12 Must-Have Essential Tools for a Frugal Kitchen | Frugal Living Tips

If you're looking for ways to save money on groceries, then be sure to check out this video! I'll teach you how to use essential tools in a frugal kitchen to stretch your grocery budget and live a healthy, sustainable life! From food shopping to cooking and eating, these simple frugal hacks and tips will help you make the most of your money and your food!

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This video is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something I'll receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

Here's where you can find items I mention in the video:

FOOD STORAGE CHART

12-PACK OF TAPE

WATER FILTER PITCHER

DIY Chalk Board/Dry Erase Board - "8 Ways to Repurpose Picture Frames for Home Organization"

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Visit my growing Repurpose Project playlist for more upcycling and repurpose ideas:

#frugalliving #frugallivingtips #savemoneytips #frugalhacks

[ilabelona]

I'm glad I came across your videos. I use some of these tips you've shared and they definitely help. Another thing with packing meals for outings is I have a big backpack cooler. If we're going to bring several things to share, I bring that and we'll bring our wagon if need be. I homeschool my 4 children. We need space. Lol!

[chris...]

In the last century, I always had a chalkboard to mark items running out or run out, to make a note from when I went shopping.
Now, I have a magnetic dry erase board on the front of my fridge, to make the same notes. These days, all I have to do is take a smartphone photo on the way out the door to go shopping.

Ziploc bags are especially nice for portioning out multi-packs of food. I buy breaded chicken patties, corndogs, taquitos, burritos, and a few different types of Asian dumplings. Since these are heat&eat items and unlikely to be in the fridge for long, I use regular sandwich and snack bags instead of freezer-grade bags.
I portion these out for freezer storage for two reasons:
-For single meal/snack use
-More efficient use of space in the freezer
Also, I have a very small freezer, so I use large-holed wire baskets to sort freezer contents. The minimal wire still contains the packaged food, but allows the cold air (which is what keeps food frozen) to properly circulate. This also reduces wear and tear on the freezer machinery and lessens electric power use.

Speaking for those with physical restrictions or stamina issues, consider getting an insulated bag to pack frozen/perishable items in at the store.
I'm elderly and don't drive; I take buses and bring my groceries home in a wire foldup shopping cart. By the time I get home, I'm too exhausted to put food away immediately. Having these items in insulated bags buys me time until I can rest up from the effort of shopping.

[emilywilson]

We have a list of all the foods we typically get. I copy off a bunch, then put one on the fridge. When we are out of something, we circle it. We paper clip the coupons onto it, then take to the grocery store.

[julieirwin]

I have an inventory list of what I have in my freezer. I refer to it when I meal plan and keeps me from having to stand with the freezer open digging around to see what I have. I update it every time I add to or take away from my freezer, and rewrite it every 4 months or so and start fresh. I also have the microwaveable meal prep containers that you showed. I bulk cook every other weekend and portion my meals out in these, then take them to work and put them in the freezer for use throughout the next two weeks. Saves energy, time, and money!!! The frugal trifecta!

[emilywilson]

Great tips!
I set a goal to not buy any more food until I use up all the frozen food. Take an inventory of the freezer and cook only using what is there till it's gone.

[detted]

Love the label idea. Can never remember when I made something or how many days ago. I’ve been using binder clips for years.

[zzydny]

Good ideas. My way of saving has been to try to cut my electricity bill, so I bought two pre-owned Dash mini rice cookers and I use them every single day for most of my cooking needs. I live alone, so these mini rice cookers are a great size for me. I can make rice in one cooker while beans are cooking in the other. Rice cookers aren't just for rice--I make spaghetti, oatmeal, grits, soup, and more. I use a lot less electricity and the kitchen doesn't get quite so hot in the summertime. Subsequently I have also purchased several other mini appliances (pie maker, griddle, toaster oven) and experimented with those; it has been so much fun and I'm cooking better foods, storing more things in the freezer, and saving money by not using the stove all the time. Yes, I have spent money to save money but I think it makes sense in the long run and my electric bill is actually a little lower.

[kayo]

Binder clips, twist ties, and rubber bands are in constant use! Also, those tupperware/rubbermaid covers that have lost their partner container, I use those as spoon rests. I have also found that the various plastic inserts found inside some cookie and cracker etc boxes, can be useful for organizing-- for example, water bottle lids in a drawer, spice bottles on my counter, sponges and dish soaps behind the sink. Also, takeout containers (and lids) are great to use as plates when you're having a snack in front of the TV. 😊

[stacistaci]

Making my own lemonade and iced tea was a game changer for me. Much more economical, all natural and less sugar than the supermarket stuff.

[julieendlich]

Just found you and enjoyed your video. Ive been frugal a long time and do use all of the 12 tips here. The only thing ill add is that for years I've been buying my zip lock bags at Dollar Tree.

[susanearhart]

I love this lady, and i find alot of useful tips listening to her. I actually found some glasd Pyrex storage containers on sale at pur store, for 3 dollars. I grabbed a couple!

[tracynorman]

Thank you! Always enjoy your videos, straight to the point and realistic. I bought a tub of binder clips after your recommendation and I use them every day for keeping food fresh. Nice to see your subscribers going up too 😅

[baash]

I keep a bunch of clothes pins to tie off bags. I also use masking tape and rubber bands for bags we fold over to close.

One thing I can't live without in the kitchen are basic scissors. Cheap dollar store scissors open bags cleanly, cut up different foods or portions, and come in handy in other ways.

Our superstore sells plain white washcloths in bulk (9 or 18 count for 5-10$). I use these for everything: dishes, spills, countertop cleaning... White, cotton, and bleachable, they clean easily in the washer. Best, I now use them instead of paper towels for a lot of cleaning tasks and rarely have to buy paper towels.

Also, when freezing foods your idea to separate things within the bag to prevent clumping works great when you lay something flat to freeze. I use a baking sheet and position the freezer bags flat across it. This works great for sauces and nicely for peas, beans, soups, and berries. After an hour or so, the bagged food is stiff enough I remove the baking sheet and stack the bags in the freezer. They just seem to store better when frozen flat. I also have dollar store plastic bins I use in the freezer to keep food organized together like veg with veg, fruit with fruit, etc. In the bins, it's easier to find things in that frozen wasteland.

A while back I decided my tupperware was out of control and had to be scaled back so I changed the way I use it. Tupperware is for lunches and reheatable leftovers. Everything else goes in glass jars I recycle from jarred foods. Anything that goes in the frig that doesn't get eaten all at once (black olives) or doesn't get microwaved goes in a glass jar. Glass jars hold a lot of things that come from bags like my chocolate chips, dried fruit and my beans and nuts. The jars stack easier in the pantry. Masking tape labels show what it is and it's dates & instructions. I just have one rule that all the jars are clear glass with black lids so it makes it look even neater!

As for lists, I keep my phone in the kitchen when I'm home. If something needs to go on the list (or on the calendar), my family knows to add it to my phone. The phone goes with me everywhere so I never have to worry about leaving home without my grocery list.

Love your tips! So glad I subscribed. Thank you.

[JasSmallBits]

I'll be married in 2 weeks and been finding tips to live frugally. I wanted to save our money as much as we can. I SUPER LOVE YOUR CHANNEL! ❤❤❤ Your videos would be so helpful for us. Thanks so much!

[tanyahouston]

I keep rice, lentils, pasta, etc. in glass jars. I also use a lot of clothespins in the kitchen!

[app]

- You don't have to buy fancy labels. You can use blue masking tape and a Sharpie.
- Rubber bands are prone to breaking. It is far better to use loops made from old pantyhose, tights, socks, leggings, and the sleeves from old T-shirts. They are far less likely to snap during use.
- A sheet of poster board and clear contact paper, or even covering it with strips of clear packaging tape makes a very functional whiteboard.
- Any flat object can be painted with blackboard paint, including cabinet doors, inside or out.
- Speaking of cabinet doors, the inside of cabinet doors is great for taping up notes relevant to the contents of that cabinet, such as commonly used recipes.
- If you want a large corkboard, upcycle an old piece of drop ceiling and cover it in fabric.
- Junk mail that's printed on only one side makes great fodder for homemade notepads. Sometimes you'll even find they did all the work for you, neatly stacking the local business "coupons" and stapling them together.
- Medicine and medical treatments are expensive. Staying healthy and avoiding disease saves money. Don't microwave your plastics. You don't know what that can ultimately do to your health. If you can potentially avoid a case of cancer 20 years from now, by microwaving your food in glass today (instead of plastic), why not do that?
- Keeping your freezer full, even when you have no food to put in there, can save money on your electric bill. Fill the empty space with bottles of water.

[dizzysdoings]

I put a lot of my frozen food in small cardboard boxes in the freezer. Not only does it make it easier to organize it, but it also helps prevent freezer burn.
I have reusable sandwich holders. Not only do I use them if I take a sandwich with me, but I also use one if I want French toast for breakfast. I just mix everything up in one, then put the slices of bread in one at a time. Admittedly, I don't know how well this would work for a family, but I live by myself.

[nyagogo]

Ice cube trays for leftover sauces and pastes (garlic, ginger, etc) that I make with a little oil or water.

[barbarad.]

Great simple, useful tips that everyone can use! The comments have great info too. So glad I found your channel!

[GabbyCruz]

I’m loving all the thorough calculations you’ve done to really maximize savings! Your videos are so amazing, thank you for all your tips :)