Are you ready to save money and quit spending a fortune on groceries?
With prices constantly on the rise, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and stressed. You could scour for coupons or weekly sales, but that takes up too much time and energy you don’t have.
And honestly, who has the time for couponing anymore?
The stress of it all can really weigh on your mental health and cause unwanted pressure.
If you’re looking to ease your mind and save money, here are 10 ways you can say goodbye to mental stress and hello to big savings!
1. Bake from home
Baking from home is by far the cheapest way you can save money on your grocery bills. When you purchase pre-made goods like cereals, sandwich bread, or desserts you’re not just paying for the food, you’re paying for things like labor, packaging, convenience and other overhead costs.
No one wants to spend more money than they need to, and you most certainly shouldn’t have to.
When baking from scratch, ingredients typically have a lower cost per unit overall. And some ingredients you may already have available in your kitchen, so you bake more and spend less.
2. Make Ingredients From Scratch
There is no doubt that baking from home can save you tons of money, but it doesn’t stop with just pre-made goods. You can even go as far as making ingredients from scratch yourself!
Do you ever have to make a last minute run to the grocery store to spend even more money because you forgot an ingredient? Well, not anymore!
Making things like buttermilk, pumpkin spice, and even brown sugar are super easy to make and only require items you may already have available in the kitchen. You can even avoid unwanted additives like preservatives, fake sugars, or allergens by doing so.
Take buttermilk for example. If you want to make fluffy buttermilk pancakes on a Saturday morning but don’t want to spend more money or leave your comfy pj’s, you don’t have to!
Simply mix together 1 cup of milk and a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar. It’s an easy and cost effective way to enjoy a cozy weekend breakfast without the added headache of running to the store.
3. Mill Your Own Flour
Freshly milled flour is my favorite cost effective ingredient you can make right at home. It’s a great way to save money and to top it off, it adds essential vitamins and minerals to your foods.
Now milling fresh flour does come with an upfront cost of purchasing a grain miller. But don’t go running away just yet. This is a blog about saving you money after all. And for starters, freshly milled flour will get you the most bang for your buck.
Grain millers are an amazing investment that can get you the most value for your money. Luckily for you there are tons of options on the market with costs ranging to fit your budget.
If you can’t afford a fancy-shmancy new one, or you don’t want to spend the money, you can check a local thrift store or borrow from a friend who already has one.
Second hand products can work just as well as a brand new version for half the price! Talk about a true bang for your buck!
Not only will this save you money and improve your health, you’ll also be helping the planet by cutting back on overconsumption. You’ll be killing three birds with one stone!
4. Swap the Chocolate for Cacao
While making ingredients from scratch can save you money, some ingredients aren’t the most efficient to make from scratch like chocolate.
The process for making chocolate is quite simple, but it does take a long time. And buying chocolate from the store is wayyyy more convenient.
But chocolate can be expensive, especially if you’re a chocolate connoisseur who loves to go big or go home.
Fortunately, you don’t have to spend a ton just to enjoy the sweet, addicting flavor of chocolate. Instead, try switching to cacao. You can avoid the hefty expense, and cut out the added fats and complex sugars.
Cacao nibs or cacao powder are delicious ways to enjoy your favorite sweet treat without tanking your bank account.
5. Switch to Sourdough
Another healthy, cost effective option to soothe your financial frustrations is baking with sourdough.
Sourdough is another delicious option that can save you money, and it also comes with some added health benefits. It doesn’t quite pack the same nutritional punch as freshly milled flour, BUT it can help improve gut health and it contains a unique flavor profile.
Sourdough is simple to make at home whether you’re starting from scratch or sharing with a friend. It requires little to no extra cost, and uses ingredients you may already have at home – flour and water.
If you’re not too careful with your feedings though, it can chew up your money very quickly. Feedings can easily consume unnecessary amounts of flour if you’re keeping too much starter. The more starter you have, the more flour and water you need to feed it.
To avoid putting an extra dent in your pocket, consider keeping a smaller quantity of sourdough, such as 30g – 50g or so.
To learn about proper feeding ratios for your starter check out How to Tell When Your Sourdough Starter is Ready for Baking?
To save even more money consider collecting your sourdough discard. The best part about discard is that it doesn’t need to fed, which means no added costs. You can simply store it in the fridge until you’re ready to use it.
6. Stock Up on Non-Perishables
Whether you bake everyday or once a month, non-perishables are a great money saver. They are a convenient way to stock up on ingredients so you can cut back on the late night runs to the store.
Non-perishables typically have long shelf lives and can be stored for a few months and sometimes a few years!
Some non-perishables including sugar, cacao powder, dried fruits, and nuts can last several months on the shelf before going bad. Others like honey and grains can last forever without ever spoiling!
7. Store Foods Properly
Sadly, not every ingredient we use in the kitchen can last forever on the shelf. Leaving cakes, cookies, or bread on the counter overnight can cause them to go stale and spoil quickly. When exposed to oxygen your food will begin to oxidize and become susceptible to things like mold.
Be sure to properly store your foods in airtight containers or bags. By simply reducing the air flow you can extend the shelf life of your food by a couple days.
So don’t let pesky problems like mold or oxidation ruin your food. Use proper storage containers and keep your money and your food from going straight to the trash.
8. Utilize the Freezer
If properly storing food on the shelf isn’t keeping your food fresh long enough, consider utilizing the freezer. You can prevent throwing your food and money in the trash.
If you mill flour at home then you may be aware that storing leftover flour in the pantry is not an option. Freshly milled flour contains bran which can make your flour go rancid rather quickly.
So what do you do if you have leftover flour? Throw it in the trash and waste your money? No you silly goose!
Instead, store the excess flour in the freezer. Opting for freezer storage can slow down the flours rancidification process and extend the shelf life up to 3 – 6 months!
But ingredients are not the only thing you can store in the freezer to save money.
Have you ever baked a cake just for yourself, and have too much left over? Yeah me neither 
, but let’s say hypothetically you did!
Don’t let your cake or your money go to waste. Skip tossing out what you can’t finish and store it in the freezer for the next time you have a cake craving.
Cakes, cupcakes, and even breads can last up to a month when frozen, so save your money and your diet, and store that cake in the freezer!
9. Buy in Bulk
Utilizing the freezer can definitely prevent you from wasting your money, but a great way to save money and prevent settling for premade goods is to buy in bulk.
When you buy in bulk, you don’t have to stress about the weekly or last minute grocery store runs. You’ll have everything you need when you need it.
You can save tons on bulk purchases simply because larger quantities have a lower cost per unit. That means you can buy a 20 pound bag of grain for cheaper than a 5 pound bag.
But be careful on the items you choose to bulk purchase. Grains for instance are non-perishable and can last forever without spoiling. Other items like fruits and milk are perishable and can go bad quickly.
So consider what you purchase in bulk so you can spend more time saving money and less time wasting it.
10. Purchase In-Season Products
And last, but certainly not least, you can have all the joys of saving big by focusing your purchases on seasonal products. You’ll want to buy ingredients when they’re in season. The more readily available a product, the cheaper it will be.
Things like mangos and peaches are cheapest during the summer, so save your refreshing mango pudding and peach cobbler recipes for the summer months.
Other items like apples or pumpkins should be reserved for the cozy fall months of pumpkin pie and caramel apple turnover season.
Consider stocking up on wheat berries during the spring and summer months when they’re in season. Grains can last years before going bad, so avoid costly prices during the winter months and stock up during their harvesting season.
Take Away
So, there you have it! 10 super effective ways you can put your mind at ease and save tons on your grocery bills. Don’t forget to save and share these BIG saving tips with your friends and family!
If you’ve followed any of these 10 ways or you have another great way to save money in the kitchen, let me know in the comments!
