What are some life hacks that you practice?
The internet loves to treat life hacks like complex puzzles involving three apps, an intricate spreadsheet, and 12 mason jars labeled in calligraphy.
Truthfully, most real-world hacks don’t start as intentional life strategies. They start because you’re tired, groceries are expensive, and you need a way to feed yourself without spending your entire Sunday chopping celery.
If you are trying to cut your food spending and reclaim your weeknights, here are a few practical, low-effort routines worth adopting.
1. Skip Individual Groceries: Buy the In-Store Meal Kit
Buying individual heads of garlic, bundles of herbs, and full containers of spices just to cook two portions often leads to bloated receipts and produce turning to liquid in the crisper drawer.
Instead of building a meal from raw parts, head to the butcher counter or prepared-food section of specialty grocers. The Fresh Market, Sprouts, and Whole Foods frequently sell complete dinner kits for around $25 to $30.
- The Fresh Market ($25 Deals): Best when you want control over your flavors. The proteins are often unseasoned, letting you use your own spices rather than committing to a heavy marinade.
- Sprouts: Offers the widest protein variety, cycling through shrimp, steak, salmon, and chicken meal deals.
- Whole Foods: Great for classic, reliable basics like salmon or chicken paired with pre-prepped sides.
The Strategy: Pick up one kit, roast or sauté the ingredients in 20 minutes, and divide everything directly into glass containers. You get four to five days of prepped lunches or dinners for less than the cost of a single takeout delivery order.
2. Order Fast-Casual Catering Trays Over Individual Entrees
If you rely on dining out during busy weeks, stop ordering single burritos, bowls, or salads every day.
Places like Chipotle and Qdoba offer small catering setups or family-style build-your-own spreads. Buying the bulk components—pans of black beans, grilled chicken, fajita veggies, and rice—yields a significantly lower cost per ounce than paying individual retail markups and delivery fees daily. Portion the components out yourself at home for quick, ready-to-heat lunches.
(A quick note on sandwich shops like Subway or Potbelly: bulk catering platters sound tempting, but fresh bread goes stale quickly. Stick to hot, grain-and-protein bases for meal prep.)
3. Supplement Staples with Food-Rescue Apps
Do not pay full price for items that can easily be frozen or eaten that day. Using an app like Too Good To Go allows you to grab surprise bags of surplus goods from local bakeries and specialty markets at a fraction of their retail cost.
Use this strategically for shelf-stable carbohydrates: picking up a bakery surplus bag can supply your sandwich bread, baguettes, or rolls for the entire week for just a few dollars.
4. Run the Zero-Waste Bone Broth Simmer
When cooking bone-in poultry or stripping down a whole chicken, never toss the carcass. Place the leftover bones into a pot, cover them with water, throw in scraps of onion and carrot, and let it simmer low and slow.
As the connective tissue and marrow break down, you end up with nutrient-dense, collagen-rich bone broth for $0. Strain it, keep it in the fridge, and use it as a flavorful base for rice, grains, or quick soups throughout the week.
5. Add Baking Soda Directly to Musty Laundry
High-intensity gym clothes and older fabrics love to trap residual sweat and body oils that standard detergents can’t break down. Rather than spending money on expensive specialty sport detergents, toss half a cup of baking soda directly into the drum with your wash cycle. It neutralizes persistent odors at the fiber level without ruining the fabric.
What everyday shortcuts or grocery habits do you rely on to keep your weekly routine simple?
Leave a comment