45+ Budget Food Hacks That Actually Save You Money

Let's just cut to the chase. We all want to save money on our groceries because what in the bananas is actually happening on food prices right now, am I right? Luckily, you don't need to become an extreme couponer or adopt some fancy system or download some annoying app to save. Most of how we save on food can come down to how we cook, store, and plan. So here are over 45 practical food hacks to help you cut your grocery bill. Let's start in the freezer section of our grocery store. It's probably no surprise to most of us that frozen veggies are cheaper than fresh, especially when out of season, your savings can near 50% or more. But you have maybe steered clear of them because you had one too many bad experiences with soggy, bland cauliflower. Ew. Let me teach you how to use your frozen veggies better so you never need to think about eating this again. Now the best way to cook most frozen veggies is hot and fast. Uh, wait, what did you say? I said the best way to cook most frozen veggies is hot and fast. That's what she said. Don't. Come on. It's not even that funny. You want to roast your veggies straight from frozen on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper at 425 degrees. Don't use tinfoil because it'll trap in steam, making them soggy. Drizzle your veggies in oil and seasoning and toss to coat. And work quickly. This way, the veggies won't have time to thaw. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes. If you want to crisp them even more, you can amp it up to 450 degrees for those last three to five minutes. This system works great on tons of frozen veggies. Everything from broccoli to cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, green beans, carrots, peppers, and sweet potatoes. Now some frozen veggies will feel a tad bland, so a little flavor upgrade is going to help a lot. But don't season them into the last few minutes of cooking because things like garlic and salt will draw out the moisture too soon. Again, soggy veggies. Nobody wants that. You could also add parmesan or everything bagel seasoning. Possibilities are endless. A few more hacks for your frozen veggies. When you use them for casserole soups or pasta, consider cooking them halfway first so that they don't water everything down. You can just microwave them halfway cooked on a paper towel to absorb away excess moisture before adding them to your casserole or your soup. You don't need to shy away from frozen. Not only are they cheaper, but they can really help with food waste since they last way longer than fresh veggies, saving you from throwing money in the garbage. All right, since we're already in the frozen food section, let's chat about frozen fruit. If sad, mushy cauliflower doesn't bum you out, then surely sad defrosted blueberries might. Womp womp. These are fine if you're making baked goods or mixing them into a smoothie, but a lot of fruits do not defrost really great. So again, you've maybe steered clear of frozen fruit. But once again, frozen fruit is going to save you money over fresh if you just have a little knowledge on how to use them better. First of all, some fruits are going to defrost better than others. Mangoes, pineapples, and peaches both stay pretty firm and juicy when defrosted. My kids will eat all of these from frozen. Cherries are another one that are often overlooked, but go from freezer to thawed really nicely. A pro tip is to thaw your fruit overnight in the fridge in a colander. That way any extra moisture will drain off. All right, let's leave the frozen section of the grocery store for a little while and go to the meat aisle. Some meat is obviously more pricey than others, so let's talk about what to get. One of my favorite meats to get is chicken thighs. And they are cheaper than chicken breasts, even if you get boneless thighs. And because they have a slightly higher fat content, they are more flavorful, don't dry out, even when you reheat them. And I find that usually kids prefer them because they really are just more delicious and really hard to overcook, unlike breasts that are really easy to overcook. Now they do have about two to three times more fat than a breast, which is why I feel like most people go for breasts they think it's healthier. But it's still considerably less fat than all the other meats like pork chops, lean ground beef, or steak. Another more budget-friendly meat is a pork butt, if you're going to go for pork. Sometimes called a picnic roast or a pork shoulder, but they aren't technically the same. The butt is the top and front of the shoulder, and the picnic roast is the lower part of the shoulder. The pork shoulder can refer to either one or the other, or a mix of both. It's confusing. Pork butt is the best for pulled pork, and picnic roast is good for, well, a roast. And the pork shoulder is more of an all-purpose like stews. Now they all vary a tad in price, but overall they are one of the cheaper cuts of pork that you can get. Now the problem that you may have had if you've bought this before is that you find that your pulled pork or your roast is too tough or too greasy or just has way too much fat that didn't render. I think lots of times when we get a piece of meat that has this extra fat in it, we think it will render while it cooks, but it does not always. So before you cook your pork butt, you need to trim some of the fat. Again, you may think this is just going to render when you cook it and make it like delicious and juicy, but in reality this doesn't always happen. And with all this fat, you can't properly season your meat, so trimming meat might feel intimidating, but it's actually really easy. There are so many videos online you can watch a couple until you feel like you have it. But if you learn how to cut and trim meat, you can buy larger cuts of meat and then cut down your own pieces, saving a ton of money. For pork butt, you're going to have a fat cap. That's that big white piece on the top. You want to remove as much of this as possible. Do not worry about it drying out the meat of your pork butt. Your pork butt has plenty of meat marbling all through the meat that is going to keep it juicy. The only thing that keeping the fat cap is going to do is risk it not rendering, leaving you with a ton of yucky fatty pieces when you're done. Some pork butts will also have what's called a false cap. This is another layer of fat that you're going to see in there, so you want to try to remove this as well. You also want to feel around your meat for any other pieces that don't belong, right, like membranes or stringy bits, bone leftovers. I know this is kind of gross, but it's worth it to get it out of there. Just make sure that when you cook it, you're cooking it long enough that whatever fat does remain does render. So with a pork butt, it comes to low and slow. It's usually the best method here. You can cook it up once and then use it for leftovers forever. You can put it in burritos, on nachos, make sandwiches, and pulled pork freezes so beautifully. It is one of the best ways to stretch your grocery dollar, because it reheats just as tender as if you stored it at room temperature. When I freeze it, I let it cool to room temperature, then I add a little bit of moisture, like some cooking liquid, a little bit of barbecue sauce. Quick break to tell you about the sponsor for today's video. I'm excited to be partnering with Nourish. Nourish allows you to meet one-on-one with a registered dietitian right from your phone or laptop, and you get support for everything from picky eating to family meal planning to even your own health. One of the biggest reasons I wanted to try it out is because I feel like there's so much misinformation online about what we should be eating or what our kids should or shouldn't be eating, and I feel like it makes feeding a family feel overwhelming, as if deciding what's for dinner every night isn't already. And it makes it hard to feel like you're doing a good job, and sometimes it's nice to just have like someone qualified say, hey, you're doing good. Here's what actually matters. So I got to talk to a real registered dietitian. You actually get to choose someone who's a good fit for you. So I picked someone who is also a mom. She also has four small kids, and so it was just perfect because she really understood the season of life that I'm in. She explained things in a way that made sense for our family, and then she followed up with recipes and practical tips. Now one of the best parts about Nourish is the accessibility. Nourish accepts insurances in all 50 states, and 94% of patients pay zero dollars out of pocket. Signing up takes maybe five minutes. So if you've ever wanted guidance around picky eating or family meals or even your own health, a registered dietitian is honestly one of the best resources, and you can get started with Nourish using the link below. It might be the simplest support that you give yourself this year. Another meat option that I like that's a little more budget-conscious is ground chicken, which is usually one to two dollars cheaper than ground beef. And don't forget to stretch your meat. So often we look at meat as the main dish, but it can be more like a seasoning. Get more bang for your buck by stretching your meat with rice, beans, lentils, potatoes to make it fuller and make your meals cheaper. Okay, let's chat a little bit about using our own freezer to help us save. A freezer can be a huge money saver because it preserves foods longer, but knowing how to fully take advantage of that can help you way more. Here are some surprising things that you can freeze. Eggs. Yes, crack them, pour them into a mold and freeze them, defrost them overnight in your fridge. You can also make scrambled eggs and freeze them for easy breakfasts. Butter in the wrapper. You can defrost this on the counter. Basically any bread can freeze and then can go right in the toaster from frozen. All of the cooking basics like garlic, onions, ginger. Next time you're cutting up a bunch of these items for a meal, just make extra and portion it into the freezer. This is such a time saver. There's actually something called, I'm not going to say this right, mirepoix. Mirepoix. Mirepoix. Mirepoix. Mirepoix. You know, I took like four years of French in high school and I don't think I can sing a single French word. It doesn't matter. This is the word. And what it is, is basically just a mixture of onion, carrots, and celery. It's often cooked in butter and oil to add flavors to dishes like soups and stews and sauces. A typical ratio is two parts onion to one part carrot and one part celery. And I like to, when I make this, I will just make a bunch and then I keep it frozen and ready in my freezer to just like scoop some in when I'm cooking. And it makes my life easier and cooking faster and adds more flavor to your meals for basically pennies. One of my favorite things to keep frozen is rice. I don't know what it is about cooking rice that always makes it feel like a chore, but this is why I always bulk cook it and freeze portions. The hack here is that I spread it flat in a plastic bag and then using a spoon or just my hand, I'm going to gently create lines to make portions. So this way when it's frozen, I'll freeze it flat. You can just snap off the frozen sections one at a time as you need them. Another freezer hack that I love is using a straw to remove excess air from a bag before freezing it. Extra air is going to lead to freezer burn. Your item is not going to freeze as well. So sealing your bag all of the way with a straw inside, you're just going to suck out any air right before closing, then pull out the straw and seal it. Okay, let's talk about canned foods. Now, many canned foods do tend to be cheaper than buying them fresh or even frozen, mainly because they last longer, they don't spoil, and they aren't affected by like seasonal price swings. They usually offer the lowest cost per serving, especially for vegetables like beans, tomatoes, corn, and peas. But canned isn't always cheapest. Some fresh produce like carrots and apples can actually cost less when they're in season, and certain canned items cost more due to processing. It's also important to remember that many include things like extra salt, sugar, or preservatives. What canned foods are worth it? Now, canned beans, always a win. One of the cheapest pantry staples with tons of nutrients, and I'll link my video down below where I shared my favorite dirt cheap meals, and includes tons with canned beans. Corn, pumpkin puree, other basic vegetables like tomatoes, beets, potatoes, they are all pretty shelf stable and work really good in a lot of dishes, and most of their nutrients are preserved in the canning process. Canned tuna and other fishes is also another really great budget-friendly way to get fish. A few canned items that I like to consider avoiding, green beans, they typically lose their taste and their texture when they're canned. A lot of fruits, you have to be careful, they're going to lose their texture and taste, plus a lot of fruits need to be canned in sugar or juices, so I tend to go frozen here, just makes a little more sense. Let's move along to some homemade and DIY food basics that will help you save a pant load on your groceries. One, grow your own herbs. Guys, this is so easy. I cannot grow anything, like I can't grow nothing, but I can grow basil, and rosemary, and a few other herbs. It saves tons of money and adds freshness all year round. Number two, learn how to make simple doughs, like pizza dough, biscuit dough. People are always impressed when I make my own bread, but I'm convinced that one of the biggest conspiracies in the cooking world is that dough is hard. Sure, there are hard doughs to make, but so many of the basic ones are so easy and so much cheaper. Like stupid easy, like if you can make a pancake, you can make these doughs, and I will link a few of my beginner favorites down below. Next up, make your own bouillon. Bouillon can be used in so many things, it adds a ton of flavor, it can be used to create a quick broth, and you can bulk make your own to keep on hand. It'll quickly improve everything from soups, to curries, to rices, to risottos. It's literally just a mixture of like nutritional yeast with some salt and some dried herbs, and I will have the link to that recipe down below. And on that note, cook your grains or beans in broth or using bouillon in the water. It adds a ton of depth and richness and flavor without barely any extra cost. Next, I always keep frozen onions and garlic on hand as we sort of talked about. You can buy a bag of frozen onions at my grocery store for less than two dollars, and I use it for tons of meals, like one bag. It's a huge flavor boost for super cheap and way less waste than buying a whole onion and not using it all for your recipe. On that note, if you do buy a whole onion, make sure that you are freezing any of the extra because onions freeze really well. Okay, let's talk about some hacks for saving when it comes to snacks. Snacks can be one of the biggest cost items in your grocery. They charge you so much more to get them in those little snack bags or with cute packaging. So my number one hack is to just stop trying to buy the mini snack bags. There's so much more money. If you just grab a big bag and portion your own, it literally takes minutes. And you can do this with tons of stuff, not just like dry snacks but yogurts. You can buy a big yogurt and make your own yogurt cups. These deli containers are my favorite thing. They are dishwasher and freezer safe. I use them all the time, literally every day. You could also buy a whole block of cheese and then just cut off single slices. Pop a huge thing of popcorn and then bag it. I mean, look at this. Okay, it would cost me over $7 for 10 bags of smart food popcorn that comes out to like over a dollar an ounce. If I pop my own popcorn, it's only 13 cents an ounce. And popping popcorn is so, so easy. I feel like this takes us into some of our buying smart tips. Now, do your best to buy items obviously when they're on sale and rotate meals around the sales instead of picking your meals first. This is kind of the idea of doing reverse meal planning which is the idea that you plan based on what you already have or what is on sale at your grocery stores. Again, instead of picking the meal and then going and get the ingredients for that. Next, learn how to read ingredient lists. It's not that hard and often name brands are the same as store brands or generic brands but they're not always the same. But if you can just be good at quickly referencing ingredients, you can do a quick check to see if you're paying more for exactly the same thing. And that goes along with getting good at checking cost per units on shelf labels instead of just looking at the cost of the entire box or bag. Big packaging isn't always cheaper and sometimes two things can look at the same size but there's actually more in one of the other ones. Always look at the cost per units. It can be the best way to see if one option is a better deal than the other. Next, shop your pantry once a week. I like to do pantry pasta or pantry meals before grocery runs where you're just using up what's in your pantry. Sometimes once a week I'll make sure that I'm doing a pantry meal like just leaving that open and having to cook what's in my pantry. In our house we've also done use it up weeks where I'll just buy like milk and eggs and some fresh fruit to get us through the week and then we make all of our other meals around what's in the pantry, freezer, or fridge. Doing a little weekly prep even if it's super small like chopping all of your veggies or portioning your snacks as we've talked about saves so much time and it usually ensures there's less food waste. So if I'm going to chop carrots for soup, I'm going to take the leftovers and cut them up into carrot sticks for snacks. By doing this it just makes it way more likely that we're actually going to eat them instead of those carrots just sitting in the veggie drawer like going bad and turning brown and nobody eating them. One hack that always works for me is keeping a snack list on the fridge to make grab and go easier. I don't know why this is so helpful, I just feel like snacks become a black hole. We're always trying to come up with snack ideas for our kids and it's always like when they're hungry and they're yelling at us about how hungry they are and then we get desperate and we just grab whatever. But if I have a little list on my refrigerator it helps me remember at quick glance what I have that week and as a mom this is really helpful too if you have other people helping you. We have a nanny three days a week, occasionally my mom is here helping or there's grandparents or whatever. It just makes it really easy for everyone to know what snacks are there and I often find when I do this I need way less snacks than I actually think that I need and so I end up spending less on snack related foods. Next hack, I don't know if this is a hack, this is just the life blood of me, is you need to meal plan. You need to know what you're cooking each day of the week. Having a clear plan prevents food waste and overspending because you know exactly what you need and then you have everything you need so when it's time to cook you're not having to run back to the grocery store. I'm gonna link my ultimate meal planning bundle below. It has a ton of printables in here to help you meal plan but also my best tips and tricks on how to actually stick with meal planning and be successful doing it. Alright my friends, that does it. Some of my best practical budget food hacks, just simple things that you can do whether it's like in the kitchen or it's when you're prepping what you're gonna eat or when you're actually shopping for what you're gonna eat that will help save butt loads of money on your groceries because it's just it's getting out of control. I like sweat a little bit every time I go into the grocery store you know. As always, thank you so much for stopping by and watching. I hope you're having a fantastic day. Remember to be kind to yourself and others and I will see you all in my next video.