The frugal gourmet: how to cut costs in the kitchen

October 13, 5:17 PMChicago Food ExaminerRebecca Wheeler

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Don’t worry, this post is not about that creepy Jeff Smith. It’s about what’s on all our minds, the economy. Whether or not you are affected directly by the current state of things, all the talk about “living within our means” may have you thinking. If you’re like me, you may be wondering where you can trim the fat. I’m not willing to give up my cell phone or occasional visit to Avec, but I know there are lots of improvements I can make in the kitchen, and for some time I’ve had a strong desire to reform my Gen X ways.

It seems that this is an appropriate time to take clues from our depression- era grandparents. Every time I throw away a plastic baggie I cringe with guilt, knowing that my Grams would not approve. Not only would she not throw away a baggie after just one use, she wouldn’t have that baggie in the first place; her baggies were old plastic bread bags. Grams was green before it was ever cool, and she was a serious recycle/re-user. Washed out cottage cheese and yogurt containers served as Tupperware and envelopes from opened mail were used for recipes and grocery lists. Aside from the compost pile, no food was wasted-ever. Sour milk went into pancakes and, well, you ate the leftovers and bruised fruit whether or not you liked it. All this may be taking it too far for you, but the point is to think before tearing off 8 pieces of paper towel for 2 tablespoons of spilled milk. Seems to me that depression- era folk understood that every thing cost money, even if it is just a post- it or Ziploc bag. Not to mention the environmental cost….

Aside from minding my baggies and paper towels, the single best change I’ve made in my kitchen in the past months is to start meal planning. I sit down on Sunday with a few cooking magazines and cookbooks, look at the calendar, and choose recipes for the nights we are home. I make a list, shop the next day, and (hypothetically at least) make those meals throughout the week. Doing this has eliminated a lot of waste. I used to find myself throwing away a lot of produce, now I use most, if not all of what we have. Meal planning works especially well for families, but is of value for anyone. After all, a great way to save money in general is to eat at home more often. Here’s a good website with information on meal planning, including spreadsheets to use for meal planning and shopping lists.

Since you may be cooking at home more often anyway, I suggest stretching your meals a little further by making extra for the freezer for those nights you don’t want to cook, or for brown bag lunches (another great way to save). Foods with liquids, like soups and stew, freeze especially well. A stocked freezer is like a security blanket for me, and it leaves little excuse for getting takeout when I don’t want to cook.

If the idea of cooking more at home frightens you, or conjures up images of cereal and cup o noodles, why not invest $60-$80 for a cooking class? Most schools offer classes like 30 minute meals, kitchen basics, and family friendly meals. It's the gift to yourself that keeps on giving by way of improved skills in the kitchen! For cooking school suggestions, see my list at the bottom right corner of this page.

As far as saving money at the grocery store-well I am still working on that one. Even though I’d like to say I’ve found the secret coupon clipping method to save hundreds, I haven't. I mostly shop at Whole Foods and farmers' markets, and they just don’t have the 2 -for- 1 deals that you find at Jewel. Still, the 365 Whole Foods brand is a good value, and Whole Foods does have weekly deals. You can always watch for meat that’s on sale, or buy their value packs (family size) and freeze some for later. I try to avoid buying individually packaged items (like yogurt and applesauce) where I can easily use the larger package at home. When you compare the price of these items by ounce (usually listed on the shelf), the individually packaged items invariably cost more. The more I cook from scratch, the more I save as well; processed and packaged foods cost more. So instead of buying pre-packaged roasted, sliced turkey, I will buy a turkey breast and roast and slice it myself. To supplement my Whole Foods trips, I buy conventional produce at mid-sized local grocery stores that have great produce sections, like Devon Market and Edgewater Produce. The prices are great, the produce is fresh, making stores like these a great source for affordable produce if organic is not your thing, or if you buy a combination of organic and conventional. To sort out what to buy organic and what to save some money on and buy conventional, I follow the “dirty dozen” list, and am sure to buy those items organic or at the farmer’s market. Here’s a great site with a free guide and printable PDF with the dirty dozen.

For those of you who like organic or farmers' market foods, CSA (community supported agriculture) boxes can provide great variety and value. To make a CSA worthwhile, you need to be a committed cook that enjoys the challenge of new produce popping up on your porch. Otherwise, you become a slave to what arrives in your weekly box, or you end up pitching more that you’d like. A nice alternative to a CSA is Irv and Shelly’s Fresh Picks, where you have access to farm fresh organic foods, but you can be more selective about what foods your family likes. You can choose from standard boxes, or create custom orders. They have a wide range of non-produce items as well, including amazing dairy from Trader’s Point Creamery in Indiana. They also deliver to your door-hallelujah.

If you have some money saving ideas for the kitchen, I want to hear about them! It's a work in progress in my kitchen, but worth the effort.