By choosing the right recipes and planning ahead, you can spend less while still enjoying delicious, healthy homemade meals. Browsing recipes is fun, but meal planning can be just as rewarding. Discover smart ways to use leftovers, plan your shopping, and buy in bulk to save money.
Choose in season, inexpensive but nutrient-rich produce, such as carrots, sweet potatoes or cabbage. In off season, canned vegetables, such as tomatoes or artichokes, or frozen vegetables are also cost-effective and full of vitamins. Flavorful stews or curries with pulses will satisfy the hungriest palate.
Meat can be one of the more expensive parts of a meal, so consider choosing lower-cost cuts or using smaller portions. It can also help to think of meat as an addition rather than the main ingredient. For example, you can make chicken or pork go further by grinding larger pieces in your Thermomix® and mixing them with breadcrumbs, herbs, and spices to make meatballs. Serve them over spaghetti or rice, and add steamed vegetables to make the meal go further and keep everyone satisfied. Adding a weekly or monthly meat-free meal is another simple way to save money. Try searching vegetarian or vegan for some meat-free inspiration.
When you’re watching your budget, it’s often easy to swap expensive ingredients for more affordable alternatives, especially if you know you won’t use the rest of the package or jar. For example, if a risotto recipe calls for 2 oz of wine, there’s no need to open a whole bottle. Instead, use 1.5 oz of water and 0.5 oz of vinegar to create the acidity needed to flavor the dish. The same goes for specialty ingredients. If saffron isn’t the main flavor in a recipe, turmeric can often work well in its place. A little creativity can go a long way, and you may discover that your tomato sauce tastes just as good with parsley as it does with basil.
Buy your staple ingredients in bulk and transform them as you need, stretching the budget. Confectioner’s sugar made at home from ordinary granulated sugar is less expensive than store-bought and you save space by only storing one ingredient. Buy spices whole, as they keep fresh longer than ground. You can also make your own Greek yogurt by straining plain yogurt through cheesecloth, or make yogurt from scratch for even greater savings. Bread and pastry made at home are usually less expensive than store-bought options and taste significantly better. And of course, there’s nothing like the smell of freshly baked bread and pastries filling your home.
Use overripe red peppers and carrots that are no longer crisp and give them a second life by adding them to a soup or to a vegetable and potato purée for color and flavor. Zero-waste tastes good when cooked right. If your Gruyère has become too strong to serve after dinner, cut it up in smaller pieces and freeze it. Next time you need grated cheese, grate the frozen cheese directly in Thermomix®. Finally, don’t throw out the stale bread: grind into bread crumbs and store in the freezer.
Batch cooking is a great way to save money and make homemade meals feel just as convenient as takeout when time is tight. Take advantage of grocery deals, buy larger quantities, and prepare extra portions to freeze for later. Freeze stews in individual portions to make a delightful and easy packed lunch. Cookie doughs and pastry are made in an instant in Thermomix® and freeze beautifully. Portion and bake when ready and never buy store-bought again.
My Week, our weekly meal planner, makes it easier to stay organized, save money, and make the most of the ingredients you already have. Search Cookidoo® for recipes using items already in your kitchen, then build your weekly plan around them and shop only for what’s missing. Having a plan before you head to the grocery store can help reduce impulse purchases and prevent food waste.
To get started, explore these delicious, budget-friendly recipe ideas. Save them now, or add them directly to your weekly plan. Then, whenever you’re ready to cook, you can quickly find them in "My Recipes" or "My Week".
