I have a love hate relationship with the grocery store, as I’m sure many of you do as well. It’s a pain in the butt to physically go there and shop (especially when it’s crowded), but grocery stores also offer a lot of convenient, ready to eat options for us to take home. While I am usually all about convenience, at some point it’s important to ask if that convenience is costing us too much money. I could probably come up with way more than five ways that the super market is ripping you off, but the list below is a solid start.
As I mentioned before, convenience rules in a lot of ways, but some things are SO easy and inexpensive to make that it’s worth the little bit of extra effort. Plus, not for nothing, but the five items listed below are always better when they’re homemade.
- Salsa: It’s kind of crazy how much the store can charge for a 12-15 ounce jar of salsa. Most places charge anywhere from $6 to $8 and if it comes in a jar, it definitely has a ton of excess sodium. You can easily make your own salsa, without unnecessary preservatives at home for about $4 or $5 using onion, tomatoes, cilantro, and a pepper of your choice. Plus, leftover ingredients can be used in other dishes individually.
- Hummus: I want to start by saying that homemade hummus usually requires some tahini, which can be an expensive ingredient. But you need to remember that it has more than one use and it’s not hard to get your money’s worth after the initial investment. Your shopping list for classic hummus includes chickpeas, tahini, lemon, and garlic and most recipes yield much more than the standard 10-ounce package at the store. And in my opinion, homemade hummus really can’t be beat.
- Kimchi: Okay, maybe this one isn’t a super popular buy, but kimchi made some major strides in the US in popularity last year. There are TONS of amazing recipes that call for Kimchi and the grocery store charges a lot for it. You’ll likely pay between $9 and $11 for a jar when you can make it at home for less than $5. You probably have a ton of the ingredients that you need already anyway like agave or honey, lime juice, hot sauce or Sriracha, and soy sauce.
- Guacamole: I am completely biased but I think the recipe that I have for guacamole is infinitely better than any store bought out there (yes, the recipe is from M&D and you can find it here on the blog!). But if I’m being totally honest, you may end up actually paying more for homemade on this one. But like … it’s just SO MUCH BETTER.
- Salad Dressing: This one takes the cake in my book. Do you even realize how easy it is to make a simple salad dressing? All you need is oil, vinegar, and Dijob mustard (I bet you probably already have all of those things). Store bought dressings aren’t always expensive, but the cheap ones are loaded with crap you don’t want to be putting in your body and the cleaner versions are definitely pretty pricey.
Okay, okay so technically this list is only FOUR things that are cheaper made at home than purchased at the store because the guacamole was an anomaly but you’ve got to agree that homemade guac is way better than that pasty stuff from the store.
Have you ever considered what you spend on pre-made items? Where else could you save money?
Rebecca McKinney
I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.
So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!
Eat well & travel often,
Becky McKinney
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