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Money Saving Tips for the Kitchen: Five More to Add

05.06.2021 by hope // Leave a Comment

Today’s post is a continuation of last week’s post on money saving tips for the kitchen.

Last week, I shared five easy reminders that you probably already know to do to save you time and money in the kitchen. Here are five more tips that are not only frugal, but healthier for the environment and your body as well. Again, these are not ground breaking ideas but I am sharing them because I need the reminders as well.

1. Purchase in season produce

I’ll be the first to admit I love that I can get a tomato pretty much any time of the year where I live. However, they aren’t always the best. Produce shipped across the country or even around the world is simply not going to taste the best. In order to not spoil, the crop must be picked well before it is truly ripe. Not only does this affect the taste, but it also affects the nutritional value. Anyone who’s ever grown their own tomatoes also knows that nothing tastes as good as a vine ripened tomato fresh from the garden.

To get the best bang for your buck, choose produce that is more locally grown and is in season. You’ll not only get it at a lower price, you’ll also be getting healthier food while supporting your local economy. Tasty, friendly money saving tip!

2. Whenever possible use cloth

As tempting and easy as it may be, using paper napkins and paper towels can be a huge budget drain. It is also more harsh for the environment. Using cloth dues require a little investment on the front end, but can result in a big savings over time. Our family hasn’t bought napkins in over twenty years. I don’t recommend making a huge purchase all at once. Just buy a couple of cloth napkins at a time. After a while, you’ll end up with a nice supply. There are also other ways to create your own napkins from tea towels.

cloth napkins on a tray to save money

It does take a little getting used to, but the adjustment is worth it. When you get to the point that you can simply skip the paper products aisle, your budget will thank you. The environment will thank you. Plus, your family and guests will feel special that you broth the cloth napkins for them while you are saving money following this tip.

3. Switch to reusable instead of disposable

We all have that drawer in the kitchen filled with sandwich bags and disposable food storage containers. Yet have you ever really stopped to consider how much money we are throwing away? Probably not. A couple of dollars every few weeks adds up over the course of a year. This money saving tip really adds up.

canning jars and lids inside a cabinet

This is one area of my kitchen that I found myself more affected by thinking about the BPA’s of plastics. I gradually starting made the shift to glass storage containers rather than plastic ones or baggies. It took months of buying one or two at a time, but over time I replaced all of the BPA plastics with glass containers or canning jars to store leftovers. I also use them for dry goods as well. 

I love being able to see through the containers. This has prevented me from running out of items I use often. I can see that the cocoa is almost empty before it becomes and issue.

4. Simplify drink options

We all know that there are certain drinks that really should be eliminated from our diets. However, that’s not always an easy thing to do. However, considering the financial savings can certainly help with the motivation. Choosing to simplify the drink options can make a substantial impact on our wallet and our waistline. 

French press, yeti coffee mug and grinder on a wood tray

That $5.00 latte once or twice a week can add up to $40 per month. That could be or $480 a year and as much as 10,000 calories. Preparing your own coffee at home can save you the money without sacrificing the caffeine jolt. Meeting friends at the coffee spot? Why not meet at a park instead. You can still have the coffee and visit while soaking in some vitamin D and fresh air. Here’s a money saving tip that is waistline and immunity friendly.

5. Get organized

Organization is probably the simplest and most impactful way to same not only money but time as well. In order to shop from a list, you need to make that list. It’s much easier to make said list when you know what your needs are.

organized dry goods in clear containers

An organized pantry, together helps you to see what you have and plan meals quickly. It also keeps you from buying a fifth jar of olives instead of the peanut butter you really need. Grouping like items helps you see at a glance what your situation is.

Take this same organization to the refrigerator. Store like items in the same area of the refrigerator and in containers that can be seen. No one likes to find a package of cream cheese five months after the expiration date.

Don’t get overwhelmed!

No matter where you start, you’ll find any of these areas can impact your budget. Don’t overwhelm yourself by tackling each item. Choose one. Master it. Then move on. As I’ve shared before, each item can be taken deeper once you are ready.

For now, think little by little. Master one area and enjoy the savings!

Categories // Creating Home, Simple life Tags // environmentally friendly, frugal, kitchen, money saving tips, simple living

Easy Hack to Save Time and Money in the Kitchen

04.13.2021 by hope // Leave a Comment

ONE chicken and FOUR meals

Looking for an easy hack to spend less time and money in the kitchen and more time outdoors? Make this approach to meal planning part of your spring schedule.

Spring is in the air and if you’re like me, you just want to be outside. I mean, like ALL THE TIME. Spending time outdoors doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice good food to be outdoors. We also don’t have to rely on the drive through for quick meals. We just need to practice planning out our time and our meals. Preaching to myself here!

Recently, I’ve taken full advantage of this easy hack for meal planning. It has freed up a lot of time plus it saves us money. That hack is taking advantage of an instant pot and a whole chicken. Preparing a whole chicken on Monday allows me to use that meat to create at least four evening meals. This lasts us throughout the week.

Prepare your chicken

Begin with preparing a whole chicken in your favorite way. This can be in an Instant Pot, slow cooker or roasting in the oven. Personally, I love the flavor of roasted chicken. But since we raise our own heritage breed chickens, they tend to have less fat on them. I’ve learned that the best method for our chicken is in the instant pot. My recommendation, though, is to use the cooking method that blesses you most. It may not sound like it, but this investment is truly going to save you time and money. You can check out my process for preparing a chicken here.

dish with cooked chicken next to a instant pot
A little time spent on preparing this one meat can save you time and money throughout the week.

I generally like to make the chicken versatile for other recipes. So I prepare my chicken by brushing with olive oil and sprinkling salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then I place it in the instant pot with half a cup of water in the bottom of the pot. I then set my instant pot on pressure cook mode and cook for two hours. Depending on the breed of chicken, you could probably lower your cooking time. However, I find that two hours gives me a well cooked chicken with meat that literally falls off the bones.

Allow the chicken to cool about twenty minutes so you don’t burn yourself while handling it. Once it is comfortable to the touch, start to pull the meat away from the bone and place it in a separate container. Generally, I begin with pulling the breast meat sections off first, then move on to the thighs, legs and wings.

Once you have all removed the meat, make a batch of bone broth with the leftover bones and chicken parts. Here you can find more about the benefits of bone broth and how to make it. This can be used to sip hot for a spring morning boost, as a base for soups or as a liquid for sauces.

One bird, four ways

Now that you’ve got your meat set aside, visually divide it into four sections. Typically, this will mean meat from legs and wings, thighs and then the two breast for four separate meals.

First night

square plate with bbq chicken and sides
Chicken with barbecue sauce served with deviled eggs, slaw and macaroni and cheese.

On the first night, my usual meal will be the chicken on it’s own and topped with barbecue sauce. I pair it with some veggies. Here I chose mac and cheese, slaw and deviled eggs. This is a bit more than I would typically make for a Monday night. I just happened to have some boiled eggs leftover from the weekend.

Second night

two bowls of chicken pot pie
Chicken pot pie is a great one pot dish.

The second night was a bit chilly. So I sautéed my chicken with some carrots, peas and mushrooms. Then I added a pie crust topper and created a chicken skillet pie.

Third night.

Night three had me longing for some pasta. I sautéed some carrots, mushrooms and peppers along with the chicken, created a sauce and then added spaghetti. Topped off with a sprinkle of parmesan, it was delicious.

Pasta salad with chicken is always a hit at our house.

Fourth night

On the last night, I used the remaining chicken breast. I chopped it along with some apple, celery and walnuts to make a chicken salad. I coupled it with a large green salad and crackers.

plate of salad and chicken salad
A scoop of chicken salad and green salad

More ideas

If those four dishes don’t seem to fit your taste, never fear. Here are some additional options for using that chicken and stretching your time and money.

  • chicken noodle soup
  • curry chicken and rice
  • chicken stir fry
  • quinoa salad with chicken
  • chicken and dumplings
  • tortilla soup
  • chicken casserole
  • chicken tacos
  • chicken sandwiches
  • chicken flat bread pizzas
  • baked potatoes topped with bbq chicken (load it up with peppers and cheddar)
  • chicken tetrazzini

No time to cook that chicken? No problem.

Are dealing with an already packed schedule and don’t even have the time to cook that chicken? No problem. There are always even more short cuts. Almost all grocery stores now have rotisserie chickens available in their deli section. This is a great way to get the benefit of multiplying that bird, but in even less time.

Now get out there and enjoy this gorgeous weather, knowing dinner is in the bag!

Categories // Recipes Tags // chicken, frugal, recipes, simple living

Thanks for stopping by!

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Hi there! I’m Hope and the voice of this blog. I’m a Christ and coffee loving wife and mom to two great (and now grown) humans. Join me as my husband  Michael and I journey to leaning up life so that we can focus on the important. Read more here

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