Law #19: 13 things you should never buy again to avoid convenience markups in the kitchen
The Law
There are do-it-yourself projects that you probably shouldn’t take on yourself, but when it comes to food, beverage, and certain kitchen supplies, it’s hard to go wrong preparing certain things yourself and to avoid costly convenience markups.
Your Keys to Power
Paper towels. A 2017 study showed that Americans use just under 50% of the world’s paper towels, far more than any other nation. Reduce the financial hit to your wallet and the immense environmental impact by investing in washable cloths instead of paper towel rolls. Or be even more cost-conscious and cut up old t-shirts and towels to make your own washable cloths.
Pre-cut things like cheese and deli meats. Convenience costs extra. Buying a block of cheese or meat that you slice yourself will reduce costs while not increasing your time in the kitchen significantly. The same principle goes for precut fruits and veggies. Buy whole items and pull out a nice kitchen knife to slice and dice produce on your own.
Individually wrapped portion sizes. Like precut meats and cheeses, nearly all individually packaged products carry a convenience markup. When possible, buy in bulk or at least buy the larger-sized option and then divide out portions on your own. You’ll have more control over portion sizes, and you’ll save money at the same time.
Make your own snack bars. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to make your own snack bars, and buying ingredients in bulk will drop your costs significantly and allow you to control what goes into those delectable treats. Here are a few recipes: homemade granola bars / chocolate-peanut butter energy bars / super-seed snack bars / easy no-bake granola bars / almond-honey power bar.
Bottled water. There couldn’t be a more significant waste of money than bottled water. Test your water from the tap to see if it’s safe to drink. If tap water isn’t your thing and you don’t have a refrigerator that filters water, invest in a filtering pitcher for fresh, tasty water at a fraction of the cost in the long run.
Sparkling water. Making your own sparkling water at home, if that’s your thing, will always be less costly than purchasing the same, and you’ll also have more control over the “fizziness.” Experiment with flavors to achieve that perfectly blended water with a mild (or not so mild) kick.
Gas station snacks. Just don’t do it. Their markups on chips, soda, nuts, and candy are outrageous. Bring plenty of fluids and a few snacks with you whenever you go out on errands or road trips to avoid wasting money on excessively marked-up gas station snacks.
Energy drinks. Often purchased at gas stations, but sometimes at grocery stores, energy drinks pack a hefty bill with their punch of energy. Kick this habit to save money. If your lifestyle makes you want to grab an energy drink to make it through the day due to a lack of sufficient sleep, reassess to see how you can make changes. If you’re sleeping sufficiently but still feel like you need an energy drink to make it through the day, see your doctor to check for health issues that could cause you to feel drained.
Individual coffee drinks and coffee pods. A decent coffee maker is all it takes to save significant money over time. A more traditional coffee maker—one that doesn’t use coffee pods—will be the most economical, and you may even find that you enjoy the taste of coffee made from freshly ground beans more than the taste you get from a coffee pod. If you’re more of a pour-over or French press-type, you may save even more money while getting a fresh cup.
Store-bought cookies. Even if you’re not a baker, once you’ve experimented with making your own cookies from a few simple ingredients—often only about 5-10 items—you’ll likely never return to store-bought brands again. Here are some fun recipes to try: Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies / Sugar Cookies / Soft & Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies / Snickerdoodle Cookies.
Baking mixes. A little more challenging than making cookies at home, wonderfully simple recipes abound online for cakes, brownies, pancakes, and muffins. Be in charge of what goes into your baked goods by skipping the convenience of a boxed mix and making your own while saving a few dollars simultaneously.
Disposable plates, cutlery, and straws. Using non-disposable dishes and cutlery over paper plates and plastics saves money immediately and helps the environment. Styrofoam plates are the worst! While compostable bamboo options like this are better for the environment, the easiest on your wallet will be regular dishes. The same goes for cutlery—nothing beats a real fork, spoon, and knife. In the same vein, invest in quality reusable straws to save money and help protect the environment.
Foods that are tastier when made from scratch. Homemade butter, bread, yogurt, mayo, pesto, ketchup, pickles, and spice mixes are much more delicious and probably healthier when you make them at home. While you won’t always save money on these items depending on the quality of the ingredients you purchase, you will likely end up with a more premium product than you would have bought off the shelf and often for less money.
Practical Application
Make it fun. For many, exploring new recipes and organizational hacks can be fun. Find a way to bring joy to your life while reducing spending so that cost-cutting doesn't become an enemy to your freedom.
Remember the health benefit. So many processed convenience food items pack unhealthy additives and preservatives. Beyond saving money, think about your health. If making something at home allows you to control the ingredients in a way that makes it tastier and healthier, take the win.
Think about the environment. Mountains of garbage and plastic don't serve the environment well. Think about the environment and how your choices impact the planet your generation will leave behind for future generations and gain inspiration to clean up your practices while saving money—another win-win.
Small wins matter too. When it comes to saving money, advice often focuses on either making big windfalls of cash—picking up a side hustle, negotiating a higher salary, bidding on a contract—or cutting out significant expenses like a second car you don't need. But small wins matter too. Something as simple as changing lifestyle habits surrounding buying bottled drinks and instead drinking tap, filtered, or sparkling water you make at home can add up to a significant win over a year.
Authority
“The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” - Henry David Thoreau
“He who buys what he does not need, steals from himself.” - Swedish Proverb
“If you’re saving, you’re succeeding.” - Steve Burkholder
“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.” - Eleanore Roosevelt
“Too many people spend money they earned..to buy things they don’t want..to impress people that they don’t like.” - Will Rogers
“Beware of small expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.” - Benjamin Franklin
“Frugality includes all the other virtues.” - Cicero
“A bargain ain’t a bargain unless it’s something you need.” - Sidney Carroll
Our Vote
I am a huge advocate for making things at home. Granted, I love cooking and baking; however, some recipes are so simple that even if I weren't savvy in the kitchen, I would still see the benefit of throwing energy into making them at home. When it comes to baked goods, I haven't purchased pre-made cookies or boxed mixes for brownies, cakes, or muffins in years.
While I utilize some convenience items, I haven’t invested in things like paper towels for years. I love filtered water from my refrigerator that I then turn into sparkling water with my Sodastream. I haven't taken homemade items to the next level for things like butter and buttermilk yet, but that’s next on my list!
Reversal
Hardly can there be a reversal to a law that helps you save money while giving you healthier eating options and opportunities to protect the environment.