I like saving money.

I’m getting better at it — I used to be bad at couponing and watching for sales and things like that, but now that almost everything is on my phone, it’s easy and fast to save money at the store. And I’m finding that kitchen savings are one of the biggest places to save — in a house with four kids, most of what I’m buying at the store is kitchen-related.

So over the years, I’ve found a few ways of saving in the kitchen. Some are pretty mainstream…some are kind of unusual. But even if you just try one, you’ll start saving.

Kitchen Savings Tips:

1.) Try using Hefty Ultra Strong trash bags — honestly, trash bags are worth splurging on. If you’ve ever gone to empty the kitchen trash and had the bag break on your living room carpet on the way out the door, you get what I’m saying, yes? A strong, quality bag is worth a little extra. But while the Hefty Ultra Strong bags are great quality, they’re a new, lower price. I like their Lavender and Sweet Vanilla scent, but they have unscented bags as well. And right now, you can get an extra dollar off from Coupons.com. It’s a great deal on bags with tear resistant technology (in other words — that aren’t likely to break all over your carpet…)

2.) Get the grocery store app — if your local grocery store has an app, and you have a smartphone, get the app and use it. Mine has online coupons I can load directly onto my loyalty card, and notes about the weekly specials.

3.) Make your own bread — so much cheaper than buying loaves at the store. And your house smells wonderful, and you know exactly what’s going into your food. It’s not an all-or-nothing deal for us — I mostly make our own bread, but I’ll grab a loaf here and there if we need. And if you get a breadmaker as a present, or look for deals at thrift stores (that’s where I got mine), you can get started pretty cheaply.

4.) Save your vegetable scraps — save the ends of carrots and onions, potato peels, parts of celery, and any other vegetables you’d normally use in a soup. Freeze them, and use them to make vegetable broth. You can also save your corn cobs and make your own corn broth. Freeze your broth in 2 cup portions, and pull it out when any of your recipes require broth, or to make soups and stews.

5.) Use cloth where you can — replace paper napkins with cloth, and paper towels with dishcloths or rags. You’ll save on buying paper goods, and it’s better for the environment (and cloth napkins at every dinner just make things look classy). You don’t need to spend a lot to get started — I’ve found napkins at the thrift store, or cut up scraps of fabric to make my own.

Do you have any great tips for kitchen savings? I’d love to hear them in the comments, or on our facebook page.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

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