How Shelf Cooking Can Save You So Much Money!
For most people, how you plan out your meals plays a large part in whether or not you’re overspending on groceries. But, there’s a better way to plan your meals so that your weekly trip to the grocery store doesn’t break the bank. That’s where shelf cooking comes in!
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Maybe you’ve heard of the term shelf cooking before, or maybe you recognize it as the way your mother or grandmother prepared meals. In modern times, it doesn’t seem to be as popular of a technique, but we’re here to change that!
What is shelf cooking?
Shelf cooking is a phrase coined by the fabulous, the beautiful, the Fun, Cheap, or Free Queen: Jordan Page! It’s a meal planning and grocery shopping technique thats helps you make your money and resources work for you.
An Unforgettable Thanksgiving Starts with premium turkey and ham, sides and desserts from Perdue Farms!It’s basically the secret to frugal meal planning. Here’s the kicker: most people plan their meals by finding recipes and curating a grocery list based on those ingredients.
They find foods they want to try or foods they love, add the ingredients to the grocery list and spend way too much at the grocery store.
But, with shelf cooking, you browse your home, first. Go through your kitchen cabinets, pantry, freezers, and refrigerators and plan your meals based on what you already have in your home. You simply plan your meals by shopping your house for ingredients and finding recipes that use those, first.
Shelf cooking is all about using what you already have before rushing to the store. It sometimes requires that you get creative and substitute so you can use more of what’s already in your house.
Related: How To Meal Plan on a Budget – The Beginner’s Guide
While it may seem like the obvious way to go about cooking meals, most people aren’t doing it this way. That means they’re likely overspending on groceries and even wasting food. It’s not hard to neglect that produce in the fridge if this week’s recipes don’t call for it, right?
That’s where shelf cooking can help. You see that produce in the fridge and then find a recipe or think of a meal to use it up. Instead of letting it rot away in the depths of the refrigerator, it’s turned into a delicious, healthy meal your family can enjoy. You save money and waste less food. See the theme here?
How do you plan meals with what you have?
Once you get the hang of shelf cooking, this will seem like a no-brainer. In the meantime, look through your fridge, pantry, and freezer and find ingredients that need to be used up. Then, using those ingredients, plan meals for the week.
Related: The Ultimate Meal Planning Action Guide
It’s also helpful to include a night to use up any leftovers. This will help waste less food, as well. You could turn your leftovers into new dishes by adding new ingredients. Or, you could have a leftover buffet night of sorts where you set out all the leftovers and everyone gets a little of this and a little of that.
How can shelf cooking save money?
Shelf cooking in general will help you save a ton money on groceries, especially if you haven’t been cooking this way already. Instead of buying a week’s worth of meals, you’ll only be buying a few ingredients to supplement what you already have in your kitchen.
Shelf Cooking Challenge
If you want to really dive into a challenge, try a shelf cooking challenge, like Shelftember, for example. A shelf cooking challenge means that you cut your grocery budget to $25 per week, $50 max. *insert gasp*
TWENTY-FIVE bucks, that’s it?
I know what you’re probably thinking.. impossible, right? Wrong. It is possible to feed your family and feed them well while slashing your grocery budget.
After I heard about Jordan’s shelf cooking challenge a few years ago, I have done a challenge myself a few times each year. I use it as a time to reset and refocus in my kitchen. It helps to clear out my cabinets and freezers.
Related: How To Seriously Reduce Your Grocery Budget – Shelftember Challenge
Fun fact: my kitchen is a decent size, but there aren’t many cabinets and there isn’t a pantry anywhere in my home. Feeding 6 people with minimal food storage space for around $100 per month is challenging. But you know what, it’s possible.
I promise it really isn’t as hard as it sounds. It WILL require you to think outside the box a bit. But it is 100% doable. If you find that $25 per week will just absolutely not work, try $50 per week instead.
Note, I do not include consumables in my grocery budget when I’m doing a shelf cooking challenge. That would likely be impossible to accomplish for my family of 6. I do, however, include consumables in my regular grocery budget.
Related: How To Start A Grocery Budget – Amazing Grocery Budget Calculator
The whole point is to challenge yourself to spend less. It’s not the time to try out a bunch of new recipes or plan fancy meals each week, it’s a time to simplify. A time to create more from less, in a way.
So, what do ya say? Are you in? Ready to dive in and challenge yourself to cut your grocery budget and still provide great meals for your family? I threw together a free printable for you. It’s an explanation of shelf cooking and a couple quick tips to help you succeed during your shelf cooking challenge!
Until next time,
Stay Courageous!
*This post was updated August 2021.
Alisha
Alisha (she/her) is a mama of four, group B strep advocate, nonprofit Founder, multi-passionate CEO, and the brains behind Thriftin and Livin. // Alisha believes there is SO much more to motherhood than survival mode on repeat. She has decades of experience with frugal living, some by choice, others by force. Either way, girl knows how to help you save a buck. With over ten years of parenting under her belt, she knows a thing or two about raising babies, too. // At Thriftin and Livin, Alisha blends humor, sarcasm, and her wide range of life experiences to serve mamas from around the world. Her quick tips and helpful hacks will help you thrive in motherhood rather than simply survive. // Instagram|Facebook|Pinterest \\
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