17 Brilliant Food Hacks That Will Save You A Lot Of Money

Save your money for more important things...like more food.

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1. Keep ice cream soft in a sealable bag.

smartschoolhouse.com

May your ice cream never get freezer burn again.

Get them from Walmart: a 50-pack of sealable freezer bags for $7.37 and an easy grip ice cream scoop for $8.02

2. Wrap the crown of a bunch of bananas with plastic wrap and they'll last 3–5 days longer than usual.

food52.com, walmart.com

This trick is especially helpful if you eat organic bananas. Learn more about plastic wrapping bananas from Food52.

Promising review: "Stretch-tite is the only wrap I use. It tears off the roll without sticking to me and wadding up and making a mess of itself. Then it seals whatever I'm working with, and never leaks. The best stuff you can buy!" –cwaltz

Get it from Walmart for $7.18.

3. Look at the top and bottom shelves at the grocery store — the eye-level ones stock the priciest stuff.

gettyimages.com

Grocery stores put more expensive items on the shelves we see first, so look up and down to spot the deals.

4. Buy chicken in family packs, drop the extras into sealable bags with marinade, and freeze.

momontimeout.com

The marinated chicken will be damn flavorful, and you can just thaw them as you need them. Get this chicken marinade recipe from Mom on Time Out.

Promising review: "The tenders are still attached to the breast, and it is of equal quality to any chicken I've ever bought at the store. I just bought more at close to the same great price. I got this chicken at almost half the price of my local store's sale price, for boneless chicken breast. Nice!" –Toby

Check out 16 Chicken Marinades That'll Change Your Meal Prep Game
or Tasty's Freezer Pack-Marinated Chicken 4 Ways for more dinner inspiration.

Get a family pack of fresh chicken from Jet's Fresh Food section for $9.02 (Shipping is a $4.95 flat fee per order, so it pays to shop the whole Fresh Food section).

5. Use the microwave to dry leftover herbs or keep fresh herbs longer with an herb saver.

walmart.com

You're never going to use all of that parsley before it starts it wilt. To preserve its color and flavor, place the herbs between two paper towels and microwave it for a minute or so. Get more info from Serious Eats.

Get the herb saver from Walmart for $13.12.

6. Or store delicate herbs in cups of water, cover them with plastic wrap, secure with a rubber band, and refrigerate.

thekitchn.com

Use this trick on cilantro and parsley, and they'll stay crisp for a week or longer.

7. If your buttermilk is about to expire, use an ice cube tray to salvage the leftovers.

rachelschultz.com

No more throwing away spoiled buttermilk! Get the full hack from Rachel Schultz. Try an easy-release ice cube tray for even easier cubes, and put that ice cube tray to good use with 23 Genius Ways To Use An Ice Cube Tray.

Promising review: "This was just what I was looking for. I can push out the individual cubes one by one, rather than use some and throw away the rest. Good quality. Makes the right sized ice cube too." –Kristyn S

Get it from Jet for $3.30.

8. Try a money-saving app like favado, which compares the prices of your shopping list across local stores.

savings.com

Get notified when new sale prices for your favorite items are added to local stores so you can know before you go.

Download the app for free from the iTunes Store or Google Play.

9. Avoid the inner aisles at the grocery store and you won't spend as much money.

Netflix

Grocery stores place essential ingredients —like dairy and produce— on opposite ends of the store so that you're forced to pass through all the aisles and buy more stuff you don't need. Don't get distracted. Go in with a plan and shop the perimeter!

10. Never buy an over-ripened avocado again, and store your avocado halves in a versatile food saver.

nwedible.com, walmart.com

Avocados aren't cheap, so it's soul-crushing when you get all the way home to slice open a half-brown sludge vessel. Learn how to make sure the avocado ~belly button~ isn't brown from Northwest Edible.

Test your avocado selecting skills with a quiz.

Get the food saver from Walmart for $9.95.

11. Grate your own cheese with a sturdy cheese grater.

walmart.com

Just like with pre-packaged lettuce, grated cheese costs extra $$$ for the convenience. Grate a large hunk of cheese and keep it in a container in the fridge for easy sprinkling.

Promising review: "It is nice and sturdy, well-made. I really like the rubber on the bottom that keeps it from sliding around. I like the curved shape of it too, and the fact that the surface areas are larger than others I have. It is much nicer than either of the two box graters I had before. I will probably discard them shortly. So far it is exactly what I wanted." –yourdestiny

Get it from Walmart for $9.99.

12. Wrap celery, broccoli, and lettuce in aluminum foil before storing in the fridge.

brooklynfarmgirl.com

It’ll stay crisp for 4 weeks or more. Learn how from Brooklyn Farm Girl.

Get it from Walmart for $3.87.

13. Find local restaurants where kids can eat for free with this app.

itunes.apple.com

The free Out To Eat With Kids app saves money on food that will probably just wind up on the floor anyway.

Get it from the iTunes Store.

14. Save and freeze your veggie scraps to make vegetable stock.

youtube.com

Good to freeze up to six months! Get the full instructions from Tasty.

15. Stop your brown sugar from turning rock-hard by throwing a couple of marshmallows into the bag.

jet.com, Debbismirnoff / Getty Images

Weird, I know. But it works! Learn how to stop brown sugar from turning hard and other food hacks every parent should know.

Get a bag of vegan marshmallows from Jet for $3.99.

16. Never toss leftover rice again with six tasty ways to use it all up.

youtube.com

Delish.

17. And finally, if you're a lightweight who can't finish a bottle of wine, freeze the leftovers in an ice cube tray.

NBC

The next time a recipe calls for a little wine, drop in a cube and start cooking.

Reccomendations here have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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