How to Save Money on Spices
Due to time constraints this week post will hopefully be a short one. I wanted to talk a little about spices. If you buy those big year supply food storage type of thing, it is mostly made of bland type ingredients that you need to spice up a bit. The problem is that spices don’t last as long and they are hard to buy in huge amounts because of the cost.
My suggestion is this. Have about a 3-6 months supply of the spices in smaller containers. I say this because If you open a small container it should last until the expiration date and then you can hopefully get them with coupons. This will hopefully help you to be able to have fresh spices for longer so you don’t have to have the big expensive ones.
This is also great for those (like me) who have small spaces to store things. We only have so much room in our cabinet for spices and so much room on our storage shelf. So small containers are a must and will help me to stay more organized. We all know that organization helps save money to because your not buying what you don’t need.
Good point, Melissa!
I do buy large containers of garlic powder, black pepper, and onion powder at Sam's Club because we seem to go through these pretty quickly. I also buy cinnamon in a large container because we also use quite a bit of that.
I have found that good buys on spices and seasonings can be found in unexpected places. Drugstores and 99 cent stores often have really good prices, but rarely advertise them. Also, go on a treasure hunt at most grocery stores and supermarkets for a display of little clear plastic hanging bags. I know they have these at Save Mart. Sometimes they are in the produce department, sometimes the ethnic foods aisle, sometimes with the baking and spices. Mojave is a brand I have used often. They are small quantities, good quality and terrific prices. If you have any leftover, transfer to small spice bottles you have recycled from previous purchases, or just roll up the bag and secure with a rubber band. Be sure to label!