
28. Don’t purchase special hand soap for your kitchen sink. Use liquid dish soap. I use the liquid dish soap to fill my bathroom soap dispensers too. I use Kirkland Premium Liquid Dish Soap Environmentally Responsible Citrus Scent. Now that is a mouthful! I purchase it from Costco in a 135 oz. container.
29. Wear an apron while cooking…it will save you money preserving your clothes and a cute apron just makes you feel good!
30. Use your grill outside to make dinner and while you are at it, grill extra meat that you can freeze for use in future recipes. It will save you time and money!
31. Don’t pour out your leftover coffee, pour into ice cube trays, and freeze. Later, use it for iced coffee or for use in my famous (well, almost famous) Afternoon Pick-Me-Up drink.
32. Start making freezer meals. They will save you time and money and will also help you to be prepared. Freezer meals are a lifesaver for when you are sick and don’t feel like cooking. Your family is well taken care of and you can rest and you don’t have to waste money by going out to eat. I have also used freezer meals to meet a friends’ need, sickness, or a new baby in the family? I can drop off a meal at a moment’s notice.
33. Eat one meatless bean recipe a week. Here is my Vegetarian Chili Recipe!
34. Make your own chicken stock…when you are peeling vegetables save the scraps and put them in the freezer to use for the next time you make chicken stock.
36. When you are making dinner and have to cook it in the oven, try to make a cake or quick bread at the same time. It saves energy and you can stock your freezer with treats! YUM!
37. Keep your refrigerator door closed, I have this problem!
Are you looking for more money-saving ideas? CLICK HERE!
YOUR TURN…
How do you save money in the kitchen?
Blessings,
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So many great tips, Janelle! I think our family could save a lot by giving up paper products. We go through a crazy amount of paper towels and napkins. And I love the idea to use dish soap in the kitchen soap dispenser. Added your recommendation to my Costco shopping list. Thanks!!
Hi Tarissa!
Thank you for your encouraging words…I am so happy you found some inspiration!
A great post. Lots of great ideas.
Thank you…you taught me well!
Janelle!
It is funny to me that when looking at the link up posts every week at Equipping Godly Women, I pick the one most interesting to me to read and it is always one of yours! 🙂 You have some really great tips here I will be book marking. I love thrift stores! This is also a good reminder to wear the cute Vera Bradley apron one of my students gave me! And freezer meals.. I ‘ve got a lot on my to do list. Thank you!!
Katie
Thanks Katie…I really appreciate your encouragement! I am struggling with freezer meals right now. We have been trying so many new recipes lately that I have let my freezer meal stash dwindle down! So if it is any help to you I still have some things on my to do list too:)
These are great tips. The one I can’t seem to do is freezer meals. For some reason unless it is frozen fruit or a place to store nuts, once a frozen meal goes in, it never seems to come out until it is freezer burned. Tried several times and I finally gave up. Just a block I have. Thanks so much for continuing to link and ahre at Let’s Get Real Friday.
Thanks for your comment Karen…My problem is keeping the freezer stocked. Once the meals go in then I don’t feel like cooking and I eat them straight away 🙂
These are some great ideas, thank you!
Dear Janelle,
I wanted to let you know that your site has blessed and inspired me. I’m one of those rush-around, be-efficient-to-be-of-value type of women. I so want to learn to rest and stay at Jesus’ feet long enough for Him to speak to me and to be refreshed. It is so easy to have the wrong perspective on life, isn’t it? I feel that you have expressed it so well with identifying the need to put our time with our Lord first and foremost in our lives so that the rest will come together and make sense. Most importantly, it puts us in the right spirit to carry out our duties. Thank you for directing your readers to Christ, Janelle! God bless you!
Oh Judi,
You have blessed me with your kind words. I am so thankful that you are finding the posts helpful and edifying! We all need encouragement to follow Jesus in every area of our lives, at least I know I do…Thank you for taking the time to comment!