The Big Money Saving Secret

The secret to saving a ton of money is backwards planning.

It’s not buy what you want when you want it, but want what you can buy when you can buy it.

Most articles on grocery savings tell you to make a menu plan and a careful list, then stick to the list when you go shopping. Instead I suggest you go to the store, buy only the best deals available and then meal plan based on what you have. This may mean that you can’t follow a recipe exactly. This method requires creative cooking. It requires a knowledge of common substitutes and basic kitchen chemistry. You will become a better, more experienced cook. And you WILL save a ton of money.

The longer you practice this method of shopping and planning the easier it gets, because you will build a large variety of ingredients in your pantry to plan from. Soon you can do your planning before you go to the store based on what you already have and what you know you will buy from the loss leaders in the ads. Then it’s easy to pick up one or two essential ingredients to complete your meals.

Here’s an example of basic cooking chemistry. Fact: 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch or 2 Tablespoons of all-purpose flour will thicken 1 cup of liquid to gravy or concentrated soup consistency. Halve the amount of thickener for soup; double it for pudding. You can use this knowledge to make your own gravy, cream soups, or cooked pudding. No more mixes required!

Here’s an example of common substitutions: plain yogurt can be substituted in equal portions for sour cream and visa-versa. Use this for taco night, dip and dressing recipes etc.

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