These days saving money is at the forefront of everybody’s minds. Penny pinching and couponing have become major trends as people compete to see who can buy the most and pay the least. Studies have shown that most people don’t realise how much money they are spending by dining out. Restaurants and take-out food may seem convenient and even cheap, but over time these add up to a major expense. One of the simplest ways to save money is by choosing to prepare meals and eat at home. With one shopping trip you can spend as much as you would on just a few meals dining out and buy enough food to last for more than a week.
Expand Your Recipe Repertoire
If your excuse for not cooking is that you have nothing to cook, it’s time to gather up some new recipes. These days, you need look no further than the internet. Expensive cookbooks are quickly becoming a thing of the past and with little time and no money, you can have your printer spitting out all kinds of different recipes at you.
Remember to start simple; the last thing you want to do is overwhelm and frustrate yourself; that will only add to the heated long-distance relationship you currently have with your kitchen. Choose simple soup, pasta, or oven recipes that require few ingredients; maybe even find something that requires ingredients that you already have. Start with one meal; if all goes well you can try something new. Consider finding and printing recipes for an entire week of meals. This way, you can gather your recipes, put together a shopping list, and get everything that you need with only a single trip to the shops.
Kick Your Cooking Skills Up a Notch
For most, their lists of reasons for choosing to eat out are at least ten items long, and the one that tops the list is always the same; they don’t know how to cook! If the thought of cooking and the thought of a root canal both bring about the same feelings, it’s probably time to gain a few cooking skills. Consider looking into cookery schools; you will be able to learn some basics and then decide how much more you’d like to learn. While most people think that cookery schools are only for aspiring chefs, this is not the case. Everyone has to learn how to cook somewhere, and since we don’t all have mothers and grandmothers to pass their skills onto us, cookery schools offer us the next best thing.
You will also have the added benefit of learning how to cook with others just like you. The atmosphere in cookery schools is social and fun; what could better than making good friends andgood food all at the same time?
Cook with Friends
Once you’ve got a few skills under your apron strings, why not invite some friends over and share your newfound talent and wealth? The skills that you learn at cookery schools can be used not only to help save you money, but to help you really enjoy the finer things in life. Get some friends together, pick a few favourite recipes, open a bottle of wine, and enjoy the benefits of training from cookery schools; an evening in. You are sure to all enjoy it.
(You can guarantee, those you cook for will!)
If you like the sound of cookery courses, why not check out the cookery schools in your area? The Angela Malik Cookery School has a variety of different courses on offer so you are sure to find something that you will enjoy.
