We are almost at the end of the money save ways series. In a way, I am feeling accomplished and at the same time, it’s a little bittersweet. This past year, while I have been creating posts to help you save money, I have learned a tip or two along the way and it’s crazy that it is almost over. If you have been following along this year, I am very happy to have been able to help you. This series is designed to go along with the 52 week money challenge and if you are participating in it, you should place $50 into your savings. If you are doing the challenge in reverse, place $7 in your jar. Let’s look at this week’s money save ways tip: eat from your cupboard.
52 Money Save Ways: Week 50: Eat from Your Cupboard
If you are like most people, you never truly run completely bare in your pantry. There is always that can of cream of something soup, or beans or rice there and you probably have some spices sitting there as well. You may even be lucky enough to still have a package of hamburger you bought on sale 2 months ago sitting in your freezer. So much food just sits in the average American cupboard and we often times, just keep filling it up with more that never gets used because we got it with a coupon or on a great sale and know that “some day” we will us it. That some day is now!
You can save yourself an awful lot of money over a year by just doing on cupboard meal a week. This is where you get creative with what you have on hand and don’t buy anything extra to make it. Some of the best casseroles I have ever concocted came from this! {Chicken Casserole & A Unique Shepard’s Pie are a few of our concoctions! )
What is great about this method of saving money is, you are not wasting things, which saves you money, but you are also not buying groceries for at least one meal per week as well. You would be surprised at what you can come up with when you do things this way!
If you need a little help, there are website like Recipe Matcher or SuperCook that actually help you find a recipe using the ingredients you have on hand! It couldn’t be simpler! You can also do what I do since my child is older. We have a “Make your own dinner night” a couple times a month. That consists of just using what we have on hand to rustle up each person’s grub individually. It’s a great way to get those leftovers eaten.
This is also where having a well-stocked stockpile comes in handy. I can’t tell you how many times I have been able to skip going to the grocery store and just shopping from my own pantry! Be sure to check out my tips on stockpiling to see how you can build an effective stockpile!
If you do this meal just once per week, you could save $50 or more per month on groceries! Over a year, that could equal a $500+ savings!
Did you miss previous weeks? Click on the links below for more tips!
- Week 49: Join the no-poo movement
- Week 48: Use Codes
- Week 47: Get Freebies
- Week 46: Go Green
- Week 45: Make a Gift Closet
- Week 44:Stop Paying for Shipping
- Week 43: Apply for Help
- Week 42:Repair before replacing
- Week 41: Make Substitutions
- Week 40: Gas Rewards Programs
- Week 39: Freezer Cooking
- Week 38: Re-use Everything
- Week 37: A Sale Does Not Equal a Need
- Week 36: Eat out the Smart Way
- Week 35: Carefully Shop the Dollar Store
- Week 34: Take a Second Look
- Week 33: Use Less
- Week 32: Get Amazon Prime
- Week 31: Consider Renting
- Week 30: Skip Disposable
- Week 29: Reduce Your Meat Budget
- Week 28: Borrow Everything
- Week 27: Store Food Properly
- Week 26: Cloth Diapering
- Week 25: Buy Generic Medication
- Week 24: Shop at Farmer’s Markets
- Week 23: Don’t Call in the Experts
- Week 22: Learn to Rebate
- Week 21: Seal up Those Leaks
- Week 20: Always Compare Prices
- Week 18: Use Vinegar to Clean
- Week 17: Buy the Smaller Package
- Week 16: Teach Your Kids About Money
- Week 15: Splurge When it Matters
- Week 14: Wash Your Car At Home
- Week 13: Meat Free Mondays
- Week 12: Create A Price Book
- Week 11: Avoid Fees
- Week 10: Cut Your Own Hair
- Week 9: Watch Your Electricity
- Week 8: Turn off The TV
- Week 7: Drink More Water
- Week 6: Maintain Your Car
- Week 5: Reap the Rewards
- Week 4: Practice the Waiting Game
- Week 3: Buy Seasonings in Bulk
- Week 2: Buy Your Clothes Used
- Week 1: Make Lists
- 52 Week Money Challenge
- 52 Week Tracker
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