When I moved from Nashville to New York, I expected new experiences. However, one thing I still can’t get over is how casually people spend on food.
I noticed ordering delivery or grocery shopping daily to satisfy a craving was more common. At first, I was excited to explore the city’s culinary scene and began eating out more and indulging myself.
However, I quickly grew tired of spending $14 for a tuna sandwich that I could make at home in four minutes for a fraction of the cost.
My husband and I make good money. He works on Wall Street, and I’m a food stylist, meaning I make food look beautiful for NFL campaigns, fashion editorials, and magazines like Bon Appétit.
At home, though, I cook like a freelancer on a budget.
We live on the Upper East Side, and while we could spend more money on food, we share a core value: our money should work harder than we do. So, we keep groceries simple — and cheap.
Our weekly grocery bill rarely tops $100, and that’s including shopping for the dinner guests we host almost every Sunday. That $100 ends up feeding the two of us for five breakfasts and dinners, plus one dinner party for six.
Our secret? A mix of creative cooking and a little financial savvy.
Sunday supper is the key to my success
Each Sunday, I cook a meal for six and always take the time to make extra, ensuring there are leftovers. This food becomes the foundation of meals for the week.
Roasted veggies go into Monday’s grain bowl. Extra herbs become a seasoning for homemade dressings.
All the meal prep I do for Sunday becomes ingredient prep for the rest of the week, saving me both time and money. No scraps or leftovers go to waste — we save everything.
On set for my job, there’s a golden rule: never throw anything away. It’s not just for sustainability, we might need to re-shoot a veggie sandwich eight hours later, which means rebuilding the exact same sandwich without needing to buy new ingredients.
That habit of saving partial ingredients to get the same — or sometimes better — results followed me home. Now I see leftovers as ingredients in disguise.
A few slices of cheese from Saturday’s snack board top tuna toast on Wednesday. And with a quick broil, a sad tuna salad becomes a delicious tuna melt. That’s $14 saved.
We used to eat out three or four times a week, but since I’ve stopped seeing leftovers as scraps for trash and started seeing them as opportunities, home cooking has become easier than takeout.
Now, we have to justify a date night because our fridge is full of food we want to eat.
We also save by stocking up on staples and buying in bulk
We love Japanese, Italian, and Tex-Mex cuisines, so we always have tamari, rice, tomato paste, olives, tortillas, and salsa on hand. With these ingredients, I can make something delicious from whatever’s in the fridge.
Buying in bulk also helps. Our freezer is stocked with almond flour tortillas (half the price at Costco compared to the corner store). We get 10-packs of Beyond Meat patties for what two cost elsewhere. They’re quick, versatile, and a lifesaver on busy nights.
A few Saturdays ago, we were short on time before heading to Yankee Stadium. In the fridge were kale stems, tired bell pepper slices, half an onion, mushrooms, and garlic. I sautéed everything with a Beyond patty and taco spices, then added tortillas, eggs, and leftover cilantro from Sunday’s fried rice. In 15 minutes, we had protein-packed tacos that kept us full until we hit the concession stand.
The trick to spending less than $100 a week on groceries isn’t restrictive diets or rigid meal plans. It’s barely wasting a thing and using what we already have in smart, flexible ways. It’s scrappy, satisfying, and surprisingly elegant.
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