Groceries Are Becoming More and More Expensive
Everyone is feeling the pinch at the grocery store these days. But cooking from scratch doesn’t have to be hard - or expensive. We have rounded up some of the best nostalgic kitchen hacks that are simple, smart, and will save you some hard-earned money. Let’s dive right in!
Don’t Toss That Bacon Grease!
Grandma knew that bacon grease was liquid gold. When you’re done frying your bacon, pour the grease into a jar, stash it in the fridge, and use it to fry eggs, sauté greens, or flavor beans. It’s like southern seasoning in a jar. Oh, and did we mention it’s free?
Use Potato Water in Bread Dough
Boiling potatoes? Don’t drain that water down the sink. The starchy liquid makes homemade bread extra soft and keeps it fresher for longer. Just let it cool and swap it for regular water. Old-school bakes knew a secret or two - and now, so do you!
Freeze Herb Cubes in Ice Trays
Got too many fresh herbs? Chop them up, mix with oil or broth, and freeze them in ice cube trays. Pop one out anytime you need flavor in soups, stews, or sautés. Quick, easy, and oh-so delicious!
Your Very Own “Soup Bag”
Collect onion peels, carrot ends, and celery bits in a freezer bag and store it in the freezer. When it’s full, simmer it into a broth. You’re making soup out of scraps and laughing in the face of those high grocery prices. Take that, inflation!
A Homemade Salad Spinner
If you don’t have a salad spinner, or can’t afford to get one, no problem. Toss your salad greens into a mixing bowl, cover with a plate, and give it a good shake over the sink. It’s the DIY way to keep your lettuce crisp without splurging on another gadget.
Bread Ends Become Breadcrumbs
Instead of tossing the heel of your bread, dry it out and blitz it into breadcrumbs. Store in a jar or freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag for later. Your casseroles and meatballs will thank you - and your wallet will, too.
Revive Dry Cookies With Bread
Got dry cookies? Stick a slice of bread in the container and watch the magic happen! The cookies soak up the moisture, not the bread. You might be surprised to know Grandma did it before airtight containers were a thing.
Dry Out Orange Peels for Air Freshener or Tea
Dry orange peels on a sunny windowsill - or a dehydrator if you have one - and drop them in tea or simmer on the stove with cloves and cinnamon. Your home will smell amazing, and your trash can will thank you, too!
Store Celery in Foil to Keep It Crisp
Tired of throwing celery out before you get to use it? Let’s be honest; no one can afford to do that these days. Wrap celery in aluminum foil and store it in the fridge. It stays crunchy for weeks, not days.
Salt - The Miracle Pan Cleaner
Forget expensive soaps and scourers. Pour coarse salt into your cast iron pan, scrub with a paper towel or rag, and rinse. The salt scrubs off the gunk quickly and easily without ruining that all-important seasoning. Your pan stays seasoned and clean.
Soften Butter Quickly
Ever needed soft butter in a hurry and didn’t have the time to sit and wait for it to soften on its own? Fill a glass with hot water, dump it out, then place it over the butter stick. Boom! Spreadable butter in minutes without nuking it.
A Use for Old Coffee Grounds? Yes, Please!
Does your fridge smell funky? Dry used coffee beans and stash them in a bowl inside the fridge. They soak up the odors and make your fridge smell great. We’re all for reducing waste and making mystery smells disappear.
Homemade Buttermilk
Buttermilk is getting expensive, so why not make your own? Mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes, and voila! Instant buttermilk for your pancakes or biscuits. Hello there, homesteader!
Stretching Ground Meat Made Easy
With the cost of meat increasing seemingly daily, finding ways to make it stretch is now a necessity. Grate in some carrots, zucchini, or mix in oats. It adds moisture, sneaks in veggies for picky eaters, and lowers the grocery bill. Brilliant!
Keep Brown Sugar Soft With Bread
Why is brown sugar always hard as a brick when you need it? We have the best solution: toss in a slice of bread or apple. It magically softens up overnight. Science? Witchcraft? Who cares - this nifty little hack works like a dream.
For the Love of Cheese
Cheese is expensive, so finding ways to keep it fresher for longer will save you money. Here’s our favorite hack: wrap cheese in wax paper, then foil before storing it in the fridge. This nifty hack keeps it from molding too fast and lets it breathe.
No Food Processor? No Problem!
Grandma didn’t need an expensive food processor, and neither do you. Put your crackers or nuts in a zip bag and crush them with a rolling pin (or wine bottle if that’s what you have). It gets the job done without the need for another kitchen accessory.
The Boiled Egg Hack
You can peel boiled eggs more easily with an ingredient you probably already have in your kitchen. Add a teaspoon of baking soda to your boiling water and those shells practically fall off your egg. This is one hack probably passed down from Grandma.
Stop the Overflow
Making pasta or rice and sick of the pot boiling over and making a massive mess on your stove? Place a wooden spoon over the top of a pot to stop it from boiling over. It’s like kitchen wizardry with a dry spoon. Who knew that this simple solution made such a difference?
Homemade Croutons for the Win
A tiny pack of croutons will set you back a pretty penny at the grocery store. But did you know you can make your own? Cube up stale bread, toss with oil and seasoning and bake. You’ll have crunchy croutons that taste better than store-bought. And they were practically free!
Don’t Dump the Pickle Juice
Gone are the days of throwing out pickle juice. Make the most of your food products and use pickle juice to marinate chicken or quick-pickle some veggies. Simply chop them up, toss them in the jar, and you have delicious, tangy vegetables for your salad.
The Homemade Cleaning Paste You Need
It’s not only food that has become expensive; cleaning products are now taking a big chunk out of your grocery bill, too. Make your own by mixing baking soda with a little vinegar to make a scrub paste. Use it on your sink, stove, and even those crusty pans.
Pass the Onion, Please
Desperate to get rid of that smell on your hands after prepping dinner with garlic or fish? We have the solution: an onion! Rub your fingers on a cut onion to get rid of garlic or fish smells. Smelly hands be gone!
The Best Way to Peel Ginger
A simple spoon peels ginger better than a knife ever could, and it wastes far less of your expensive ginger. Here’s how: scrape the skin off like you’ve taken up whittling as a hobby. It’s as easy as that. We bet Grandma did it this way, too.
Keep Cake Moist
Have some leftover cake that you want to keep moist? Okay, we know that the concept of leftover cake might be a bit of a foreign concept, but in the case that you do have some you want to store, pop a slice of apple with your cake to keep it moist.
Dry Your Own Herbs
Dried herbs are great for saving a few pennies on your grocery bill. And you can make your own at home. Tie up fresh herbs and hang them upside down in a warm, dry spot. They’ll dry in a few days, and you’ll save money.
Leftover Mashed Potato? Hello Potato Pancakes
Don’t let leftover mashed potatoes go to waste. Mix in one egg and a spoonful of flour to hold it all together. Fry scoops in a pan until golden and crispy. You’ve just turned yesterday’s side into today’s delicious breakfast - or a snack.
Grate Your Cheese
Grating cheese makes it look like you have more, even when you don’t. And, as an added bonus, grated cheese melts more evenly over pizza or pasta, and let’s not forget grilled cheese sandwiches. You’ll use less, save money on your grocery bill, and still get that cheesy goodness.
Save Butter Wrappers
Instead of tossing empty butter wrappers, fold them and keep them in the fridge for greasing baking pans or a skillet. It has just enough leftover butter to do the job without making a mess. And you’ll save money, too, by making it go further.
The Bread Box: A Must-Have
If you’re storing bread in a plastic bag, you’re doing it wrong and wasting money by throwing away loaves that could have lasted you longer. Use a bread box and wrap your bread in a cloth bag. This keeps the crust crispy and the inside soft. Goodbye, waste!
Beans for Blind Baking
Pie crusts have the tendency to puff up or shrink during blind baking. Here’s a hack that will save you that frustration: line your crust with parchment and fill it with dry beans. It weighs the dough down and bakes it evenly. You can also save the beans to reuse again.
Chill Your Metal Mixing Bowls
Whipping cream is like an art, and there are a few things you can do to get that perfect peak. One of the best tips we have found is to chill your metal mixing bowl beforehand. The cold helps the cream whip up faster and holds its shape longer.
Vinegar for Poaching Eggs?
Don’t have money to waste on a fancy egg poacher? That’s okay. All you need is some vinegar anyway. Add a splash of vinegar to the water before cracking the egg. It helps the white stick together and form a neat shape. You’re welcome!
Label and Date Your Frozen Meals
Grab some tape and a marker and label all your freezer items. This keeps things organized and saves you from guessing what’s in those mystery bags. Waste not, want not. This is a trick we learned from Grandma, and we think it’s one of the best!
Homemade Stock Cubes
Don’t toss veggie scraps or leftover chicken bones away. Boil them down into a rich broth, strain, and reduce. Put the broth into ice cube trays and freeze. You’ll have instant stock cubes ready, just like Grandma used to make.
