Saving With New Skills

Saving With New Skills

Recipe for Success

If you’re looking to develop money-saving skills, the kitchen is a great place to start. Even if cooking is not your thing, there are still many ways to lower your food costs while raising your savings.

Money-Saving Skills

Check out this menu of delicious cost-cutting skills!

MEAL PREP

Batch cooking and meal prepping are two ways to save precious time and make your food dollars stretch even further. Plan out your meals for the week ahead and/or stock up with freezer-friendly options that you can whip up on busy weeknights.

CHEF SKILLS

Refining your slicing, dicing and chopping skills reduces total prep time and saves you money! By learning to efficiently process ingredients yourself, you can eliminate pricier “convenience” foods such as shredded cheese and precut produce.

FOOD STORAGE

This often overlooked skill involves understanding how to properly store food in order for it to stay fresh for as long as possible. The result? Tastier meals, less waste and more time for you to use up what you already have before heading back to the store.

RECIPE RESEARCH

Save money by trying out new recipes at home instead of dining out. Re-create your go-to takeout dishes or challenge yourself to whip something up with only the ingredients you have on hand.

DIY DRESSINGS

Many salad dressings, sauces and seasonings share the same basic ingredients. Try substituting some of your store-bought salad dressings, spice rubs and condiments with homemade versions.

SEASONAL INSPIRATION

Foods that are in season are typically fresher and cheaper to buy than their flown-in-from-halfway-around-the-world counterparts. Research seasonal food guides online to find out which fruits and veggies are currently in season locally. Buy produce on sale and freeze for future use, or simply enjoy exploring a bunch of new recipes that feature in-season ingredients.

YUMMY PRESERVES

Preserving food is a great way to take advantage of good deals on local, seasonal produce. Explore methods like pickling, canning and dehydrating, or making jams and jellies.

GARDENING

You don’t need to have a green thumb or a backyard in order to develop gardening skills. A sunny spot on your windowsill is all you need to maintain a mini-garden of herbs like chives, basil, parsley, mint, rosemary and thyme. You will always have fresh herbs on hand, plus you can freeze or dry any excess to make your own seasonings.  

Sources: Buzzfeed, The Spruce