I Stopped Cooking With Recipes and Considerably Reduced My Grocery Bills

by Andrea Norris-McKnight

I used to be a stickler for recipes. Pre-internet, I owed enough cookbooks to fill several shelves in my kitchen. When everyone began posting recipes online, I’d spend hours scrolling through food blogs and recipe sites, picking out affordable dishes that caught my eye, and making detailed shopping lists to ensure I had every single ingredient. Sound familiar?

Everything changed when I decided to ditch the recipes and trust my frugal instincts in the kitchen. It was a bit daunting at first, but it’s been a game-changer in terms of time and my grocery bills.

What Sparked the Change

It started on a Sunday evening. I was planning to make a pasta recipe I found online, but to my dismay, I realized I was missing a couple of key ingredients. (My daughter used them earlier in the week, not knowing they were part of my weekly meal plan.) The thought of going to the store on a Sunday was less than appealing. So, I decided to improvise with what I already had in my fridge and pantry.

To my surprise, the dish turned out delicious! It wasn’t what I initially planned, but my family loved it. This little episode got me thinking: how much time and money do I spend finding, planning and making new recipes? And how much time and money could I save if I stopped using them?

Embracing Flexibility and Creativity

From that day on, I decided to be more flexible with my cooking. Instead of following recipes, I used them as guidelines or inspiration. I began to focus on understanding cooking techniques and the basics of flavor pairing rather than following recipes to the letter. Meal planning became much easier and faster.

Most weeks, I don’t use any recipes. I put meat or chicken into some marinade that I can easily cook in the oven or air fryer, season and roast veggies and make a simple starch. Or I combine these ingredients into a casserole with a can of “cream of something” soup, pasta sauce or gravy.

One of my favorite dishes from this adventure involves a “kitchen sink” frittata. If I find myself with a hodgepodge of leftovers — a few veggies on the brink of wilting, some random chunks of cheese, and a couple of eggs — I make a simple frittata and a salad or some other side. In the past, I might have overlooked these ingredients in search of something more recipe-worthy.

I also love to throw together soups using whatever ingredients I have on hand or that are on sale. My kids refer to my soups as mystery soups since they never know how they will taste or what delicious goodies they will contain.

I do have a collection of recipes for baked goods we use weekly. I have them memorized, but my kids can pull them out and bake up the week’s treats using the dry ingredients I pre-portion every few weeks (see Homemade Mixes for Saving Money on Baked Goodies). They just have to measure the wet ingredients and then mix and bake everything, saving me more time and money in the kitchen.

The Impact on My Grocery Bills

The most tangible benefit of ditching recipes was reducing my grocery bills. When I stopped shopping with a strict recipe list, it allowed me to allocate more of my food budget to seasonal and on-sale items. I got much better at using up what I already had on hand, which meant less food waste. I’m now more likely to repurpose leftovers and find creative ways to whip up meals from what I have in my fridge, pantry and freezer.

A Few Tips for the Aspiring Improvisational Cook

If you’re intrigued by the idea of ditching recipes but aren’t sure where to start, here are a few tips that helped me:

• Learn the Basics: Understanding basic cooking techniques and how flavors work together can give you the confidence to experiment.
• Start Simple: Begin with dishes that are naturally versatile, like soups, stews, and stir-fries.
• Be Adventurous: Don’t be afraid to substitute ingredients. Who knows? You might stumble upon a new favorite combination.
• Embrace Mistakes: Not every experiment will be a masterpiece, and that’s okay. Mistakes are just opportunities to learn.

The Joy of Frugal Cooking Without Recipes

This journey has made cooking a creative, less stressful, and more sustainable part of my life. I do go online and discover new things and ways to cook on occasion, but it is for enjoyment rather than a weekly chore.

I encourage you to try letting go of the recipe reins now and then. Who knows? You might just discover a new way of cooking that delights your family’s palate and makes your wallet happier.

Related:

• 10 Creative Ways To Repurpose Leftovers (and Frugal Too)
• 15 Tasty and Inexpensive Ways To Use Up Potatoes
• 4 Ways Casseroles Can Cut Food Costs
• Frugal, Quick Dinner Ideas for Avoiding Delivery

Reviewed March 2024

About the Author

Andrea Norris-McKnight took over as the editor of The Dollar Stretcher and After 50 Finances after working under the site founder and previous editor for almost 15 years. She has also written for Money.com, GOBankingRates.com, HavenLife.com and The Sacramento Bee.