9 Ways to Save Money on Spices.

Herbs and spices. Pound for pound the spice section is the most expensive part of the grocery store! Where else can you spend hundreds of dollars on one pound of spices like real vanilla, saffron, or exotic peppercorns? Since you can easily blow your grocery budget for the week on one jar of some spices, let’s look at 9 ways to save money on spices!

Why are spices important in cooking?

Flavor! An unspiced meal is usually found to be quite bland. Spices lend themselves to showing where the meal comes from. If you take a pork roast, onions, and a little chicken broth and cook it in a slow cooker. A decent, but pretty bland meal. Starting with this same base, let’s see what you can cook:

• Cumin, coriander, ginger, and chili powder will turn it into a Middle Eastern feast!
• Lemon zest, oregano, black pepper, and garlic will turn it into a Greek feast!
• Garlic, cumin, black pepper, and oregano will turn it into a Mexican feast!
• Rosemary, thyme, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper will make a Sunday roast just like you remember from your childhood! 

See! So many options from a simple basic pork roast. All it takes is some different spices and you have a flavorful dish that everyone will love!

Think about some of your favorite foods. When you put that first bite in your mouth, those spices hit your senses and remind you why you love this meal! Adding spices is the key to building a flavorful dish!

But you don’t want to break the bank for the spices to flavor your meal. So, let’s look at how you can find some ways to save money on these key ingredients!  

Buy in bulk

This is my #1 tip. Check out the bulk section of your grocery store and see if they sell spices here. 

Buying in bulk saves money in two ways. First, it is often slightly cheaper per ounce than jarred spices. Second, you can buy only the amount you need. Bulk implies buying a lot, but it is the opposite with spices. If your recipe calls for 1 tsp of smoked paprika, then you can go to the bulk section and scoop out 1 tsp of smoked paprika and just pay for exactly what you need! How great is that! 

This is great if you need spices you don’t usually use or something you are not familiar with and just want to try a small amount. If there is a common spice you use frequently, this is a great way to buy a lot at one time too. 

Be selective in what spices you need

Know your taste preferences and what spices you frequently cook with. A friend of mine loves to cook Mexican and Latin American meals but never makes Asian cuisine. In this case, buying Chinese 5 spice wouldn’t be a smart move for her because she will never use it. She should focus on buying spices like cumin, pepper, and paprika because they are used in the cooking she enjoys. 

If you are trying new recipes or cuisine with new spices, try to buy only what you need in bulk or ask friends if they would be willing to share. That way you are not spending a large chunk of money on a jar of spices you end up only using once. 

Know your substitutions 

Look up substitutions for common spices and know that they can be swapped for what you have on hand instead of buying something different. In a chili recipe, the paprika can be substituted for a little less chili powder or cayenne powder. In a pasta sauce, oregano, parsley, and basil can be intermixed if you are low or out of one. If you are unsure, Google it! There is a ton of information about substitutions or swaps that can be made!

Consider swapping cheaper spices and flavorings for the expensive ones. A common swap I make is using real vanilla or imitation vanilla. Real vanilla is about 10X-20X more expensive than imitation vanilla. I use imitation vanilla in recipes where the vanilla is not the star of the show, like brownies, chocolate cake, or peanut butter cookies. All have a strong flavor that is the main focus, and the vanilla is there to provide a background supporting flavor. I save my real vanilla for recipes like cheesecake, creme brulee, and frosting where I really want that special vanilla flavor to shine through!

Use spice mixes in place of individual spices 

If there are spice flavors that you only use in conjunction with the same other ones, then consider buying a spice mix from Mrs. Dash or McCormick. They have a ton of options out there! Some of the ones I have and use frequently are

• Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Garlic and Herb
• McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning  
• Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Lemon Pepper 

I like having these on hand for quick seasoning where I don’t want to think to mix up a spice mix from individual spices. They all work for a ton of different dishes and are handy to have in the cabinet. 

Use them before they get old and are wasted

Spices lose their potency as they age, so keep an eye on how long you have had those spices! Even if spices are old, you can still use them as long as they look ok and are not moldy or bad in some way. You will probably need to use more of them to get the same level of flavor though. So make a plan to use up spices within a year or 18 months of when you bought them. This is a key part of avoiding food waste. 

Buy spices at ethnic stores or discount stores

Often ethnic stores have the best prices on spices found in their region. So if you are planning to make a few new Asian dishes, then check out a nearby Asian market and see what they have. Compare prices to your regular store to determine if it is worth the extra trip in the future. 

Most spices sold in the store are just that spice. There is no filler or other ingredients included. So the chili powder or granulated onion sold at your discount grocery store or dollar store is exactly the same as what is sold in a Safeway or Walmart store. Just check the label to ensure that the spice is the only ingredient and walk away with your savings!

Stock your pantry

Spices are true pantry items. Generally, a jar of spices will last for 5 or 10 (or more!) batches of a recipe. So, even though you are buying an expensive jar of spices, the cost per recipe will be significantly less. Start stocking up common spices you use, so you have them on hand for recipes. This will save you money because are not looking to purchase spices with every grocery trip. 

Here are some tips on getting started building a spice pantry. You don’t have to go out and buy them all at once. Focus on the ones you use the most and buy a bottle or two on each grocery trip to spread out the cost. 

Crowdsource and use your network!

You don’t need to own all of the spices. If there is a new spice you wanted to use in a recipe and you cant find it in the bulk section, ask your friends! I have a few friends that we share unusual spices or condiments with and it saves us all money! 

Doing this means my friend J doesn’t have to buy an entire bottle of oyster sauce for the once-a-year recipe she makes. I just loan her mine and don’t even miss that she used a bit! Same with E trying out a new recipe and needing cloves. I gave her a teaspoon and didn’t even notice it was missing! 

If you buy a spice that you end up disliking and will never use again, offer it up to your friends who cook so it is not wasted. Who knows, they may love it and it will save them money on spices!

Grow your own

Some spices can be easily grown in your yard or in a small pot. Herbs/spices like basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary are cheap to grow and even look pretty in pots! You can find herb growing kits or buy seeds at the garden store to get going. Once you are comfortable with growing the herbs, then learn how to dehydrate them so you have herbs available all year long! Here are some tips for dehydrating fresh herbs. 

What tips you do have to save money on cooking spices? I would love to hear them in the comments below or over on Instagram! By sharing these ideas and tips, we can all save money on spices and kick up our cooking a notch! 

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