Grocery prices have stayed stubbornly high since the pandemic, with prices for individual items swinging wildly from month to month. But according to one chef and restaurant owner who spoke to The Federalist, eating well on a tight budget doesn’t require sacrifice — it requires knowing where the money actually goes.
The chef, who runs a restaurant and says obsessing over food cost is part of the job, laid out ten common grocery-store habits that quietly drain household budgets, along with cheaper alternatives that don’t sacrifice flavor.
Skip the boneless, skinless chicken breast
Convenience carries a price tag. Chicken thighs, drumsticks, leg quarters, and whole chickens tend to cost less and offer more flavor, since dark meat is also harder to overcook — a plus for less experienced cooks. Bones shouldn’t be discarded either; simmered with an onion, carrot, and celery, they become homemade stock.
Buy cheaper cuts of steak
A $25 ribeye isn’t necessary for a good steak dinner. Chuck eye, flat iron, Denver steak, sirloin, flap meat, and eye of round cost far less. The key is technique: salt properly ahead of time, avoid overcooking, and slice tougher cuts thinly against the grain. As the chef put it, a properly cooked $8 steak beats a ruined $25 ribeye every time.
Avoid pre-cut produce
Pre-chopped pineapple, watermelon, onions, and peppers carry a steep premium over whole produce — essentially a charge for someone else’s knife work. It can be worth it if it means actually cooking instead of ordering takeout, but buyers should understand they’re paying for labor, not better food.
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