Grocery prices are still going up. Are you feeling the pinch as much as I am? I’m thinking up ways to save in the kitchen, and ways to throw more money at the grocery budget. There are some things I’ve done in the past I want to reinstate. The are some things I want to try.
Prices on other kitchen needs are also higher than when I last had to buy them. Let’s just say, I like to make my things last a long time, even when they should really be replaced. For instance, I have a lovely toaster oven. I have had it for a decade or more and just last year the timer dial stopped working. It will still let me set it to whatever time I want but will not move so no longer counts down. I have to pay attention more, so I do not burn the food. Last year I told mom I was sure I would have to buy a new one in 2025, and it is looking like I will. Now it’s not always heating when it should. I have only noticed it a couple of times. Hoping I can stretch out the use of it more.
I also do need a new hotplate – a double burner one. And a slim shelf for extra storage in my little kitchen corner, and I want a vacuum sealer for jars. I have noticed I am paying more for decent cleaners as well. Often the cheaper stuff isn’t working as well as the name-brand versions of things, whereas they used to work just fine. Anyone else noticed this?
Here is my plan for this year:
1. Plant herbs in pots to grow on my windowsill. At least parsley and chives but possibly mint and a couple others as well. I can do this year-round, and it will save me a considerable amount of money when grocery shopping. Because I buy only organic herbs and spices, what I have to purchase in-store is getting pricier. It’ll be good to offset some of those costs.
2. Also by growing mint, I can save money on tea purchases. Organic teas are so expensive these days. And I am hearing more and more about even when teas are organic the bags aren’t good for you. I want to try to find an organic loose-leaf black tea for my daily drinking, and learn to make mint tea using leaves from my own mint plant to offset the cost here as well.
3. I have already been making sure that I am saving all the odds and ends from meal prep that can be used in future meals. And I am being more concious about getting things into the freezer, rather than putting them in the fridge planning to use them up but not getting to them before they go bad. I have a bag for fruit scraps, and another for greens, right in my freezer because those can be used in smoothies. I also have placed items such as broth, cheese, and leftover meats in the freezer.
4. I will be considering what I have on hand, in the fridge, freezer, and on the shelves, before grocery shopping. I’ll be building my meals around what I have whenever I can, buying to supplement.
5. I will resign myself to the fact that I may not always have the budget for organic, grass-fed, and non-GMO items, even though they are my preference. I will let you in on a little secret here. I didn’t always include those items and now that I have, I notice a huge difference in how I feel, and I find that I prefer the taste of the organic items. I am really unpleased that I won’t be able to have them so much anymore. I am also afraid that I won’t have as much control over my blood sugar, knowing that is the reason I got into having the organic foods in the first place. It worked for me, and I have a pretty good handle on the blood sugar issues now. I am hoping for the best here. Anyone else worried about this?
6. I will be visiting the farmer’s market this year to see what I can get there more affordably than at the store. I have, in the past, bought great herb plants there for only a few dollars each. I am hoping to pull this off again this spring, as well as get good food throughout the summer and fall. I know that sometimes a farmer’s market can be a bit more expensive than items found at the store, but I don’t mind as much. I know where the food is coming from, and I am supporting local (in-state) businesses.
7. I am considering asking my landlord if I can put a few pots of vegetables out by my door, maybe even going as far as to fix up the little area outside that door as my own space, if I agree to keep up with the area saving them some work. Maybe doing a little succession planting and “growing up”. I would like peas and beans, as well as tomatoes, cucumbers, and greens. Those alone would save me some money. Most of it would be eaten fresh.
8. I might also be letting go of Fitbit Pro and redirecting that money to groceries. Don’t get me wrong. I love my Fitbit Pro, but I think my money should be used elsewhere this year. That doesn’t mean I can’t go back when I am earning more money. My main reason for keeping it was that I was tracking my sleep and my blood sugar before I had my blood sugar more under control. I am sleeping much better these days, and I can track the blood sugar right on the glucometer at least as far as keeping up with my 14- and 30-day averages.
9. Sadly, MightyNest is going away. 
I wish it weren’t because I truly enjoyed getting something new every month that cost more than the $13.77 I was paying for it. Through that subscription I came across many things I would never even have thought to get because they cost so much. But that money, too, can go toward my grocery budget. I did go in and take advantage of the sale that MightyNest has going on right now to get some cleaning and household items. And there are a few things I use regularly that I know I will be trying to find elsewhere when I need to refresh them.
10. I will be trying to do some yardsaling and thrifting for a few kitchen items I am looking for, when the weather is nicer. If I can’t find what I want this way, then I will consider buying the items I need, hopefully on sale. The bestest already hit me up for a thrifting day in the fall, but I may not be able to wait that long for a couple of the items.
11. I will likely make my own kitchen cleaners to save a little more this year. A little vinegar and some citrus peel will go a long way.
12. I will be creating an herb drying area in the room I rent, somehow. Not sure how yet. Any ideas? Leave them in the comments please!
These are my ideas so far. I may add items to or delete items from my list, depending on how things go. How are you going to be saving money on groceries and otherwise in the kitchen this year? Let us know in the comments. I am sure we are all eager for ideas.
~ Shannon
