Save Money on Spices

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

I almost fell over the other day when I saw a commercial for the new McCormick recipe ideas. You can purchase a package that contains a recipe and a card that contains little blister packs of pre-measured spices. While this might be a pleasant idea for those who want to just start exploring the world of making their own meals, all of my frugal alarms went off. That is because usually the more convenience packaging you have, the more expensive the cost for that meal.

How much are you really saving in time? You still need to prep all of the ingredients, so really you are only saving on measuring the spices (or buying them individually I suppose). It is more frugal to have a little stock of your own spices and flavorings that you can add to your food as needed.

Here are some ideas about saving money on spices.

Mix up own combinations

Using basic spices, you can create all sorts of seasonings and make them ready to add. Everything from poultry seasoning and pumpkin pie spice to chili spices and more. For extra credit, you can even make your own extracts, such as vanilla extract.

Be careful about buying in bulk

Most spices shouldn't be bought in bulk. This is because spices can lose their flavor over time. There are some exceptions of course, such as salt. You can also buy longer-lasting forms of spices, such as peppercorns that can be ground instead of using regular pepper, minced garlic in a jar (as mentioned in a previous post), full rosemary instead of crushed rosemary, etc.

Grow your own herbs

If you have a green thumb you can grow some basic herbs that will propagate themselves, basically giving you free spices. Easy ones to grow in the kitchen windowsill include basil, rosemary and thyme. When you need a fresh spice, there is no need to pay for them.

How do you save money on spices?

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, online content manager, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania in the middle of the woods but close enough to Target and Home Depot.

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