Did you know that you can make your own yogurt? And if you're out of cream of mushroom soup, you can make your own in a pinch!
Making things from scratch instead of purchasing them ready-made can save you money because:
1. You save yourself a trip to the store. Time and gas money saved!
2. Often, the total cost of the ingredients is cheaper than the equivalent store-bought product.
Sometimes, I'm forced into making something myself because I'm out of the store-bought version. Other times, I make something from scratch because I've figured out it's cheaper.
There are a multitude of items that you can make yourself. When deciding whether to make it or buy it, consider the following:
1. Is it really cheaper? There are plenty of websites and blogs (including mine!) that offer recipes for everything from homemade Bisquick to hot chocolate mix. Many of them will say "It's more economical for me to make this than to buy it," and they might even tell you how much the item costs to make. However, your ingredients will most likely cost a little more or less than their ingredients. Maybe they've found a super cheap source for powdered milk, or maybe their bread flour is more expensive than yours. Do the math yourself to figure out if making this item is really cheaper than buying it.
2. How much cheaper is it? If you're only saving a few pennies, it might not be worth your time.
3. Do you need any special tools/equipment/gadgets to make the item? If so, consider how long it will take (how many batches of this item) to actually start saving money. As well, ask around to see if you can borrow the equipment you need...at least until you know for sure that you'll be making this on a regular basis.
4. Time is money. If it takes you two hours of hands-on time to make those freezer waffles and you're only saving 50 cents, it might not be worth your time!
6. Try, try again. If your first batch of a make-it-yourself item doesn't turn out, don't get discouraged. See if you can figure out what went wrong and try it again, or pick a different way to make it.
Here are a few items I have made from scratch, with good success:
(please note: not all of these items are cheaper than their store-bought equivalent)
- yogurt (heating pad method)
- white bread (in the breadmaker)
- whole wheat bread (no breadmaker needed!)
- English Muffin bread
- granola
- granola bars
- taco seasoning
- Lofthouse cookies
- brownie mix
- pizza sauce
- Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
- hot fudge
- jam
- salsa
- hot chocolate mix
- chai tea mix
- homemade Bisquick (shortening) or this one (real butter)
- yogurt (oven method)
- ice cream
- cream soups
- Ranch dressing mix
- Italian dressing mix
- freezer-friendly waffles
- oatmeal packets
- hummus
What do you make from scratch? Do you make it from scratch to save money, or for health/taste reasons?
Looking for more great ways to Save Money in the Kitchen? Head over here to catch up on any articles you've missed!
Thanks to your recipes and tips, I have made granolca, granola bars and garlic bread. Yum. I also make chicken stock (use up the chicken carcass) and croutons (use up old bread). I am now making my own vanilla extract by ordering vanilla beans from Ebay (much cheaper than local stores). I make homemade pie crusts and biscuits. I can tomato sauce from the tomatoes from our garden. I also make frozen smoothies to take in my lunch (also serves as an ice pack). So many things yet to try!
ReplyDeleteI have been making my own greek yogurt - mainly because of the cost savings. I can use the warm setting of my crock pot to incubate in about 5 hours.
ReplyDeleteI also make my own taco seasoning mix. That way I always have it on hand if I decide to make tacos last minute. Also, the mix recipe doesn't have minced onions like the kind that I have purchased from the store - some of the kids aren't real fond of onion chunks.
There is one other thing that I have made myself before and will be making again: almond paste. Almond paste is so expensive in the store! I can make almost two pounds of almond paste with one pound of blanched almonds. If you catch them on sale for $4.99, you get almost two pounds of almond paste! Not hard to make either.
ReplyDelete