Last Updated on May 3, 2024 by Arurhose
I want to write a book! It will be called “The Concoction Lifestyle: A Compendium of Life Hacks”. You like the title yeah? Not catchy enough? This article is written for men! Specifically single men. The eat out- I cannot cook- I can only boil water and eat noodles 5 times a day- men. Eating is much more than alleviating your hunger, it has its (rightful) place in your productivity. A lot of you single men don’t understand the importance of efficient cooking and food shopping. In this post, I will talk about how to save on food costs and improve your overall lifestyle – health and finance.
You need to know your way around food (i.e. how to preserve your food, how to prepare it, and general hacks around the kitchen). The goal is for you to save money and reduce waste. In Nigeria, where the prices of things seldom obey the law of gravity. Once it goes up, it rarely comes down, mastering the art of cooking and preserving food can make a substantial difference in your budget. This is where cooking hacks come into play. It is about creative ways to streamline the cooking process, which in turn helps you save money without compromising the flavour or nutrition.
Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four, sharpening the axe.
Cool heading huh! Real deep and creative. Thank you. Fun fact, one of my favourite quick meals is spaghetti and milk with sugar. Say whatever you want to say, call it cultist behaviour. I said what I said, it is really nice. Cringe all you want.
Going on to how to save money on food, it all starts with planning.
Start with Planning
Planning your cooking and food shopping is really the foundation of healthy and cost-effective eating. Rather than spend all that time thinking about what to eat, you can google (and even custom design) your own meal plan. There are literally hundreds of meal plans out there (for free). Pinterest is full of different meal plans you can draw inspiration from if you are looking for plans specific to Nigeria. Of course, if you have a health challenge (diabetes or obesity), you might need the help of a nutritionist to design a meal plan.
By mapping out your meals for the week ahead, you can effectively tailor your food shopping list to align with your culinary needs. This thereby reduces the likelihood of impulse purchases and perishables languishing in the back of the fridge.
Meal planning is not just about what you need to buy ahead – it is also about what you already have. Take stock of your pantry and refrigerator, and brainstorm creative ways to repurpose leftover ingredients into new, exciting dishes. Do you see why my spaghetti and milk idea makes sense, shey? That half-empty bag of rice lurking in the pantry? Transform it into a hearty fried rice loaded with veggies and leftover protein. Are those wilting vegetables on the verge of spoilage? Give them new life in a vibrant stir-fry or soup.
Planning your meals ahead of time can help you resist the urge to order takeout or dine out at the last minute. These spontaneous indulgences (although they should be allowed once in a while) can easily blow your budget, no matter how disciplined you are. When you have a plan for what meals you’ll be making each week, you are less likely to give in to the convenience of fast food and more likely to cook a tasty meal at home with ingredients you already have.
Bulk! Bulk! (Bulk Food Shopping)
Making bulk purchases saves you money (and time) in the long run. By purchasing larger quantities of staple ingredients and pantry essentials, you can take advantage of wholesale prices and bulk discounts, reducing the overall cost per unit and padding your wallet.
However, the benefits of buying in bulk extend beyond mere financial savings. When you buy your essentials in bulk, you can make fewer trips to the store, which saves you time and money on transportation. This is especially helpful in Nigeria, where fluctuating fuel prices and transportation issues can make cooking and food shopping a hassle.
So, where can one find bulk food items in Nigeria? Fortunately, the options are plentiful. Depending on your location, there are local markets that you must be familiar with. It is not an hour’s trip. It might take a couple of hours to get all you need, but trust me, it is worth it. Remember, the goal is to get your money’s worth. There are also local markets called Farmer’s Market. You should be familiar with those. You can even decide to go further by establishing relationships with some of the farmers themselves. Lastly, there are some groups that I recently discovered that allow you to save money throughout the year, and by the 12th month, you are sending the money’s equivalent in food items, and as you might guess, they are in bulk. This is a creative bulk purchase.
Bulk Cooking (and Freeze)
If you are still dealing with unreliable electricity, this might not be for you. However, cooking in big batches and using your freezer wisely can make a big difference in saving time and money in the kitchen. You can make cooking easier by preparing large amounts of food at once and freezing the extras for later. You also reduce waste, and have tasty homemade meals ready to go, even on your busiest days. Instead of spending hours in the kitchen daily preparing meals from scratch, you can dedicate a few hours on a weekend or a free day to cook up large batches of your favourite dishes. Not only does this free up valuable time during the week, but it also reduces the temptation to resort to expensive takeout or dining out when you are pressed for time.
Reduce Your Meat Consumption
Put your hand on your chest and repeat after me, ” I will not die if I don’t add meat or fish to my meal”. You are most welcome!
Reducing meat consumption has numerous health and environmental benefits and can lead to significant cost savings over time. Meat is often one of the most expensive components of a meal, especially higher-quality cuts or speciality meats. By incorporating more plant-based protein sources into your diet and reducing your reliance on meat, you can stretch your food budget further while enjoying nutritious meals.
The Art of Preserving Food (How to Preserve Food)
It is important you know how to preserve food (especially perishable food). The section is just for random food preservative hacks. So here we go.
- Store grains in a cool dry place. Not in a moist place. Alternatively, put your grains in the freezer. It keeps it fresh and kills any
- Place your vegetable that has roots in clean water, store it in a fridge and it last longer, provided you change the water one to two days
- For your carrot to last much longer, keep it dry, place it in a zip lock bag and store it in a fridge
- Place your cabbage in a foil, sprinkle some water, and cover completely with foil; store in your fridge
Conclusion
Thinking about your food shopping, your cooking, not only helps you save money but it teaches you to be resourceful and creative with what you have. Like driving or swimming, it is a life skill you should have. It can save your life. This blog has more articles like these to assist in your FI Journey. Below are articles you can read if you are looking at more ways to save costs.