I am always trying to save money where I can. This is even more important now since prices seem to be going up drastically from year-to-year. It’s hard to keep up with the rising cost of things.
I’ve been rearranging my space (my little kitchen corner) to better fit food stocks and other things I need. I still have work to do in this area, but I’m getting closer to my organized kitchen. Yay!
I thought I would share the things that have saved me the most money in my kitchen this year, and organization actually plays a key role. Read through the ways I saved money in this area, and maybe this information will help you as well.
- Organization, as I said, played a key role this year. Because I rent a room, everything is pretty cramped and wasn’t really organized. I decided to go through my closet and everything on my shelves and organized all the cleaning products I have. Much of which I had completely forgotten about. And in doing so, I discovered I had plenty of dish detergent and cleaners to get me through this year. Turns out, I still have some to bring into the new year. I hardly spent anything on cleaning products this year, and don’t expect to spend much in 2026 either. Considering the cost of some of the cleaners, I am happy for that.
- I am also working on organizing my kitchen shelves. I am at the point now where I can find everything I have, and it is amazing! No more thinking I have something, not being able to find it, re-buying it, and then finding what I thought I had after the meal is cooked. Thank goodness! Now, like types of food are put together so I can find things quickly. This saves me not only time, but money on my weekly groceries.
- I put a dry-erase sheet on my fridge which I am using for a meal planning station. I list items that need to be used up, some ideas I have for doing so, and then my main meal plan for that week. I don’t do things by day, but by week. This is a huge help. I go through my fridge, freezer and shelves each week and note anything that needs to be used up. Then I add some ideas, which I may or may not end up using. This gives me an idea of what I can do though. Then, on Saturday, I make my meal plan for the coming week. I’m using up more, wasting so much less! I’m not buying things I already have 5 or 6 containers of. Money is being saved. $4.95 bought me this, the markers, and an eraser.
- What do I mean by meal planning by the week? I don’t make a different dinner or lunch each day of the week. I cook enough of most dishes to last about four meals. This also saves me money, and means I am buying less groceries throughout the week and having less left over at the end of the week. I work four evenings a week, so I make enough, say, chili for five meals. I get a meal on Sunday when I make it, then I have four servings of leftovers to bring to work. It does get a little boring to eat the same thing each evening sometimes. But I am fine with that. I can opt to add something else to the plate if I want to bring a little variety. Maybe cheese one night, and a tortilla another. Celery sticks one evening, and whatever fruit I have on hand the other.
- I bought a food dehydrator for less $40, and I love it! Because I have this, I can dry foods for later use. My parents garden, and they give us all food. Previously, I could only take some of what they offered because with it being just me here some of the food might go to waste. Tiny fridge. Tiny freezer. Think dorm size. But now, I can dehydrate the extra produce they want to share, saving me money throughout the year.
- I did buy a baker’s rack, and two slim shelves for my kitchen corner this year. The baker’s rack was $119.99 plus tax, but with the gift cards I had, I ended up paying 94.94 including tax. I only bought this because the very old shelves I was using to house the appliances I have was literally falling apart. I love it though, and it is helping me to organize things better in my space. By being more organized I am actually saving money, because I’m not buying things I didn’t think I had, only to find out I did.
- I went to thrift stores to buy canning jars, and many of them came with lids and rings though I did have to buy a package of each to go with the jars that didn’t have them. My mother gave me about dozen canning jars, as well as a bunch of smaller honey jars. I think I paid less than a dollar per jar (including rings and lids) when it was all added up and I took into consideration the free items. This is how I am storing the dehydrated foods on my food shelves. It is also how I am extending the life of refrigerated items, and the items I am stocking up on.
- I did save over $30 on a gallon size pitcher by utilizing that size pickle jar that my best friends mother was looking to rehome. No cost to me. She also gave me a few food items this year. I love it when she gives me farm fresh eggs from her neighbor. My family did gift her and my best friend some fresh produce from the garden this year as well.
- I think a significant savings was had with all that extra produce from my parents’ garden that I dehydrated. I now have dried carrots, beets, apples, and other items that I can use throughout the winter. Super healthy, good for you items I can throw into soups, one-pan meals, smoothies, and more.
- I also save money by not grocery shopping. I have consistently this year had enough food on my shelves to cover the occasional week or two without grocery shopping. This has been just amazing, and I couldn’t have pulled it off without the organization strategies I have been utilizing. Because of this, I have been able to afford some of the more expensive items. I have utilized sales on some of these as well. And I have utilized what I have on hand most weeks to lower my grocery bills a little bit.
- I used DoorDash to cut my food bill a couple of weeks as well, when they were having a 50% off deal. I know they raise prices when putting things on DoorDash, but with a 50% off deal the food came it at less than I would have paid in-store. Great deal!
- Yes, I am restocking items when I see sales, but I don’t often find sales on many of the foods I buy. I’m trying to find the most affordable place to buy things when possible. I’m shocked by the cost of coconut milk powder and monk fruit sweeteners, among other things, and have had to cut back on my use of many things that I didn’t want to have to cut back on. I don’t want to buy things with extra stuff added, so apparently the purer items are going to cost me more. Cutting back and looking for the best deals is helping to lower these food costs somewhat
These are the main ways I saved money on groceries in 2025, though I do utilize other techniques as well. For instance, I no longer use plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and don’t rely much on plastic baggies anymore (though I still do use them for a few things). Sometimes, I have had to spend money to save in the long run. For instance, I did buy glass reusable containers and reusable zipper bags a few years ago, that now allow me to save money by not buying certain things. I have also started utilizing canning jars to extend the life of food in my fridge, thanks to The Cross Legacy. I wish I had a full-size fridge so I could do more of this.
In what ways are you saving money in the kitchen this year? Your answers might help us get through the coming year, so please share!
~ Shannon
