9 kitchen tricks to help you save money: as easy as pie

SHILPI CHAKRAVARTY SHILPI CHAKRAVARTY
Bespoke Kitchen., Piwko-Bespoke Fitted Furniture Piwko-Bespoke Fitted Furniture Nhà bếp phong cách hiện đại
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With our daily lives becoming increasingly hectic, keeping tabs on day to day finances often becomes a herculean task. Paying taxes & bills, purchasing groceries, handing over salaries… the list of expenses goes on. In such times of ever increasing expenses, any money saving trick is nothing less of Manna from heaven.

A little bit of creativity in the kitchen can go a long way in helping you become thriftier and save more than usual. Kitchen planners will not always tell you about these mean tips & tricks, and that is where we come in. Today at homify, we present you with 9 smart ways in which your good old kitchen can help you become more economical sans compromising on convenience & style quotient. Some of these tricks might even just become your newest hobby!

So join us now for 9 kitchen tricks to help you save money: as easy as pie… . 

1. Cut the cleaning costs.

As in this image, everybody loves a sparkling kitchen. But to maintain that shine, regular cleaning is essential; and these days, cleaning the kitchen is also very costly. A variety of materials like stainless steel, wood, stone, etc. are used in the kitchen, and each of these materials requires cleaning with a specific detergent. To save on cleaning, you could either go for a detergent that works equally well on all surfaces or go the home remedy way. Using home remedies actually does a far more efficient cleaning job in the kitchen than the pricey store-bought chemicals. A good universal kitchen cleaner would be half parts vinegar and half parts dish soap. Take your pick!

2. Mind the expiry date, go for organized storage.

Having plenty of storage facility in the kitchen is definitely a big plus. But many a times it leads to you losing track of all the perishables and you cannot make out freshly purchased groceries from old ones. Also, some items like spices will be rendered unusable owing to its expiry date. So, in a big pantry full of edibles, it is quite possible to end up with spoiled or expired food that we have not bothered to check for quite a while. One wise solution is to have a properly organized kitchen with groceries stored according to the expiry date. Another option is transferring your cereals and grains into airtight containers labelled with the opening date.

For the food that requires freezing or refrigeration, simply using a marker for putting the date of storing it can do the trick. This way you will know for sure, which food items need to be consumed first.

3. Embrace eating at home.

All of us long for a day off from cooking & cleaning the kitchen, and just love being served delicacies on a plate in a restaurant while enjoying the soft music. However, eating out on a regular basis costs you much more than you realize. So, shun the laziness and cook your favorite food at home to save on the restaurant expenses. This way we will oblige our bodies, and our wallets too!

4. Go local, go seasonal.

When buying fruits and vegetables, it is advisable to opt for the local produce, and particularly those that are in season. If you try to purchase the exotic ones that are not in season but still available in the store, it will be much more expensive owing to their import which drives up the cost. Locally grown fruits & vegetables are much cheaper, fresher and much better options to go for. 

Digressing a bit, we would like to appreciate the visually sound minimalism of this wonderful kitchen- lovely design, thoughtful implementation and restrained finesse of all the kitchen must- haves. Did you look at the kitchen stools?

5. Unleash you creativity for kitchen accessories.

Rather than spending thousands on expensive kitchen accessories, go the DIY way- make your kitchen accessories yourself! You could make it a fun weekend activity for the whole family as well. Look up online tutorials to design your own chopping board or craft storage shelves. You can also buy plain unembellished plates and decorate them as your creativity dictates. Another option is to visit flea markets which always sell charming trinkets that cost much less but are still genuinely unique. These can be used to adorn the plain kitchenware instead of shelling out copiously on fancy ones.

6. Ditch that pricey cup of coffee.

Hooked to coffee? Instead of buying your choicest brew from the store daily, it is far more economical to get a coffee machine that will meet your caffeine needs. A bag of ground coffee or coffee beans will eventually be much cheaper than going for expensive lattes & coffees on a day to day basis. Moreover, coffee to go generates much more paper & plastic waste as well. So how about getting that coffee machine?

7. Invest smartly, replace old & inefficient equipment.

Purchasing something expensive for your kitchen requires smart investment. When your kitchen appliances – say the refrigerator or oven – grow old, they start consuming more power & their efficiency also falls considerably. It is economically wiser to replace them with newer cost-efficient models that are much more efficient in function as well. When looking to invest into a new kitchen appliance, pay attention to the energy efficiency ratings. 

8. Have your own herb garden?

Those of us who frequently cook with herbs, already have potted herbs on the kitchen windowsill. Ah that aroma of fresh herbs! Isn’t it a great feeling to smell the herbs & to cook with them every day? Harvesting your favorite herbs in little pots on the windowsill/ in your own garden space is definitely an investment worth making. Fresh herbs are all-rounders among ingredients because of the absolutely amazing flavors they impart to the food. You can also conveniently store the harvested herbs in the freezer. Above all, an endless supply of fragrant herbs is assured and you can skip making that tedious trip to the store. A truly inspiring idea, no?

9. Say hello to pickling & canning.

Pickling and canning are not only fun but also very useful. Make delectable jams or create the pickle of your choicest vegetables as per your taste. You can further save on pickles & jams by growing the raw material in your own garden or backyard. These delicacies will be free from preservatives too. After all, the moreish fruits of your own labor taste the best. Your homemade jams & pickles will make wonderful gifts as well!

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