Over the past few months I’ve been compiling a list of principles to shop and cook by. I have identified 6 practices that have really helped me take a big “byte” out of my monthly food budget. With a little planning, a little effort and a little compromise you can save a lot of money.
BUDGET BYTING PRINCIPLES
1: PLAN YOUR MEALS
Take the time, once a week, to think about what you want to eat for the next 5-7 days. Decide on a few recipes then make your grocery list. Look in your refrigerator, freezer and cabinets to see what “left over” ingredients you have on hand that need to be used up (if you’re throwing away food, you’re throwing away money). Make a mental (or physical) list of these items, hit the internet and search for recipes that use those ingredients. I also plan my meals around items that I find on sale for really good prices. I usually thumb through the weekly sale fliers (or check them out online) looking for really good deals. Planning ahead will keep you from wandering aimlessly through the store picking up umpteen snack items because you don’t have one real meal idea.
2: USE INGREDIENTS WISELY
One of the reasons that I started Budget Bytes is because I don’t believe that you have to just eat ramen, rice and beans to eat on a budget. I love food and I don’t think that some things are off limit just because they are expensive. Often times, if you have an expensive ingredient you can pair it up with something inexpensive (like rice, pasta or other grains) to bring the cost per serving back down. Also, expensive ingredients are often the most potent so you can use them sparingly and still get a great flavor (think sun dried tomatoes, pesto, walnuts). So, choose your recipes based on the ratio of expensive ingredients verses inexpensive ingredients and use potent/expensive ingredients sparingly.
3: PORTION CONTROL
Portion control will help you slim down your waistline and bulk up your wallet. We’ve gotten used to gigantic sized portions in our country and it’s time to start reining them back in. When you eat more food than you need, you are quite literally spending money that you don’t need to spend. When you dish out a meal, try giving yourself less than you normally would and see how satisfied you are when you have finished. If you are still hungry you can always go back for more but this way you won’t be feel obligated to finish what is on your plate if it is more than what satisfies you. When I make a meal, I try to portion out the entire recipe into smaller containers as soon as it is finished cooking. If I put it all into one big container, every time I go for some I have the possibility of over serving myself. Sounds OCD but it also makes my meals “grab-and-go” which is quite convenient.
4: DON’T BE AFRAID OF LEFTOVERS
After working in the food service industry for a few years, it has come to my attention that many people these days are afraid of food if it was not prepared that day or even a couple of hours prior. What those same people don’t realize is that when they go to a restaurant (almost every restaurant), the food that is served to them was not prepared from scratch that moment. It is more convenient and cost effective for restaurants (and us at home) to make large batches and use them over a period of a few days. If stored properly, cooked food is quite safe and delicious for several days in the refrigerator and a few months in the freezer. For specifics, visit Foodsafety.gov. Sure, sometimes there will be textural changes (fried foods may become soft, for example) but many times the flavor of food gets better after a day or two! The time in the refrigerator allows ingredients to marinate and flavors to marry. In my recipes I try to address issues related to storing leftovers to keep the best flavor and texture.
5: THE FREEZER IS YOUR FRIEND
Take full advantage of your freezer, it will save you money! Last week while grocery shopping, I came across an enormous pork tenderloin on sale for only $4.99 (regularly $8.99). You BET I bought that thing even though it wasn’t on my menu. I knew that it would freeze well and I could simply thaw it out and use it for my entree another week. Also, since I cook primarily for myself, I often freeze extra portions of meals. If I can’t scale down a recipe to a size that I can consume within 5 days or so, I’ll just freeze the rest. It’s wonderful to have frozen meals just waiting for you when you are too tired, too busy or too sick to cook (or if you’re out of money and there is still a whole week till pay day! ha!). For more information on how to effectively freeze different food items, visit The National Center for Home Food Preservation and be sure to click on General Information for food that doesn’t freeze well and other basics.
6: SHOP WISELY
We all have different reasons for shopping where we do (supporting local business, a preference for natural or organic items, location/convenience etc.) but be aware of your options. Check for local or seasonal produce markets and ethnic groceries. Produce markets are almost always less expensive than produce in grocery stores and often times the quality will be much better. Ethnic grocers usually have great prices for ingredients that are not common and offer a wider selection (you might get inspired!). As you become more budget conscious and start to cook more, you’ll begin to make a mental price list of your most commonly purchased items. Soon you’ll be able to spot inflated prices immediately and you’ll know which store offers the best prices for different items. I don’t visit 4 or 5 stores every week but as I’m planning my menu I will plan which store to shop at based on where I can get my most expensive ingredients at the best price. Usually, I go to one grocery store to buy my canned, frozen or otherwise packaged foods and the produce market for fresh produce.
If you have any other tips or practices that have helped you cut your food budget, please share them! A million minds are better than one!
Thanks for the blog, I’ve been nervous about cooking for the longest time. My mother is an amazing cook…but growing up I took it for granted. And lately I really wanted to start cutting down lunch spending and start bringing food in. The way you broke down the recipes and with the pictures and picture description it’s inspired me to start cooking (while staying on a budget) starting from today. Thanks for the inspiration (:
All of your tips are spot on to what I have learned over the years of living alone on a tight budget and with a freezer (bless my parents) to take advantage of great sales and to be able to freeze extra servings of food for another day. I never make less than four servings of anything. Two servings get eaten over the course of 2 or 3 days and the other 2 are immediately frozen away. The word ‘leftovers’ is not used in my house. Instead I have my own home made tv dinners and lunches to take to work. :)
I love your blog and love your tips! My blog is similar in that I am trying to help people eat good food for a low price, based on the sales at the local grocery store. My freezer is packed full of leftovers and meat I bought on sale. I like to freeze leftovers in lunch size portions, that way my husband never has an excuse to eat lunch out or we always have a quick and easy dinner waiting.
This is incredibly helpful!!! Thank you so much.
And your shirt in the photo is rad.
This is a fantastic website! It has been my distraction from studying for the past couple days. I love the variety of meals and the clear instructions that come with. Not to mention the thorough photos! Basically, thanks for doing what you’re doing.
Several years ago, I discovered the “Badia” brands of food, usually found in the “Latin” aisle of your grocer, and found that they sell spices that are much cheaper in price than the more expensive brands in the spice section. I also found that they sell them in small bags, 1 ounce per bag (I think?), for spices you might not use often. For instance, I made a pork bone-in shoulder roast for a pot-luck at work, and it called for three cloves. Well, I usually don’t use cloves often, so I was able to purchase a bag of BADIA cloves for around $1.00, instead of $8.00 dollars for a small jar that I will never be able to completely use! I also purchased a small container of Badia’s Saffron for $4.99 for a recipe that called for the world’s most expensive spice! Hope this helps!
Yes! I second the Badia brand suggestion. In fact, I’ve found that the “ethnic” section of my supermarket sells many products that are comparable to other aisles in the store, but for less. For example, the canned foods, dressings and olives/oils in the latin section (often Goya brand) are good and cost less than the same types of food in other parts of the store. The ethnic aisle is also great for inspiration and finding new ingredients to build on!
i am new to your site and impressed. in your stock up pantry list i see salsa and pesto. both are much loved in my house. I make my own whenever possible. my salsa is a big hit at many gatherings. here is my basic ingredient list. fresh tomatoes from our garden… of course not available now, so i sub canned tomatoes. sauted onion, garlic, a carrot shredded, 2 japaleno peppers fresh if possible. a bit of cumin, oregano and black pepper. add the tomatoes and lemon juice or lime juice. salt to taste. your portions and measurements will vary but its a good base. whirl the chunky parts in a food processor or blender and return to pot.. cook for about 15 mins on simmer.. enjoy
i’m a budgetbyte virgin… and already i’m obsessed. this is such a great blog! thank goodness for pintrest or i might never have found it. i’m printing out so many recipes and plan on heading to the store for a few ingredients tonight. i appreciate the vegetarian recipes! i have a picky 4 year old who decided on his own to stop eating meat (other than bacon) when he was 2.
Hey so funny,
that’s the first time I hear about someone that eats no meat except bacon! Just like me!! :)
I just wanted to say thanks for this website! I’m doing a 5 day spree of budgetbytes only recipes, and its going fantastic so far! I’m on day 2 and so far I’m loving everything!
Day 1 was egg drop soup and egg rolls
Day 2 naan, thai chicken pizza, and cinnamon raisin bread
I personally have never gotten into coupons because I never seem to see any for the products that I buy. But if it’s saving you money, then by all means, go after it :D
I’ve seen lots of your recipes shared on Pinterest recently – great blog, and great shopping tips here. Just curious if you use coupons or not. I have found that with some careful planning in advance with the weekly circulars, handy online couponing sites, etc. I am able to reduce my grocery expenses by half or more on a regular basis. Keep up the good work!
We are also huge fans of food and have over spent over the years, but we also like to entertain. Nevertheless, we’ve been buying sale meats (expensive items) for awhile now and it really does well, however, we have to be careful on the quality. One suggestion I have is to get to know your local butchers and produce personnel, find out when the best/quality products come in and also try to catch those during sale period as well. Additionally, you can find out when supermarkets routinely have their sales on specific items and plan your meals around this as well.
Haha! I like that you buy the pork loin since it’s on sale. That makes me feel better about the fact that I saw game hens on sale last week and bought them even though they weren’t on my list. To keep our budget under control, I try to REALLY stick to the list and stay away from the snacks/cookies aisle. Processed snacks seem to be the biggest budget killer.
Thank you for your blog. I am a college student (who’s at home just for this year) that is worried about what I will be eating when I’m out on my own. I’m very health concious which is easy to do with a meal plan or with parents around, but what about when I cook for myself (with time and money considered)?! Many times, I’ll just warm up a frozen dinner which is high in sodium or a bunch of fast food when I’m on my own. I don’t want to do that to my body. That food makes me bloated and my tummy hurts after just a week.
So thank you for the time and dedication that you have put into this blog. It’s my little lifesaver.