Saving money does not only mean clipping coupons, but it also means changing our habits and how we use things. Below I have 9 ways of how you can reduce waste and save money in the kitchen. These are all habits I have adopted over the years and they truly work. I hope you can find these helpful for you and your family too!
1. Stop Using Too Much Dish Soap
If you were like me before, then you might be drizzling it in a pan or on your sponge like icing. But if you are soaking a pan or putting it on your sponge, you only need a pea size amount.
2. Unplug Your Appliances
When you are not using your appliances, unplug them. Even though they might not be on, they are still using energy and, thus, costing you money. Of course, if you have a built in appliance, this might be more difficult to turn off, like a microwave, stove, or dishwasher. Any appliances you keep on the counter like a toaster, air fryer, pressure cooker, coffee maker, etc., unplug them.
3. Use Distilled White Vinegar
Distilled white vinegar is not only good for cooking, but also for cleaning and it is great for your dishwasher. Instead of using a rinsing aid, use distilled white vinegar instead. Not only will it make your dishes, glasses, and silverware sparkle, it will save your money too. Not to mention, those rinse aids have so many chemicals, the distilled white vinegar is the best natural option. Compared to Walmart’s Great Value Rinsing Aid, which is currently 39.3 cents per fluid ounce ($3.32 each and it has 8.45 fluid ounces), Walmart’s Great Value Distilled White Vinegar is 2.6 cents per fluid ounce ($3.34 each for 128 fluid ounces). That is a savings of about 37 cents per fluid ounce! To know how much to put in, wherever you put the rinsing aid, put the distilled white vinegar instead. Instead of dealing with the heavy jug, I put distilled white vinegar in a tall salad dressing jar. The one I got was given to me by my Italian Mother in Law (I think she has a lot of these). But no need to run out to the store to get one. An old salad dressing bottle will do. You want something with a small spout so that you don’t put more in than you need. And no, putting more in will not help. Just use a little bit. That is all you need.
4. Clean Your Sponges
Speaking of the dishwasher, throw your sponges, cleaning brushes, etc. in the dishwasher. If you noticed them getting gross, be proactive. I throw my sponge and brush about every other day. This helps them to stay cleaner and last longer. Before throwing the sponges and brushes in, make you get as much food off of them as possible and then let the dishwasher do the rest of the work!
5. Cut Steel Wool Pads
In our household, we use steel wool pads for harder messes. I used to find it frustrating when I would only use a corner or half of the pad and then have to throw it away. Well I don’t have that problem anymore, because now I cut them up! Depending on the size, I will cut it up into quarters. Usually I get the Brillo ones from the Dollar Tree. You get a pack of 10 for $1.25. These are the pink looking ones. I have tried cutting up the S.O.S. pads, the blue ones, but for whatever reason, I find those difficult to cut. These brands both work the same, but the Brillo brand is easier to cut up and, therefore, my brand of choice.
6. Use Cold Water
In most instances in the kitchen, you are supposed to use cold water anyway. For example, when defrosting something and you are putting it in a water bath, you should use cold water. When you are cleaning fruits and vegetables, use cold water. When washing your hands, you do not need to use hot water. While hot water feels nicer than ice cold water, you do not need to use hot water. You can use warm water instead. You might be thinking, “Isn’t hot water better for cleaning germs?” Well if you are washing with soap, then it won’t matter if you have hot or cold water, the outcome will be the same. The reason why cold water is a cheaper option is because you need more energy to heat up water to make it hot. More energy equals more money. You are also watching water go down the drain, literally, because it can take 1 or 2 minutes to get the water hot. On average, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, for every minute you are running water, you are using 1 gallon. Basically, whenever possible, use cold water.
7. Use Less Paper Towels
Now this one is a little bit controversial in our household. I try to use paper towels sparingly. I only use them to clean the oil out of my electric skillet and to drain bacon fat. I might use them once in a blue moon for something else, but I try to avoid it because they are so expensive. Plus, I find once I use one paper towel, I tend to use them more than what I might need and, therefore, waste.
So what do I use then to wipe up messes and clean my counters? My first go to are microfiber cloths. Microfiber cloths are so much more absorbent than even the highest quality paper towel. I use my microfiber cloths for spills, both small and big. To wipe down the counter every day I use the Kitchen ECloth or my All Purpose Branch Basics Spray with a microfiber cloth. I like the ECloths because all you need is water. I also use the All Purpose Branch Basics Spray in combination using a basic microfiber cloth. Use this link here to get $10 off your Branch Basics purchase. Click on here for the microfibers cloths I use. I know Costco sells microfiber cloths, but I prefer these one from Amazon because they are a little thinner and just the right size. The Costco ones are too big. If you are interested in the ECloths, you can also purchase them here on Amazon. They do sell them at other places such as Kohls or on their website, but Amazon always has them the cheapest.
8. Do Not Put Oil Down Your Sink
This might be obvious to most people, but it wasn’t to me until a couple of years ago. Do not put any oil down your drain. This includes olive oil, vegetable oil, coconut oil, bacon grease, etc. What happens is that the oil can cause blockage in your garbage, sewer, and your drainage systems. If this happens, it will cause you thousands of dollars to fix it. Instead, put all your oils into a jar. I keep my jar underneath the sink in our cabinet. When the jar is full, I throw it out. When I cook with oils, I put the oils in the jar as soon as possible. If you have a little oil left over, I suggest that you clean it out with a paper towel and throw that away in the trash. As mentioned above, this is the rare case where I will use a paper towel.
9. Recycle
You might be thinking: how can recycling help me save money in the kitchen? Well think about all those things that you throw away that could be recycled such as fruit containers, water bottles, food packaging, glass jars etc. When you are throwing these things away, I bet you are putting them in your kitchen trash can; at least that is what I was doing. I was literally filling up my trash can with all things that I could recycle. Instead, put these items in your recycle bins. You do no need to put them in another trash bag; just put them in your recycle bins. Your city should have a separate bin for your recyclables. I know the size of the container can vary from city to city, so if you need another one, you can call and inquire about getting an additional one. I noticed when I started to recycle more that I used less trash bags, which helped to save us money, and it is a good way to take care of God’s Creation.
