5 Steps To Frugal Cooking

I kind of get a little kick from getting the most out of my money when it comes to doing the weekly food shop, I also like to make the healthiest meals for the cheapest amount possible.
I thought I would share some of the things that I like to do to save us money!



1. MEAL PLAN
I know a lot of people say it, but it's true. I started meal planning only a year ago, but I wish I had done it sooner! It allows you to look through the cupboards before doing your grocery shop to see what you have in, and then buy exactly what you will need through out the week.

2. SEPARATE MEAT AND FREEZE IN BAGS  
This is one I have done for a very long time and can't imagine myself not doing it, I like to buy meat in bulk. Whether its chicken, mince, whatever it is, buy plenty, we are a family of four with kids 4 and under and I can make one large chicken breast go between all of us, I can also split a 500g pack of mince into two to make two meals, It may be less meat than you are used to, but it's going to save the pennies and really, you don't need all that meat, bulk up with other things like vegetables to get the most from it, whether it be added to your sauce or or as a side to your meal.

You could label things better than I have here if you get confused as to which meat is what!

3. FREEZE LEFTOVERS / VEGETABLES
The freezer is your friend! It is very tempting when you have made too much food to just do a mega portion of food for everybody, but why not get out some Tupperware and portion some food in there for the fridge/freezer? It could make a great meal for an emergency dinner or just a nice bit of lunch for the next day.
On the same hand, when it looks as though vegetables or even fruit might spoil, chop them up and pop them in the freezer to use at a later date, no waste!

4. COOK FROM SCRATCH
You have to make time for this sometimes, but if you can do it, it will not only save you money, but it's also a lot more healthy for you. It has been years since I last bought a ready made jar of sauce, I feel like people can sometimes over complicate the thought of making a sauce from scratch, but really, as long as you have some herbs and spices in the cupboard, the base for most of my dishes is a tin of tomatoes for 30p.

5. IGNORE THE OFFERS
It's hard not to be drawn in to those offers sometimes, but having worked in retail for many years I can say with confidence 9 times out of 10, those offers aren't worth it. Stick to a list and your meal plan and only get what you went in for.


I hope you at least got some tips there as to how to stay a little more frugal when it comes to the food shop, I know I love reading things like this and finding out something that might be useful, so if you have any other tips that might be helpful, feel free to leave them down in the comments, I would love to know!

Thanks, Anna xx