This column was written by one of our Savings Stars. Our RetailMeNot Savings Stars panel is made up of master couponers and bargain hunters who share their personal journeys and expert advice with us every month. Learn more from them here.
Being a food writer who lives on a food budget has always made me feel a bit like I live a double life. There are weeks I’m traveling across the globe to experience food and wine in far-flung destinations or am out in my home city of New York City, trying out restaurants and bars for my stories.
But I’m also a freelance writer, and that means my income has a serious ebb and flow, in said city where living is very expensive. There have been times when money has been very tight, and I still needed to eat well and stay healthy. I might be out enjoying steak and oysters when it’s for work, but when I come home, it’s all about making that Sunday evening roast chicken that will last three meals, or a soup or stew I can portion for a week of lunches.
Being creative with food and how I buy my food, has made it possible for me to eat pretty well on a food budget that usually runs me around $50 a week. I do this while living in a very small space with an even smaller kitchen, and embracing all the tactics I’ve learned over the years to save money, stretch my pantry and keep meals interesting and satisfying. For me, that has involved growing my own herbs, stocking up and buying in bulk when the price is right, watching the sales, and embracing meal prep whenever possible.
Here are some things I’ve learned along the way:
Buy Family-Sized Packages
You’d think that, as someone who lives in a tiny studio apartment walkup with one closet (Yes, that’d be total. One closet!), I’d not be big on bulk buying and stocking up, but it’s key to my household food budget. Why pay as much as $2 for canned tomatoes or beans (staples in my home and recipes) when I can wait until they are on sale and buy them by the case for well under $1 per unit? Stocking up when things go on sale, and buying family sized or bulk quantities is the best way to save across the board on everything from canned goods to proteins (my freezer is packed with family-sized chicken and salmon I portioned and out and froze when on special!).
Grow Your Own Fresh Herbs
I love using fresh herbs when I cook. I throw Thai basil in my stir fry, Genovese basil in my pasta and cilantro in my guacamole and salsa. But buying fresh herbs at the supermarket can get pricey quickly, and due to the short shelf life of fresh herbs, usually results in food waste. So, I started to keep an Aerogarden on my window – I have no outdoor space in my apartment, so this is a way for me to grow all the fresh herbs I need year-round, and never having to buy herbs for recipes. I just snip off what I need, as I need it.
Keep a Running Grocery List
We’re all going to buy stuff we don’t need – and miss the things we do need – if we just impulse buy while browsing aisles. That’s why I’ve discovered the winning combination for me is to maintain a list on my iPhone’s Notes app of what I need, as I need it. Run out of tomato paste? Add it to the list. Use the last bit of Kalamata olives? Add that to the list. I check that list against ongoing sales in different stores’ weekly circulars before venturing out and decide where to go based on which spots have the items I need on sale. That way I buy only what I need, when I need it, and at the best prices.
Plan Your Meals
Every Sunday, I plan out my meals for the week. That involves the nights I’ll be home cooking versus the nights I’ll be out at dinners or events. By doing so, I can prepare meals and do a lot of cooking ahead, as well. I might do small things like make my salad dressing for the week’s salads or prepare chicken breasts to put on those salads or in wraps for the next few days, or bigger things. This week I made a batch of chili and a roast chicken, and that ended up being dinners and lunches in different forms all week long. Meal prep saves time on busy weeknights but also ensures that, when I’m preparing that running shopping list, I know exactly what I’ll need for the week and don’t buy items that will go to waste – and waste money, as well.
Buy Store Brands
We all have our go-to favorite brands for items such as cheese or jarred sauce, but in a lot of cases the generic or store brands are just as good and a fraction of the price. Consider store brands for those household staples, like rice, pasta and beans, and you’ll end up paying a fraction of what you may be paying for pricier name brands.
Avoid Takeout
I have friends who LIVE on takeout and order multiple times a day. I honestly don’t know how they do it. I order takeout maybe once every other week, and only when I have a coupon or promo code. I do this because takeout is both unhealthy and expensive, and I can stay on top of my budget and make better choices by preparing what I want at home. I’ve done the math: Ordering a takeout salad from one of the NYC spots can be over $20 delivered, after fees. But buying all the ingredients I need to make a workweek’s worth of salads at home is less than that! Why would I not just do it myself?
As food writers, we chat a lot about little luxuries – my life and work lets me have a bit more luxury than I may have otherwise, as enjoying that caviar-topped baked potato or oyster special is part of my job. But by pairing those little luxuries with a little frugality right at home, I really truly get to experience the best of both worlds – and make the most of what my world has to offer. And isn’t that a little luxury in and of itself?
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