Green Cooking Advice To Save Money

If you’re interested in saving money, you aren’t alone. The current economic state means that everyone is trying to cut corners as far as spending goes. Luckily cutting corners doesn’t always have to be a bad thing. For instance, you can find ways to “go green” and save money.

Check out these easy and money-saving green cooking and shopping tips.

Grow Your Own Garden Or Buy Local Vegetables

Growing your own garden is a great way to cut costs on your weekly food bill. It can also save energy in several other ways. Foods grown in your yard don’t need to be chemically processed or pre-packed. You won’t need to waste time, gas or energy driving to the grocery store to get them. You won’t even need to spend money on anything except the initial seeds or seedlings.

If you buy vegetables locally you prevent the need for:

>> Transportation

>> Factories

>> Preservative Chemicals

>> Higher Costs

Bring Your Own Bags

Another great way to save on costs and do your part for the planet is to go to stores where you can buy spices and other items in bulk. By bringing your own bags or jars, you can save even more money. Reusing those bags or jars will also help to reduce wasted resources and energy. Additionally, many stores are now giving rebates or discounts on your bill for bringing your own bags.

Freeze Things Properly

Another good energy and time-saving tip is to freeze things properly. If you have the space, you should invest in a chest freezer (the kind that opens from the top). Chest freezers are very energy-efficient.

It’s also important to freeze and defrost foods in the proper way. For example, if there are two people in your house, freeze your meats in 2-packs. That way you only need to defrost what you need as you need it. Also, always remember to take your meats out of the freezer and defrost them in the fridge before you intend to cook them. That will make the cooking process faster and easier.

Use Small Appliances To Do Your Cooking

Small appliances are great ways to cook. They can save a lot of energy and time. So, they are the embodiment of green cooking for super money savings. Small appliances include:

>> Toaster Ovens

>> Crock Pot

>> Pressure Cookers

>> Microwave Ovens

>> Slow Cookers

>> Outdoor Grills Or Kitchen Mini-Grills

Cook For The Week

Another great time, money and energy-saving tip is to cook for the week. If you have to heat up your stove top or large oven, cook several things at once. That will help you to make the best use of both the energy you are using and your time. It will also give you plenty of food to eat throughout the week.

If you don’t like eating the same things all week long, there’s a simple solution. Just freeze most of what you cook and defrost it when you want it. That way you can still eat a wide variety of foods, but only cook major meals once or twice each week.

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Tags: cooking, ecofriendly, food, green

Category: Green/Ecofriendly Living