Leaving the Family Nest? 5 Ways to Save Money on Your First Kitchen
As you fly the coop and establish your independence in your own place, you’re going to need some ways to save money. You’ve got to begin somewhere, so let’s start with the most used room in the house, the kitchen. You’ll find that friends and family will gather in the kitchen as you pour drinks, bake cookies, or test your cooking skills.
Start from Scratch
If you’re moving into a new place and have nothing to put in your cupboards, don’t fret; consider it a blank slate that you can personalize right from the start. If you’re a colorful soul, mix and match different colored plates, glasses and cereal bowls. If you need all your ducks in a row, pick a color that screams “Me” and capitalize on it.
Seriously consider shopping at your local thrift store such as the Arc Stores in Butte County. They are a great place to find pretty much anything you’ll need for your new kitchen, and you’ll save big bucks in the process. Buy pots, pans, and serving bowls that have multiple uses. You don’t need a 16-piece set to make a great meal. Generally small, medium and large work for both pots and pans and lids.
The Frugal Shopper gives key ways to saving money in your new kitchen.
Buy Non-perishable Foods in Bulk and Share
This is one of the great ways to save money with your friends. Go ahead, shop in the big box wholesale warehouse stores. No, you probably don’t need 8 cans of olives or a 4-pack of toothpaste, but hey, this is a great opportunity for you and a few of your friends to shop together, split the cost and the products, and everybody bonds over a 5lb box of cereal. Shop on a weekend and visit the sampling stations and compare notes with your friends. If you all like what you tasted, create your lunch or dinner together that night.
Inventory Your Kitchen
Keep a magnetic note pad on the fridge and write down the items you need from the grocery store. Also keep an inventory of the staples in your pantry, so you don’t duplicate and over-buy. Keep the inventory and “need list” on your smartphone and eliminate the paper trail. The biggest expense in the kitchen is all the food that is thrown out because it wasn’t used by the expiration date.
One of the ways to save money that people are often unware of is to buy perishable food, i.e. peaches, milk, lettuce, etc. only in the amount that you will eat in the next few days.
Store pasta, coffee, cereal and other items in glass and plastic see-through jars to create an organized and easy-to-find look. Display them in an open cupboard or windowsill. Put colorful items in some of the jars to make a bold statement.
[Image source: Zero Waste Home]
Try New Things, Find Your Creativity
Try new things right in your own kitchen. Ask Mom or Grandma for their recipes and start cooking! The convenience of eating out is huge, but so is the price tag, so eating in is another one of the overlooked ways to save money. Invite Mom or friends over to sample your cooking, ask for helpful hints and by all means, make enough to save half and freeze for another day. If you’ve always wanted to cook, but Mom was the only one allowed in the kitchen, now is your chance to shine. You know what food you like, use those ingredients and create a whole new dish.
Make a Happy Kitchen
Find a chalkboard at a thrift store, hang it with twine and write a positive message to yourself every night. When you walk in the kitchen in the morning, you’ll smile and start the day right. Place the coffee or tea pot in the most convenient spot, making it an easy way to start the day.
Clean as you go and you’ll be much happier when your meal is finished. No one wants to face a kitchen with a sink full of dishes, so deposit them in the dishwasher as soon as you’ve used them and save even more money by not turning it on until it’s full.
You can decorate by putting up colorful curtains, artwork and whatever else makes you want to spend time in your new place. Remember, you don’t have to have everything the first week you move in. Build on what you start with to create the perfect domain for your newfound domesticity.
