Cooking on a Budget

Whether you live in the suburbs and have a family, you’re a traveling nomad who never stays in one place for too long, or you’re in a city paying extreme rent prices, we’re all on some sort of a budget. (If you’re not, that’s pretty incredible, you can leave now.)

At some level, we all live with a financial guideline whether it’s a savings plan or just simply figuring out how to pay bills month to month, and that means paying attention to what you spend on everything. Food is something that can cost a lot or a little but for some reason, it’s a detail that isn’t really factored into a budget until you realize your credit card is too high and it’s time to trim the fat.

Groceries add up, Seamless adds up. Ten bucks here, twenty bucks there. Let me tell you, it can get expensive, and this is why so much of America is terrified of the grocery store. I hear it all the time: “I have no idea what to get when I’m in there and yet somehow I walk out spending too much money.” 

Well folks, I’m the queen of successfully eating on a budget, and I’m here to help. And no, this isn’t some template that will calculate dollars spent or whatever, and I haven’t clipped a coupon since 2002. This is a guide of principles to live by that will help keep your costs down without making you starve or choke down sad white rice every day. And there is also zero ramen involved…sort of. Ready? Okay here we go.

Reuse the same ingredient in a different way. 

This may sound like common sense and yet, it surprises people every time I talk about it. It goes back to my whole “keep your pantry staples stocked” concept, where you have certain things that are always around. Think about items that can go far- usually in the grain category. Quinoa, pasta, polenta, rice. You can buy these and make three different meals. A bag of quinoa is about $10 for a pound, and a cup of it should last two servings for one person. That’s 12 cups so 24 servings for just $10. Get creative too. Boil a giant pot of it, separate it out and season it differently for each meal. Boom. 

One of the main principles of eating on a budget is to make dishes that are consistent with their ingredients. Pick recipes before you go grocery shopping and see how they align. Do most of them use garlic, lemon, and onions? Is there one that almost has the same ingredients as the other but asks for red pepper flakes but you only have cayenne? Great. Make the substitution. Recipes are merely suggestions and inspiration. By swapping out similar items so you don’t have to pay for a new ingredient, you’re just using your money wisely. 

Pay attention to the store you’re shopping in.

Just because a store is closest to you doesn’t mean it’s the right choice. I used to live between a Fairway and a Whole Foods and let me tell you, my bill was drastically higher at Whole Foods. It might be worth it to travel a little further if it saves you money, especially here in the city if you have an unlimited Metrocard. Be conscious of the markups that you see on the prices, and experiment with different stores, checking out prices on your standard items to compare. My mom has always shopped at different stores for different things and I used to think that was crazy but now I get it. Sorry mom.

Discounts are your friend.

I’m not telling you to be a crazy couponer but definitely pay attention if there are sales. If zucchini are 3 for $5, and broccoli is one bunch for $5, eat more zucchini that week. If you can buy three boxes of pasta for cheaper than you can buy two, then do it. It’s called being resourceful and reasonable, and there’s nothing wrong with it. As long as what you’re purchasing is an item you eat regularly, then you’re spending wisely. It doesn’t make sense to get a giant jar of grape jelly if you only eat PB&J like once a month, but if you absolutely love the stuff, then yeah get the huge jar when it’s on sale. 

Get creative.

Just because a package tells you what to do with an ingredient does not make that package correct. Let’s take ramen, for example (see, I said sort of. ) It’s stupid cheap, like a dollar a pack or something insane, so it’s definitely cost effective. But that seasoning packet is made with salt and sawdust or pencil shavings, I’m not sure. So I scrap that nonsense and then have a perfect serving of noodles that are ready super fast and can be made with anything. Plus you can always buy it in bulk, which really helps. 

I’m a sandwich fiend. I buy about $10 of deli meat and cheese at the beginning of the week and then make these giant stacked sandwiches for three lunches at work. I always love a good sandwich, my money goes super far considering a quality deli sammy is at least $10 on its own in the city, and plus they’re fun to make. There are very few things that don’t belong on a sandwich, honestly, so the limit does not exist.

Brands aren’t everything.

There are a handful of items that I absolutely will not deviate on brand: butter, peanut butter, salt, and cream cheese. Everything else, well it’s fair game. Places like Target and Whole Foods have fantastic generic lines that are much more affordable. When it comes to non-perishables, especially canned items, grains and pastas, and jarred sauces, there isn’t much of a reason to go by brand name. Make sure you look at the back and can pronounce all the ingredients listed under nutrition facts, and you’re golden. Trader Joe’s is also the best possible solution for non-mainstream brand names while staying affordable.

It can be rough to limit yourself in the grocery store but if that’s what your budget requires, then do it and do it without shame. Other tips:

• Write your list before you go into the store so you don’t get overwhelmed and start picking random stuff that hikes up your bill for no reason.
• DON’T SHOP HUNGRY. Oh my god it’s the worst thing for your belly, your brain, and your wallet.
• It is really okay to repeat meals. I promise.