Home Cooked Meals: How To Save Money On Rising Food Costs!
With food prices rising, we’re turning to home cooked meals as a budget-friendly solution.
Many families struggle to manage their food budgets due to their busy schedules and limited prep time. And while it’s more convenient to DoorDash your meals, high prices and additional fees add up to an unsustainable luxury.
Home cooking is one way to save on food costs, eat healthier, and build valuable life skills.
In today’s post, I’m sharing smart solutions for home cooked meals, with tips for how to cook more at home, save on groceries, and overcome common barriers that stop folks from cooking.
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The benefits of home cooked meals
I’m a huge advocate for cooking at home! Not only does it provide major cost savings, but it also tastes better, giving you complete control over ingredients that suit your palette.
It also gives you control over:
- Portion sizes (and leftovers!)
- Nutritional value
- Sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fat content
- Preferred ingredients
- Wasteful packaging
Beyond this, the act of cooking itself comes with benefits! It can be a great way to bond with family members, de-stress, and unleash some creativity.
Tips for cooking more at home
Here are my top tips for breaking down boundaries and prepping more home cooked meals.
1. Clear the fridge
One of my favorite ways to cook from home is to play a little “clear the fridge” game. AKA – using up what I already have.
Go through your pantry and produce drawer to see what you have on hand. Then, use these ingredients to plan your meals.
This forces you to get a bit creative, which can result in some delicious creations. Plus, it cuts down on food waste – a win-win.
2. Create a weekly plan for home cooked meals
Having a weekly meal plan ready can help save you from decision fatigue that ultimately ends in ordering takeout.
Plan for the week ahead, stocking up on groceries to carry you through the week.
3. Buy in bulk
Buying in bulk saves you time and money, with quantity discounts and fewer grocery trips needed.
Keep bulk purchases to shelf-stable products or tried-and-true produce that you’ll go through quickly.
4. Smart food prep
Time is a big deterrent for folks cooking meals at home., and while traditional meal prep can be helpful, eating the same meal every day can get monotonous (and result in sneaky takeout).
I like to prepare ingredients instead of meals.
For example, at the beginning of the week, I’ll prepare a grain, two protein sources, a few roasted vegetables, a crunchy topping, and a couple of homemade sauces.
This way, I can mix and match prepped ingredients for different meals all week long!
5. Rely on inexpensive staples for home cooked meals
We all need a few inexpensive go-tos to help us through these scary food prices.
My cheap staples include pasta (I like protein pasta!), canned or dry beans, rice, and frozen vegetables.
A tip for anyone who hates the flavor of frozen vegetables – PuraVida fire-roasted vegetables are top-tier! They seriously taste freshly grilled.
6. Learn to love leftovers
Leftovers should be more than a necessary evil.
A quick Pinterest search can help you turn leftover rice into a flavorful stir fry! Search for creative ways to use leftovers, avoid food waste, and save money.
How to save more on home cooked meals
Groceries aren’t as cheap as they once were! Here’s how to save more.
Start with simple home cooked meals
Meals don’t have to be elaborate. Focus on simple meals featuring quality, whole ingredients.
Collect budget-friendly recipes
Collect a few budget-friendly recipes from bloggers or Pinterest users to cycle through.
Save on convenience
While food delivery may seem like a luxury, it can actually end up saving you money!
Online shoppers can sign up for points systems or yearly memberships for discounted items and shipping costs.
Some examples include:
- Amazon Fresh – 2-hour shipping, free for orders over $100 for Prime members, and 5% cash back when you use a Prime Visa
- ButcherBox – Save on high-quality meat, delivered right to your front door
- ThriveMarket – Get deals on healthy groceries and free shipping on orders over $49 for $5/month (billed annually)
- Misfits Market – Save up to 30% on your weekly grocery bill with “imperfect” grocery boxes
Earn cash back on essentials
Groceries are a staple purchase that can earn you cashback!
Apps like Fetch Rewards will give you cashback on your grocery purchases simply for signing up and uploading your receipts to the platform.
Rakuten is another popular cashback app that rewards users for shopping through their platform with participating retailers.
Common barriers of home cooked meals
Home cooking is more accessible than ever, with modern deliveries, meal box options, and thousands of recipes available with just a few clicks.
If you find yourself still struggling to cook at home, here’s how to overcome your obstacles.
“I don’t have time to cook.”
If time is in short supply, consider opting for a meal delivery kit like Home Chef or Gobble. These kits include pre-portioned ingredients for quick cooking and zero decisions needed.
Other tips include smart meal prep at the beginning of the week and purchasing time-friendly ingredients like canned beans and frozen vegetables.
“I don’t know how to cook.”
Anyone can learn how to cook!
Meal kits can be a great way to start, though you can also take a cooking course through Skillshare, plan a cooking date with a friend, or follow beginner-friendly recipes from bloggers.
“Healthy food is too expensive.”
I hear you—surviving on packaged ramen and Oreo cookies could be cost-effective. But you’ll pay for those habits with your health.
Beyond health concerns, many processed foods end up being more expensive due to their convenience; frozen meals consist of smaller portions with less nutritional value than your body craves.
To eat healthy on a budget, I like to focus on plant-based protein sources like tofu or beans. Frozen and canned vegetables are also good alternatives – they’re just as nutritious as fresh vegetables for a fraction of the cost.
If you need any more advice on food savings or budget-friendly home cooked meals, please ask your questions in the comments below.
