A little bit of planning will save you time and money on cooking
We all want to save money at the grocery store, but who has hours to spend in the kitchen every single night?
One of my absolute favorite ways to keep my budget tight and my schedule open is by mastering two simple habits: buying in bulk and batch cooking. By thinking ahead and spending just a little time cooking on Sunday, you can set yourself up for a week of effortless, delicious, and incredibly cheap meals.
Here is exactly how I prepped a week’s worth of meals this Sunday using basic ingredients, a favorite kitchen gadget, and zero stress.
The Power of Buying in Bulk
If you aren’t shopping the bulk bins, you are leaving money on the table. For this week’s prep, I’m making pinto beans that I picked up in bulk at WinCo Foods. The cost? A measly 50 cents a pound!
To get them ready, all it takes is a quick rinse and a soak. From there, they are ready for the ultimate time-saver: the Instant Pot.
The Ultimate Budget Kitchen Tool
If you don’t have an Instant Pot yet, consider this your sign to invest in one. It cooks dry beans to perfection in just 30 minutes—no hours of stovetop watching required.
Smart Shopper Tip: Don’t pay retail price! Check out your local thrift shops first. A lot of people donate these gadgets, meaning you can easily pick one up for dirt cheap.
To bring the beans to life, just add your favorite staples:
- Onion
- Garlic
- Salt & Pepper
- Cumin
Let it pressure cook for 30 minutes, and you have a massive batch of flavorful protein ready to go.
What is Batch Cooking? (And How to Do It)
Batch cooking simply means making a large amount of a base ingredient to use in completely different ways throughout the week.
For instance, tonight I’m using the beans for fresh chicken burritos. Tomorrow, I’ll use those same beans to build a quick chicken burrito bowl.
To make weeknights truly seamless, I also cook several packets of chicken ahead of time on Sunday. The trick is to leave the chicken unseasoned while cooking. Because it’s plain, it stays versatile. When you get home from a long day of work, you can just shred it, add whatever spices or sauces you are craving that night, and slap your meal together in minutes. No raw meat to handle, and no pans to scrub after work!
Start Saving Today
Smart shopping isn’t about deprivation; it’s about being efficient with your time and your cash. Spend an hour prepping this weekend, and your wallet (and your weeknight schedule) will thank you.
For more budget-friendly meals, money-saving recipes, and grocery strategies, head over to my Patreon account at smartshopperdaphne and join our community for exclusive weekly lessons on Patreon!
