Budget-Friendly Cooking
Find out how to maximize your grocery haul by leaning on affordable fridge staples like eggs and transforming inexpensive ingredients into deceptively simple yet nourishing meals without breaking the bank.
With the cost of groceries and everyday essentials on the rise, it’s easy to feel like there’s too much month at the end of your money. Thankfully, the kitchen is one place where a little creativity and thoughtful planning can go a long way. Leaning on affordable fridge staples like eggs can maximize your grocery haul and help you achieve great meals on a budget, transforming last night’s leftovers into a deceptively simple yet nourishing breakfast with a cost per serving that doesn't break the bank. Read below for more advice on hatching a budget-friendly plan, choosing flexible recipes, minimizing food waste, and making the most of your meals at home.
1. Reach for versatile recipes
Making do with what you have is a useful approach to reducing waste and saving money on food. All of these flexible recipes call for ingredients that can be swapped or skipped entirely, while still creating a satisfying breakfast to get you through the day.
2. Stick to your meal prep
Having a solid game plan for your weekly meals is a great way to stick to a budget and cut down on impulse purchases. Set your week up for success with these easy meal ideas that are simple to make ahead of time and are ready to enjoy whenever lunch rolls around.
3. Skip the meat on Monday
Did you know that cutting down on meat consumption not only lowers your environmental impact, but can also help with saving money on food? It's true! Consider giving Meatless Monday a try by working one of these vegetarian dinner ideas into your weekly rotation.
4. Use your extra yolks and whites
If you recently whipped up an airy angel food cake or creamy pasta carbonara, you know what it's like to have a few extra egg yolks or whites around the kitchen. Utilize your cooking and baking castoffs with these recipes that call for an extra egg yolk or egg white.
5. Celebrate special occasions at home
Holiday meals and special occasions shouldn’t have to be an expensive or stressful experience, and finding ways to celebrate at home can go a long way for your budget. Whether it’s time to show Mom how much you care, start a new Easter tradition, or make Christmas morning memories, here’s a little inspiration for spending life’s special moments together without breaking the bank.
6. Put a twist on your family’s favorites
It’s no secret that deviled eggs are a delicious, protein-packed snack all on their own. For an easy and affordable lunchtime upgrade, try shaking up your typical deviled egg recipe with the addition of fresh basil pesto or creamy avocado.
7. Extend the shelf life of your eggs
We’ve all been stuck with that one carton of eggs we can’t seem to get through in time. Using your eggs before their use by date is the first rule in basic egg safety, but freezing offers an easy alternative to tossing your extras down the drain.
8. Utilize your leftovers
Everybody loves a Thanksgiving leftovers meal dripping with gravy or cranberry sauce! But if you ask us, holidays aren’t the only time to give your leftovers a new life. For a delicious meal on a budget, try using up your remaining meatloaf, roasted sweet potatoes, or the sides from last night’s dinner in this loaded breakfast frittata.
9. Give gardening a try
As well as offering a relaxing opportunity to spend time outdoors, growing your own fresh food is a satisfying and empowering experience. These expert tips can help make this season your most productive yet, whether you’re expanding your backyard vegetable patch or starting a container herb garden for the very first time.
10. Compost your food scraps
Offering your backyard garden a boost with homemade compost can mean less waste in the kitchen and a bountiful harvest come fall, helping you save money on expensive soil amendments. Learn how to turn your food scraps and used eggshells into gardening gold with our beginner’s guide to composting at home.
