I love to bake! I wish baked good were their own food group and probably no surprise that I tend to make the breakfast items off Once a Month Mom more than the others. Yeah, I noticed.
Yesterday I mentioned that I have all these apples and I've been baking A LOT. It got me to thinking about how I cut costs to keep my spending under control.
So, here are a few frugal baking tips:
1. Use dry ingredients.
Well, no duh.
I mean use dry buttermilk. I keep Saco Cultured Buttermilk powder in my fridge and I never have to worry about running out to get buttermilk for a recipe or wasting buttermilk in a carton that I'm not going to finish. A 16 oz. container costs around $4 and that's a lot of buttermilk. I've yet to finish a container but I'm getting closer now that I've made so many batches of Apple Streusel Muffins lately.
I also use powdered milk when I can. There's no reason to use cow's milk in baking and cooking if you don't have to. You can't taste the difference once it's been cooked/ baked so use the less expensive option. Either keep some powdered milk made up in your fridge or make some up the night before if you know you'll be cooking/ baking a lot the next day. A few minutes of time will save you money.
2. Use your Club.
I buy as much of my baking supplies at Costco as I can. Flour is $0.29/lb. at Costco vs. $.39/lbs. at Kroger and that's when it's on sale. Sure, I have to buy 25 lbs. but I bake a LOT. Also, I have 5 gallon tubs from the bakery up the street that I bought for $2.50. They are airtight and the flour stores beautifully.
What else do I buy at Costco?
Vanilla. So much cheaper there.
Brown sugar, too, unless there's a massive holiday mark down - which sometimes happens. Cooking oil is usually cheaper. Not always.
Sugar, almost always, and it's only in a 10lb. bag which means that after I fill my canister the rest fits in my cabinet.
Butter.
Eggs are always $.99/dozen which is cheaper than my Kroger.
Chocolate chips . I go through a ton of chips and yes, I get them at Costco but I also buy them at Kroger because the coupon deals are good and I need the mini-chips for Chocolate Chip Breakfast Cake. Kroger knows this about me and just sent me a coupon for a free bag of chips. I love that!
ZipLock Bags. I always get these at Costco! Our Costco membership gives us coupons to use at Costco and currently there are coupons for Ziplock bags so I stocked up on freezer bags. Even with reusing te ones that I can I go through a good number of bags and they are much cheaper at Costco.
So there are some of my tips for frugal baking. Do you have any?
3 weeks ago
2 comments:
Hiya! I was linked over to here from OAMM, and I'll definitely be returning!!
I purchase some of my baking supplies at Costco too. LOVE COSTCO! I get my unbleached AP flour in two 10 lb bags for around $4.50. I wish I could get my WW and Bread Flour there, but they don't sell WW, and the bread flour bags are HUGE. Can you elaborate on the type of container you're purchasing from your local bakery?
The price on vanilla at Costco is the best I've ever seen and it's GOOD vanilla. That's what I love about them - they get good, quality ingredients for their house brands.
I've found that Aldi has the best price on butter, for about 1.25 a lb. I buy 4 or 5 lbs when I can and freeze what I don't need right away.
Hi, Andrea! Wow, I can't believe I didn't get back to this comment in time for you. Here it is... Merry Christmas. With my apologies.
The container I got from my bakery is the bucket that frostings, etc., come in and when they are done with them they sell the buckets. They are in various sizes and food quality. They aren't overly attractive but then again they're just hanging out in the 'fridge;) My bakery sells them at different prices depending on size but usually around $5.
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