Here’s a tip on how to save money on spice from my reader Patti…
You know those expensive little bottles of holiday spices that we use a dash of, stick in closet, and find a year later and cant use because it went bad? Well now a few of us friends go in together and buy one bottle and divide it up. no waste of product and saves a ton of money…
Do you have any tips on saving money on spices?
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Hit ethnic grocery stores for spices — I shop at Indian grocery stores and spices cost a fraction of what they do at Pathmark or Shoprite, plus the spices are always very fresh.
I agree with buying ‘bulk’. If you only need a couple tablespoons, thats all you have to buy! Actually, I buy everything I can from the bulk bins! Flour is just 31 CENTS per *POUND*! I also reward my little one for being good while grocery shopping by letting her pick a little treat from the bins- gummy worms, chocolate, etc.- and it usually ends up being about 25 cents!
My grocery store (Giant Eagle) has the McCormick spices in one aisle with all the other spice type items. Then in the national foods area – the aisle that has the special things like Jewish wine, rice noodles, etc. they have another set of spices! They’re Badia brand, very good and about $1 or $2 a bottle. We needed sesame seeds and we looked in the area of the aisle that has the other China specialty items and it was $5 for a small bag. In the Badia rack $0.42! Less than fifty cents.
We also buy the basics at Aldi – Garlic powder, cinnamon, etc.
We’re big grillers and we use the Webber spices and we’ve found them to be really reasonable prices at Walmart.
Buy in bulk, if you can. My nearby Whole Foods has a bulk section with a wall of spices in large jars. You scoop your selected amount into a small bag, and pay by weight. Very handy for pricey and seldom-used spices like cardamom powder.
Also, see if your grocery store has an Indian section. Many staple spices, like ground cinnamon or whole peppercorns, can be found in large bags (my store carries Laxmi brand), with the price-per-ounce a fraction of that you’d pay for McCormick or Spice Islands.