Money Saving Tips to Help You Cut Bills in the Kitchen
September 05, 2022
Bills are currently skyrocketing and with more increases coming up, we’re all looking for ways to save money. Living frugally is very much the way forward, and at Robert Dyas we can help you do just that.
From swapping your oven for a mini oven or air fryer, to great money saving tips on using your fridge and freezer and plenty more, there are lots of easy things you can do to save money. As home and garden experts with 150 years of experience under our belts, we’ve created some informative guides for different areas of the home, with some interesting stats to show you just how much you can save. In this guide, we focus on top tips for the kitchen.
Ways to Save Money in the Kitchen
The kitchen is a hub of energy use in the home, so there are lots of savings that could be made here. You’ll be surprised at how much you can save by making small changes here and there.
Use an Air Fryer Instead of Your Oven
By swapping your oven for an air fryer you can save around 50% on your energy usage. With this Salter Compact 2L Hot Air Fryer you can fry up a whole meal the healthier and less expensive way. Plus, they require little to no oil, so that’s less oil you need to buy too. Not sure what to cook in an air fryer or how to use one? Our guide tells you everything you need to know.
Swap Your Oven for Your Microwave
Microwaves are far cheaper to use than ovens as they only heat the food inside rather than the whole cavity, so energy isn’t wasted. An easy way to save money is to cook your meals in the microwave instead of your oven. One hour in the oven for a jacket potato or less than ten minutes in a microwave? It’s a no-brainer when it comes to energy-saving.
Batch Cook Your Meals
Given that cooking uses a lot of gas or electricity, batch cook as many meals as you can and simply reheat in the microwave for the following couple of days. Even better, make the meals something that can be eaten cold. Don’t forget your food containers for storing in the fridge or taking to work.
Save Leftovers
Got some leftovers? Don’t bin them – you’ll be throwing money straight in there with them. Keep them in the fridge in containers and eat them later instead of cooking a whole new meal. By keeping them in wax wraps, you’ll save money in the long run on cling film, foil and other single-use items. The average UK family spends £470 a year on food that's binned, so those wraps and containers could save you a lot of money.
Make Use of Your Freezer
Freeze anything you don’t think you’ll use for a while, or any batch-cooked meals you want for later in the week or month, in freezer bags. Pasta sauces are great for this: simply make a big batch, freeze the remaining sauce – one bag per portion – and you’ve got super-quick and easy meals for the days/weeks ahead. All the energy you’ll need for cooking later on is to make the pasta, which takes just minutes on the hob.
Defrost Food in the Freezer
If you’re looking for easy ways to save money, here’s a handy tip: If you’ve made enough food to store in the freezer, defrost it in the fridge the day before you want to eat it as it’ll help keep your fridge cool, which means it will use less energy. All those small savings will soon mount up.
Preserve Fruit and Veg Before It’s Wasted
If there’s any veg you can’t use in a meal, preserve it instead! Simply add your cooked veg to a sterilised jar, along with any herbs or garlic you might have, cover with olive oil and store for a month. It’s perfect for sandwich fillings and you can use the flavoured oil afterwards too. Find out more about how to preserve fruit and veg in our guide.
Meal-plan
Check what needs eating up in the fridge and plan your meals around that to avoid waste. If you have a couple of leftover carrots and milk in there and a little flour in the cupboard, all you need to buy is eggs and you’ve got carrot fritters – a whole meal for the price of just a couple of eggs. Again, make sure anything in, or out of, the fridge is stored correctly in the right containers to keep it fresh for longer.
Use Lids on Pans to Retain the Heat
Using lids on pans when cooking will keep the heat in and enable you to turn the hob down to save energy. If your pans are missing lids, it’s worth investing in some new ones for the long term.
Swap Pasta for Courgetti
Forego using the hob to boil pasta and eat courgetti instead. With fewer calories too, it’s a win win! This Joseph Joseph Duo Compact Spiralizer can be used for beetroot, carrot and other veg, which you can add to salads raw and skip the cooking.
Steam Your Veg
You can also cut down your cooking time by steaming veg briefly instead of boiling or roasting it – it requires less boiled water from your kettle, much less energy than roasting and only takes a few minutes to steam. It has the added benefit of being healthier too. This Robert Dyas Stainless Steel 3-Tier Steamer will do the trick.
Forget Bottled Water – Save with a Water Filter Jug
With a water filter jug you can make 100L of filtered water for just 5p per litre. Compared to the cost of 100L of multipack 1L bottles (6-packs) at 70p per litre, it’s a huge difference, so this simple swap could save you a big chunk of cash.
Stop Buying Fizzy Drinks and Make Your Own Instead
Why spend on fizzy drinks when you can make your own? Whether you love sparkling water, Pepsi or other flavoured sodas, you can make them all at home with Sodastream – as well as save on ocean-polluting plastic bottles. With just one 440ml Sodastream syrup you can make up to 9L of soda.
Swap Coffee-to-go for Homemade
When it comes to coffee on the go, it can all add up – to £17 in fact, if you buy a coffee every weekday for a typical £3.40. Make your own barista-style drinks with a coffee machine and take them with you in a reusable mug. If you can’t resist your shop-bought caffeine fixes, a lot of shops offer discounts if you bring a reusable mug, so pop one in your bag before you head out.
With all these money saving tips – or even just some of them – you’ll be able to save more than you think. Even one simple swap will make a difference to big bills. Remember to have a look at our other money saving ideas for the home and garden and make those savings even bigger.
