Cook More Spending Less

Do you buy groceries with good intentions, only to find forgotten food in the fridge, duplicate items in the pantry, or ingredients that never make it into a meal? Rising food costs are frustrating, but the price at checkout is only part of the picture. What you plan, buy, store and use matters too.

This 234-page, 24-chapter guide offers a practical approach to managing food costs without relying on complicated rules or unrealistic promises. Learn how to plan meals around food you already own, create useful shopping lists, compare unit prices and package sizes, read labels and date marks, and choose fresh, frozen, canned and dried ingredients with care.

Explore ways to build a basic pantry, make thoughtful choices about meat, fish, eggs, bread and dairy, cook at home, use leftovers, make stock and broth from scraps, reduce food waste, and prepare meals with energy-saving methods. You’ll also find guidance on spices and seasonings, grocery budget records, shared shopping and cooking, food storage, shelf life and food safety.

The book includes practical tables, checklists and recipes with ingredient lists, yields, preparation times, cooking times and step-by-step methods. It also provides a 30-, 60- and 90-day plan to help you put the ideas into practice at a pace that fits your household.

Whether you’re shopping for one or feeding a family, start making more deliberate choices with the food you buy. Discover a more thoughtful way to plan, shop and cook.