What do you make at home to SAVE MONEY?

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  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
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    The main thing I ALWAYS make if yogurt. Plus it tastes WAY better than store bought. I have made my own coffee creamer before but I don't use it often so I just buy one every few months just to treat myself. If you ever use cappuccino or latte drink mixes, make your own (I use a mix in the morning when I don't have time to make a pot of coffee). I usually buy bread on sale and freeze it but you can easily make it (I'm in the process of someday making loaves and freezing them and hopefully never buying bread again).

    I don't know what else. All I can say is that's CRAZY how much you spend! lol That's more than rent for the HOUSE I'm living in! lol Granted rent is pretty low for this place...and it's small...but still! lol That's like half of my monthly paycheck and I'm getting well over minimum wage for here. lol It's crazy how prices vary in different areas...

    The best way to save money on food is buy on sale and buy in bulk. And have a budget. If I don't keep in mind a monthly budget I can go crazy buying a lot of food every month.

    And the best way to save money on making stuff is to look at the things you eat the most and see if you can make it and try to replace as much as you can of store bought with homemade. Pretty much everything you can make at home (that's how it used to be done anyway!)
  • gramacanada
    gramacanada Posts: 557 Member
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    I NEVER eat out. I eat almost NO processed or pre-packaged food. I do NOT buy drinks. I drink tap water. I am moderately active. I get everything I need and it costs me $40 dollars. Yes $40 dollars, a week. I have been doing this for five or so years now. It's not hard, I get all the food groups, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.
    That is JUST food, nothing else the grocery store sells.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    The main thing I ALWAYS make if yogurt. Plus it tastes WAY better than store bought. I have made my own coffee creamer before but I don't use it often so I just buy one every few months just to treat myself. If you ever use cappuccino or latte drink mixes, make your own (I use a mix in the morning when I don't have time to make a pot of coffee). I usually buy bread on sale and freeze it but you can easily make it (I'm in the process of someday making loaves and freezing them and hopefully never buying bread again).

    I don't know what else. All I can say is that's CRAZY how much you spend! lol That's more than rent for the HOUSE I'm living in! lol Granted rent is pretty low for this place...and it's small...but still! lol That's like half of my monthly paycheck and I'm getting well over minimum wage for here. lol It's crazy how prices vary in different areas...

    The best way to save money on food is buy on sale and buy in bulk. And have a budget. If I don't keep in mind a monthly budget I can go crazy buying a lot of food every month.

    And the best way to save money on making stuff is to look at the things you eat the most and see if you can make it and try to replace as much as you can of store bought with homemade. Pretty much everything you can make at home (that's how it used to be done anyway!)

    Thanks for such a thorough reply. I'm going to start making everything--pasta sauce, dressings, dips, hummus, snacks, etc. I want to get my food budget under $500 and I know I can if I REALLY try.
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
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    Seconding the yogurt - the Internet will have you believe it's "easy" in the "Martha-Stewart-does-it-in-800-easy-steps-with-only-a-$500-investment-in-equipment!" sort of way, but don't believe the Internet - it's really easy in the "lazy-slob-with-job-and-kids-and-no-free-time-or-money" sort of way. I make 1/2 gallon of Greek style for $6, and that's using super fancy Organic Grass Fed happycow milk, and all I use is my microwave (heat milk), my oven (keep culturing milk at a steady 110), a candy thermometer (is that milk too hot?), and a couple of glass mason jars with plastic lids (to keep the yogurt in). Oh, and you have to buy one yogurt to start you out - pretty much any commercial yogurt will work as long as it has live active cultures, although I found that using Brown Cow makes a really sour yogurt, so I don't recommend it.
  • yecatsml
    yecatsml Posts: 180 Member
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    I have found Costco and/or BJs big money savers
    I can get a 24 oz jar of almond butter for $5.50 there and a 2 pack of natural PB for $8. Way cheaper. I also get my cottage cheese and yogurt there as well as organic meat and veg. I make back my membership cost easily. I also compare unit weights (per lb/ per gal etc) and have a list in my phone so I know where the cheapest source is
    Wegmans is consistently cheaper on some stuff while a sale at the local grocery store may allow me to stock up. I do look at sale flyers too....once you have access to a car it will make all the difference!
  • twonkieone
    twonkieone Posts: 132
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    Homemade larabar recipies :). For the cost of the store bough ones ($2.50 each), the cost of the ingredients to make them makes me enough for a week or two.

    do you have a good place for a recipe?
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    Just went to the store today and here's the problem...since i have no car, the stores I have access to are REALLY expensive--as an example: 3 pounds of FARMED fish (which I try to avoid) were 20 bucks. That's absurd. I pay 2x as much for spinach here than I would in CA (literally), I spent $5 on cinnamon, $3 on 1 container of tofu (I can get a larger one in ca for half the price). It's not ME it's just the circumstances I guess. I would not spend this much if I were in CA. Truth be told I'm rather cheap and go for the generic brands of many things and I shop sales but it doesn't help that much.
  • mokoko123
    mokoko123 Posts: 77 Member
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    Sounds like the issue is more what you have to choose from, instead of that you're over-buying. If your only choices are high in cost due to shopping options available it is a different situation altogether. One thing I try to do is shop the sales. I don't know if it's an option for you but I look up the ads for my local stores online then base my weekly list and menu on what is on sale. It's easier if you can get the ads ahead of time. Of course not everything I buy is on sale, but I do the best I can. I've saved over $50/week this way. And if you have a freezer try to stock up on items that are on sale (which can be frozen). This is hard for me as i live in an apt and hhave a tiny freezer! I have two kids - so I shop for 3 of us - now they eat breakfast & lunch at school right now, but typically I spend between $100-130/week on groceries. Spices are important - they add variety too - you can make chicken a billion different ways depending on what you put on it (or fish, etc). One thing that helps me too is that I don't buy much dairy (I'm allergic) - just skim milk & LF yogurt for the kids. My shopping carts are predominately produce and meats/fish. Hope that helps some!
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    Sounds like the issue is more what you have to choose from, instead of that you're over-buying. If your only choices are high in cost due to shopping options available it is a different situation altogether. One thing I try to do is shop the sales. I don't know if it's an option for you but I look up the ads for my local stores online then base my weekly list and menu on what is on sale. It's easier if you can get the ads ahead of time. Of course not everything I buy is on sale, but I do the best I can. I've saved over $50/week this way. And if you have a freezer try to stock up on items that are on sale (which can be frozen). This is hard for me as i live in an apt and hhave a tiny freezer! I have two kids - so I shop for 3 of us - now they eat breakfast & lunch at school right now, but typically I spend between $100-130/week on groceries. Spices are important - they add variety too - you can make chicken a billion different ways depending on what you put on it (or fish, etc). One thing that helps me too is that I don't buy much dairy (I'm allergic) - just skim milk & LF yogurt for the kids. My shopping carts are predominately produce and meats/fish. Hope that helps some!

    I'll try to do more of this. Usually I have some thoughts in mind and just try to find the cheapest foods that I can. I eat a lot of dairy and that gets expensive. I will create a plan--I'll track my weekly spending and if I'm over but NEED food then I'll restrict myself to eggs for protein (cheapest thing available) and frozen or canned veggies until I'm back on track.
  • Tank_Girl
    Tank_Girl Posts: 372 Member
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    Guess im pretty lucky, most years I have a good crop of vegetables from my own garden (very poor crop this year) various game, surplus roosters on occasion for the pot, eggs from my own hens and gonna buy an in kid nanny goat about october time to provide some milk and butter for the house next year (hopeing to find a old butter churn somewhere)
    Hubby bakes bread on occasion, I make most of my own sauces when I have time and I also make a lot of soups/stews and also roast lamb/ham shanks for dinners and sandwiches although I have very little in freezer this year, I sometimes rear 2pigs one is for the freezer and the other is usually sold.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    I make hummus, greek yogurt and pizza. It saves money and tastes better than store bought.
  • SyntonicGarden
    SyntonicGarden Posts: 944 Member
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    We use online coupon sites and sales in the store circular. That's made a huge difference in our shopping budget. :)
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    To be honest I make everything from home - 100% made-from-scratch. I purchase fresh foods in bulk all the time to ensure even better savings so both freezers (regular and chest) get used very well.

    The cheapeast thing I make is homemade marinara - I make about three gallons at a time and freeze them into quart-sized freezable containers. Each quart is enough to make four portions and the math is approximately .22 cents per serving
    .22 per serving (4)
    .88 per quart
    3.52 per gallon
    $10.56 for three gallons of homemade marinara (the cost to purchase food supplies to make marinara)
    - give or take by about $1.00
  • emtb319
    emtb319 Posts: 87
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    Only buy meats when they're at their rock bottom prices. Case in point, last week, nice chicken sale, so my freezer is full of it and it'll last us about a month or so. Also for the veggies and all, hit up your local farmers. I found a nice farmer's market near me and I pick up good veggies and fruits cheap and on sale. Most of them freeze very well. My kids love going with me because I let them help pick stuff out, they get to see the lobsters being naughty and they get to munch on good fruits on the way home.
    We also coupon. Not so good for the fresh stuff, but everything else we need, we get at really good prices. I also make my own fabric softener which becomes less than $1 for 60+ loads. We also use vinegar and baking soda as cleaners instead of buying more expensive chemicals. (Those stupid chemicals didn't stand a chance against my vinegar concoction when the bathroom sink got horribly clogged. Shocked my husband.) My husband used to think I was crazy with my couponing until his friends needed help and I was able to make up HBA care packages for less than $2 each.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
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    Shocked my husband My husband used to think I was crazy with my couponing until his friends needed help and I was able to make up HBA care packages for less than $2 each.

    If Men only could understand women's mad thinking, they would be so much more better off! LOL!!!

    My husband went grocery shopping with me on the month that I need to restock all of our meats. I would stop at one of our favorite grocery stores that does bulk meats (cryovac), I would grab a picture with my phone of the prices.

    I would go across the street *(literally), to my Sam's Club and ask them to look at my phone - will print the photos out. I ask them "Your competitor has these prices on these meats right now - what can you do for me?".... Let the savings begin!

    My husband looked like he was turning pale as a ghost in THE SHOCK ALONE on the savings.
    50# case of boneless chicken breast: $1.45/lb!!!!! Beef Eye Round, whole was about a 30# case: $1.99/lb!!!!! Pork Butt - 2 butt pack: $2.78/lb!!!!! Fresh 80/20 Ground Beef, 40# case: $1.99/lb!!!!!

    YEAH BABY!!!!!!!! Mad woman working on price-competing at work!!!!!!
  • ebony__
    ebony__ Posts: 519 Member
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    I can't think of anything that I buy pre made and don't make at home!!!


    Edit... I buy chilli sauce and miso paste pre made :)
  • emtb319
    emtb319 Posts: 87
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    Men just don't get it. Just banning my hubby from the market saved us almost 50%.
    And nice deals, btw.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    Home made pesto (no cheese)- just whip up some basil, garlic and pine nuts in a blender. Cheap, cheerful and low cal, you need less than a spoon to flavour your pasta/gnocchi :)

    I love freshly made pesto, but I don't think it's cheaper than the commercial variety.
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    If Men only could understand women's mad thinking, they would be so much more better off! LOL!!!

    Not all women think alike, nor do all men. Some people, including women, would rather spend the time spent on tracking coupons on something else, or they don't want to be induced to buy things they don't need. And some men collect coupons too.
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
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    i eat homemade foods probably 90% of the time. i am a wise shopper too. i buy boneless skinless chicken breast for 1.49lb but i have to buy a 40lb box to do it. i used to share the box with friends and we all chipped in but i use it all myself now. i also grew my own veggies this year. its rewarding to have your own garden and keeps you busy taking care of it too.. i make my own meals basically .. when frozen fruits are on sale i buy them when they are not in season . i always prefer fresh but dont want to pay for fresh fruit that is ridiculously overpriced.

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