Save Money by Using What You Have

Using what you have is the first rule of savings.

That’s the motto I’ve been trying to follow for the last few years. I make gifts from things we have around the house and yard. I repurpose furniture, wood scraps, and other random items into something new and useful.

I feel that being creative and making it work is just one more way to be a good steward.

But there can be challenges even for the dangerously creative!

There is enough groceries in my cabinet, freezer, and frig to feed a small army.  Most of it isn’t what I would call easy ingredients.  Artichoke hearts, black olives, and navy beans are not what my kids would call food.  In order to make the reserves work, I’ll have to use some thought, creativity, and a dash of sugar.  (Just a spoonful of sugar helps even medicine go down).

Cabinet Cooking for Using What You Have

Know what you have.

The first step in using what you have it to make a list of exactly what you have.  Ever can, bag, and box in the panty – every cheese, bread, veggie and meat in the frig, and every item (including frozen waffles) that you have in the freezer.  Put them in categories so that it is easier to see what’s available.

Brainstorm.

Now think of ways to use what you have.  Look through cookbooks, or even better, look online.  Many recipe sites offer a “search by ingredients” option.  You may find a new family favorite that you would never have discovered otherwise.

Map Out the Meals

The next step is to make a menu for one week.  Attach the recipes you have found for easy access.  If you have time and the energy, break it down for three weeks (or a month if you are feeling particularly froggy).  Now you can rotate the weeks and keep everyone happy.  Plus, having the recipes on hand means making a grocery list is a snap.

Using What You Have Gets It Gone

It is important to use up the items you’ve had tucked away before they mutate and grow legs and walk away. 

But really, you don’t want them to go bad, and you don’t want to be the person who waits until the local canned food drive to get rid of the canned beets.  Save money by using what you have.  It isn’t always easy, but it can be a game for you and the whole family.

“Hey, tonight, why don’t we play ‘Let’s Make a Menu’ where I give you an ingredient and you have to come up with a new and interesting way to use it?”

It’s not just dinner anymore. It’s an adventure.