Hope is at hand. While no one's expecting prices to drop in the near future, there are many easy ways to trim food expenses without feeling the pinch or sacrificing on flavor. Take a tip from us when planning your weekly food budget: We will tell you how to shop and cook smart, so that you can continue to enjoy delicious—but inexpensive—meals.
Here, 35 simple ways to eat well with less.
15 SHOPPING TIPS
Before you plan your shopping, check your store's Web site
to see what the week's specials are, if there are any coupons, and what items
are seasonal and abundant, and thus good value. Compare prices between
different supermarkets in your area.
Plan ahead
Decide what your weekly meals will be in advance so that you
can use leftovers from one dinner in the following day's lunch or dinner. (Our Dinner
Rush menu planner can help!) Before shopping, check that you have all the
necessary staples (flour, sugar, etc.), and jot down anything else you need for
the week. Try making up an easy spreadsheet for a shopping list and food
budget, then simply update it each time you head to the store.
Eat before you shop
When you're hungry, everything looks good!
Try to shop alone
When you're distracted by children or friends, you tend to
make impulse purchases or don't take time to compare prices.
Wear blinders
Only walk down aisles with items you need so you won't be
tempted to stray from your list.
Seek out local produce
Try to buy mostly local fruits and veggies that are in
season—it's better for the earth and oftentimes cheaper. Farmers' market
vendors may also have end-of-day sales.
Ask for deli products to be sliced thin
Does your family load up on cold cuts? Thin meats and cheese
can go further.
Avoid eye-level products
Supermarkets usually place more expensive items right in
front of you. Do a little stretching and bending to find bargains.
Buy generic
Many store-brand staples taste the same as brand-name
products, so choosing the store's label is an easy way to save. Experiment with
the store's cereals, coffee, veggies—your family may not even notice the
difference.
Compare unit prices
Unless you're a math whiz, it's impossible to compare prices
and values across different sizes. The unit price makes it easy. (And you may
find that sometimes the bigger package is not the best bargain.)
Check the sale rack
If the supermarket has too many items near their expiration
date, they slash prices to make sure they move. Examine discounted produce and
meats carefully, and freeze any you can't eat soon.
Use coupons
While this can save cash, you may still be better off buying
the generic version rather than the higher-priced brand. It's work, but if you
watch for store coupons as well as the ones in the newspaper, you can do
well—and some stores double coupons. Just make sure you only clip coupons for
products you actually need.
Apply for a store card
This gives you extra savings on sale items and means you
don't need to clip coupons. Some stores give you purchase points to use toward
a turkey at Thanksgiving or other rewards.
Shop with cash
Some strict budgeters advocate only taking cash to the store
so you keep better track of your purchases and reject extras. Using a debit
card is another option.
Bring your own bag(s)
Some stores give a discount for each bag you bring—and
you're saving the planet as well as your own green.
10 DIY BUDGET-STRETCHING TIPS
While it's tempting to buy those prepared fruit salads,
precut vegetables, and precleaned greens, you can save a lot by doing a little
bit of the work. Same goes for cheese: Buy a chunk and slice or grate it
yourself.
Invest in a freezer
This lets you buy meats and vegetables in bulk or on sale,
divide them into smaller serving sizes, and store safely for later use. It also
helps you avoid expensive last-minute dinner purchases because you have nothing
in the house. Frozen veggies and fruits come in handy for quick stir-fries or
desserts.
Make your own cold cuts
One of our biggest purchases at the supermarket is
convenience. Sometimes it's worth buying time, but often you'll eat better—and
definitely less expensively—if you get creative. If you see ham or turkey
breast on sale, it may be worth roasting it and slicing for sandwiches. Too
much meat? Freeze extra slices for later.
Mix up drinks
Brew your own tea
and ice it, or mix seltzer with fruit juice for a light and refreshing
spritzer. If you use milk only for your coffee or tea, a slightly weaker flavor
milk won't be obvious—so stretch your milk dollar with a mixture of the
powdered variety enhanced with the real thing from its carton cousin.
Try your hand at canning
When produce is in peak season and you have a glut (and
prices are typically at their lowest), stock up and preserve
them. It's inexpensive, convenient, and a great way to enjoy tasty fruits and
veggies throughout the year.
Bring lunch
Cook up batches of pasta, quinoa, stir-fry vegetables, and
the like so you have a few days' worth of lunches to microwave at work. If
you're not that organized, at least throw together a sandwich and snack or
fruit instead of buying a much more expensive version.
Waste not
Overripe bananas can be frozen and used later for banana
bread or smoothies. If you roast a chicken, save the bones and make your own
homemade stock. Stems from parsley and basil are great for flavoring soups and
stocks. Keep the rind from Parmesan and other hard cheeses and use to flavor
soups. Stale bread can be used for bread crumbs or meatball filling.
Freeze properly
Label freezer packs with contents and date. Invest in
containers or special freezer bags—you're not saving money if your food gets
freezer burn and has to be tossed out. Squeeze as much air as possible out of
freezer bags before sealing.
Grow food
You don't need a big yard—even window boxes or planters will
work for herbs and some veggies.
Compost
Save landfill space and also make your own nutrient-filled
soil for growing those veggies.
10 COOKING TIPS
If you have time over the weekend, make large quantities of
your favorite dinners. Set aside enough to serve the next night, and freeze
additional batches for days when dinner's a rush. (Freeze promptly so teenagers
don't polish off the extras…) Lasagna
and chili
are easy to make and freeze.
Go meatless a few days a week
You won't miss meat in these tasty vegetarian meals: Rice
and Wheat Berry Pilaf with Baby Spinach, Papardelle
with Bean Bolognese Sauce, and Angel-Hair
Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce. Plus, you'll save money and reap health
benefits, too.
If you do buy meat…
Buy the tougher cuts, which are less expensive, and stew,
roast or marinate to tenderize and add more flavor. Slow
cookers make deliciously rich and tender pork-shoulder
and beef-chuck
dishes. Also, try grilling skirt
steak or flank
steak this summer—cut the meat against the grain and serve with a zesty
sauce or salsa.
Use whole grains
While brown rice and quinoa are delicious and nutritious in
their own right, you can also use them as fillers in soups and stews. A handful
of brown rice will stretch a pot of Vegetable
Sausage Soup. Adding extra cooking broth and some quinoa to Moroccan
Slow-Cooked Lamb Stew will make for a hearty dinner with enough leftovers
for lunch or dinner the next day.
Buy beans
Dried or canned legumes like white beans, chickpeas, and
lentils are an inexpensive way to add protein to your diet. You can use them to
make a tasty pot of chili go farther, or you can make a salad topping by
combining white beans with some extra-virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, and
crushed red pepper. Other delicious recipes for beans include Cauliflower,
White Bean, and Feta Salad, Tuscan
Beans, and Tagliatelle
with Fava Beans and Pecorino Romano.
Make a pot of soup
Easy, nutritious, filling, and inexpensive, soup is the
ultimate money-stretcher. Throw in leftover veggies or protein, homemade stock,
pasta or rice, and lentils or beans. Heat yourself up in winter with a hearty lentil
soup, or chill with an icy gazpacho
in the dog days of summer. Add a side of crusty whole-wheat bread, and it's a
meal.
Boost salad
A simple salad dressed up with easy additions such as cold
roast chicken, shrimp, ham, or chunks of tuna can be an entrée rather than a
side. Chicken-Walnut
Salad with Potato Salad, Tomatoes, and Kalamata Olives is delicious, and so
is this unusual Couscous
and Shrimp Salad with Tangerines and Almonds.
Experiment with herbs
Fresh herbs add a flavor boost to any dish. If you find you
have extras, whip up a quick sauce or pesto for use later in the week. Parsley
Oregano Sauce can be served over roasted meat, fish, or rice, and you can
experiment with a classic pesto to
brighten up pastas, soups, and even sandwiches. If you prefer to freeze your
herbs for later use, finely chop them, place them in an ice cube tray, cover
with oil, and then plastic wrap and freeze. When frozen, pop out the cubes and
place them in a freezer bag for easy storage. Next time you need herbs for
soups, pastas, sauces, or other preparations, just add a cube to your recipe.
Make your own snacks
You can reduce your food bill by reducing your snacking.
Packaged snacks are expensive, often loaded with sugar and fat, and full of
chemicals you can't even pronounce. If you're a compulsive snacker, switch to
homemade treats such as homemade party
mix. Another good choice? Ginger-Garlic
Hummus is a dip-with-a-kick for dunking baby carrots or pepper slices.
Employ leftovers quickly
Don't push leftovers to the no-man's-land at the back of the
fridge. Make sure you use them promptly, either for lunch or another dinner.
Turn leftover roast chicken into chicken
enchiladas, a small piece of steak into hearty steak
salad sandwiches, and day-old rice and vegetables into a quick and
delicious stir-fry.
MORE FROM EPICURIOUS:
- The
Epicurious Editors’ Blog
Food News and Views From All Over
- Weekly Dinner Planners
A collection of tasty recipes for the busy work week
- Recipe Slideshows
Assorted galleries featuring pictures and recipes from Epicurious.com
- Epicurious's New Seasonal Ingredient Map
This handy interactive tool allows you to select your state and month to get a list of fruits and veggies you can expect to see at your local farmers' market.
- Summer Ingredients
Epicurious.com's guide to seasonal cooking while the weather's warm
