Shoutout to the thrift store in Eugene for changing my grocery game

I walked into St. Vinnie's on W 11th last Tuesday and found a slow cooker for $8. I've been using it to batch cook beans and stews all week, and my food budget dropped from $60 to $45 easily. Who else has scored a kitchen tool secondhand that actually saved them real cash?

2 comments

2 Comments

danielmartinez3d ago

A slow cooker for eight bucks sounds like a deal, but those old ones often have hot spots that burn food or a loose lid that steams up your whole kitchen. Batch cooking beans might save a few dollars, but it locks you into eating the same thing all week until you're sick of it and end up tossing half. The real savings come from knowing how to shop sales and plan around what's already in your fridge rather than chasing cheap gadgets that take up counter space.

anthony1273d ago

Got some burn spots on an old thrifted crock pot? Try putting a trivet or a few crumpled foil balls in the bottom to lift the food off the hot surface. That trick saved me from ruining more than one chili. And yeah, batch cooking can get old fast, but I found a cheap workaround. Just freeze half of whatever you make in single serving containers so you don't have to eat it every day. That way you still save money without losing your mind over the same meal.