You may think
that if you make everything from scratch that you will save a
lot of money at the grocery store every month. In a lot of cases,
this may be true. When you prepare your own meals you will often
see an immediate cost savings per portion, and perhaps an overall
increase in nutritional value as an added bonus. So what if you
don't have the time to cook? That's a good question, and one
that cannot easily be answered. If you only buy prepackaged foods
to save you time in the kitchen you're definitely going to end
up spending more money than necessary. I would suggest that you
might be able to find a happy medium.
Every week
I think to myself that it would sure be nice to make some homemade
cookies for my daughter to have for snacks during the next week.
About once every 2 months or so I might actually make them, but
most of the time I choose not to because it would take up a Sunday
afternoon that I'd like to use to do other things. Would it save
me money to make the cookies myself?
Sure, if the alternative would be to buy a $4 package of Oreos.
However, when Oreos go on sale for $1.99 or less a package, I'll
stock up on a few and know that my money was wisely spent, while
also freeing up my time for other things. Better yet, once a
month or so we might go to Walmart and stock up on Little Debbie
snacks that average about $1 a box. You could hardly make a batch
of cookies for $1. Now don't get me wrong, I love to bake and
enjoy a homemade cookie as much as anyone else. It's just not
always the best use of my time and/or money. Recently my mother-in-law
and I were discussing the price of chili. We had found some on
sale for .99 a can and thought that was a pretty good deal. For
that price I probably wouldn't take the time to make it. The
regular price was $1.30 - $1.50 a can, and I just couldn't justify
paying that much for it. I'd just do without or make a pot of
chili myself and freeze some for later.
My husband's aunt overheard our conversation and commented that
she had bought a case of chili on sale for .59 a can! I sure
wouldn't have passed that deal up.
You just have
to watch prices on your favorite items and purchase them when
they go on sale. You have to be somewhat flexible, however, and
be willing to purchase alternate items or do more cooking when
prices are high. It's all a matter of priorities. If you have
the time and enjoy spending time in the kitchen, then by all
means cook from scratch whenever you can. I sure do. On the other
hand, if you have days like me where you come home from a long
day at work wondering what to fix quick for dinner, you might
consider balancing the amount you're spending on groceries with
the time you will save yourself in the kitchen by stocking up
on a few convenience items, like Tuna Helper or prepared spaghetti
sauce.
I've found
that I'm saving even more money than ever before by buying these
convenience foods when on they're on sale, while also making
things from scratch when I have the time. Just keep your options
open and you will find what works best for you.
Rachel Paxton is a freelance
writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook
containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes,
gardening, organizing tips, home decorating, holiday hints, and
more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
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