1. Grow a vegetable garden
There’s nothing quite like a fresh tomato from the vine or plucking some spring onion to add flavour to your dishes. Sure, growing your own vegetables is more time-consuming than just popping to the shops, but the benefits are enormous. First of all, growing your own vegetables is cheap, fun and healthy – after all, you control the pesticides and other ‘nasties’ that your veggies come in contact with. Plus, vegetables that ripen naturally in the garden and are consumed within days of harvest have way more nutrients and a greater flavour and texture, that will convince the most stubborn of children who refuse to eat their greens, that vegetables are delicious. You can also try and grow your own herb garden, too, with some inspiration from our previous blog post The best herbs to grow in Perth kitchens.
2. Only run appliances when full
Did you know your fridge and freezer both run more efficiently (and therefore use less energy) when full? This is great news for those of you who like to cook ahead and freeze your food for go-to weekday meals. Another handy tip is to plan ahead before opening your fridge or freezer. Keeping the door ajar or repeatedly opening it are the main reasons fridges/freezers lose their cool and use up more energy. Don’t forget to only run your dishwasher when it’s full too!
3. Plan your meals
When you’re tired after a long day at work, or exhausted after running around after the kids all day, it can be too easy to go with takeaway options that can really wreak havoc with your wallet. An easy way to avoid this is by planning your meals, and even making and freezing some ahead of time. If you want to get really proactive with your money saving hacks, you could check out the weekly deals for your local grocery shop and plan your meals around foods that are on special. This will also help you cut down on waste, too. Win-win!
4. DIY cleaning products
You may be surprised how much money you can save by making your own kitchen cleaning products – all without any nasty hidden chemicals! Having control over what is in your cleaning supplies guarantees they are safe and not harming the air quality in your home, so it’s not just your wallet that will reap the benefits! For a more in-depth look at how you can get your kitchen sparkling with homemade products, check out our previous blog post Summer cleaning tips.
5. Invest in a compost bin
A compost bin is a great way to repurpose vegetable scraps that would usually just end up in the bin. Compost bins turn plant, food and organic waste into a mixture of ingredients that are used to fertilise and improve your soil, enabling it to retain nutrients, water and air. Your garden will love you for it, and it means you can save money when it comes to fertilising your garden in the warmer spring months.
6. View deals online
Scouting out weekly specials online is a very quick and easy way to help you stick to a budget. Just make sure you’re spending money on things you need, and not just buying for the sake of it! It’s a good rule of thumb to do a quick check of your fridge and pantry to see if you already have items and if they might be expiring, before buying more of something just because it’s on special. Shopping online will also help you avoid impulse buys at the shopping centre.
If you find some truly spectacular deals, it also helps to buy in bulk, too. This might add a little more to your weekly shopping bill, but if it’s a one-off that will end up saving you money in the long run, then it’s definitely worth it.
7. Make friends with a slow cooker
Air fryers may be the latest craze, but we can’t forget the original revolutionary cooking appliance – the slow cooker! If you have plenty of vegetables sitting in your fridge, or some cheaper cuts of meat, cook them on a low heat in your slow cooker for the day. Not only will this make your kitchen (and house) smell amazing, it’s a very cost-effective way of creating incredible meals with budget ingredients. Delicious!
You’ll be more inspired to spend time in your kitchen, and taking advantage of the above tips, if you have a kitchen that is accessible, user-friendly and designed with your needs. We can help you design the kitchen of your dreams – contact Kitchen Craftsmen today to learn more!