We asked subscribers to share their tips, tricks, hacks, and how-tos for spending less and making satisfying, budget savvy gluten-free meals—and the budget-stretching secrets poured in!
Read on to trade tips with our community of Little Northern Bakehouse subscribers and learn how to spend less at the store and eat deliciously gluten-free on a budget! Or skip to a section with this clickable table of contents:
- Focus on Naturally Gluten-free Whole Foods
- Use Your Freezer
- Savvy Sale Shopping: Apps, Flyers, Price Matching, and Coupons
- Box Stores, Bulk Buys, and Stocking up to Save
- Meal Plan More, Spend Less
- Master the Art of Making Your Own
- Think Outside of the Box
Focus on Naturally Gluten-free Whole Foods
Specialty gluten-free products usually come with a premium price tag—but not so with naturally gluten-free whole foods! Several subscribers swear that the secret to saving is starting with fresh fruits and veggies, gluten-free grains, and minimally processed proteins.
“Stick to whole foods, fresh fruits, veggies, [lean proteins], buy what’s on sale, if fresh veggies and fruits are too expensive, buy the frozen version.”
– Geneviève from Montreal
“Eat lots of naturally gluten-free foods high in fibre and protein to feel more full with less food- whole grains (buckwheat, quinoa, brown rice), beans, [proteins], tofu!”
– Amy
“Using whole foods instead of processed vegan products helps to avoid allergens.”
– Glen A
“I tend to shop at discount grocery chains, only purchase certain items when they’re on sale, and focus as much as possible on whole foods (unfortunately, packaged and processed foods have an incredibly high mark-up). Meal planning is also a good way to waste less.”
– Ali K
“Read ingredients on products, many accidentally gluten-free products are often cheaper than ones marketed as such.”
– Yours truly
“During the winter months, I like to choose fresh vegetables that are on sale and make up a veggie stir fry or baked veggies, using extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs. There are so many options! Sometimes I add [protein], again I wait for grocery store sales. I also freeze veggies by flash freezing for what is leftover. During the planting season, I grow my own vegetables, fruits, and herbs, it is therapeutic and cost efficient!”
– Alayne L
Use Your Freezer
Almost half of the gluten-free budget tips shared by Little Northern Bakehouse subscribers mentioned the most powerful money-saving appliance in your home—the freezer! In fact, so many excellent tips involved the trusty ice box, we had to group them into sub-sections!
Frozen Bread: Good to the Last Slice!
“My tip is pretty simple but we put pieces of parchment paper between each slice of bread the freeze the loaf. The parchment makes it easier to get 1 piece out at a time.”
– Barb Sutherland
“Always take care placing a loaf of bread in the freezer. If you squish it, even a tiny bit, you will never get the slices apart. You don’t need half a loaf of croutons!”
– Retired firefighter
“I keep my gluten-free bread frozen and take out one slice at a time to toast it. That way it never gets stale and there is no waste. In addition, any crusts I cut off for my youngest child I pop back in the freezer to use for croutons or turkey stuffing.”
– Carrie L
Bigger Batches Save Money (and Time!)
“Being a single income family, I try to cut my grocery bill down whenever possible.
If there is a sale, I buy in bulk. I batch cook and freeze…casseroles are especially budget friendly as you can stretch the ingredients and make multiple meals in advance. Not only does this help the pocketbook, but it’s timesaver.”
– Anonymous
Waste Less and Make Food Last Longer
“I have invested in an extra deep freeze so I have space to buy GF products in bulk and then freeze them. Particularly my flour, so it lasts longer and I can make my own sweet snacks which is not only better on my pocketbook, but also my waistline as I can control the sugar, oils and reduce preservatives in my diet.”
– Jenn
“Freeze items that aren’t going to be eaten right away so they don’t go bad!”
– Mercedes Mattes
“Use what you have in your fridge, freezer and pantry first! This will equal less waste and a budget friendly meal! Also, stock up when items are at a good price. Learn to preserve these items the best way for longevity, such as sealing freezer products in a silicone bag, using Beeswax wrap, or simply placing staples in a cool, dark, dry place!”
– Plumie
Use Every Crumb and Scrap
From crumbs to croutons, the freezer is a friend to frugal and creative cooks alike!
“Once a week my husband empties the fridge of leftovers and those food items nearing the end of their freshness and makes the most delicious gluten-free soups! If it is an especially big pot of goodness then we freeze some for future meals. Meanwhile we enjoy a different soup every week depending on the ingredients at that time and I serve it with gluten-free buns or bread. Delicious and takes care that there is little waste from our grocery purchases.”
– Lana H
“Don’t throw out any leftover bread! Keep all the ends crusts or any bread that isn’t as fresh as we like. Cutting the bread up in 1” cubes and drying them in the oven with a sprinkle of olive oil, garlic and onion powder and whatever herbs you have leftover. I also like using a lemon pepper blend using my lemon rinds that I have taken all that wonderful yellow rind off with a rasp. Let them cool and keep t in an air tight jar and use them in my soup or stews. They are also a great crunch on a salad.”
– Beth G
“In our household most people don’t like using the end crusts of bread for toast or sandwiches. Instead of throwing out the crusts out, we refreeze them and save them. As we use the crusts to make homemade gluten-free/dairy-free/egg free stuffing at Thanksgiving and Christmas!”
– J. Clarke
“Hello, besides keeping my bread products frozen until I need them, I occasionally have some bread/buns etc. that have dried out before I got to them—so, I turn them into a strata recipe—yummy! Bread pudding would also work.”
– Pat T
Savvy Sale Shopping: Apps, Flyers, Price Matching, and Coupons
“Keeping an eye on sales and download the Flipp app! It has all of the current flyers to help you find the best price!”
– Lue Richard
“Price match – always! I use an app as we no longer get paper flyers, but my regular store is happy to match.”
– Julie C
“Check out the flyers – use coupons. Sign up on mailing lists, there are opportunities to get discounts or even sample products. Redeem points to help lower the cost. Buy in bulk … check out online prices … for non-perishable items. When able, attend local GF events, try samples (so you know you like it before you buy it). Buy kits (muffins, breads, cookies, etc.) can be much cheaper to make then buying it pre-made in a bakery. Be greedy (don’t let non-GF people eat your products).”
– Melissa B
“Checking flyers and stores and whenever possible stock up when items are on sale. Always checking for “Best by” dates and using my freezer. I am 78 years old and using this tactic also helps for the times I am unable to get out due to bad weather or health issues.”
– BB
“Shop your local flyers and stock up when you can. Plan your meals around the sales to avoid waste.”
– Lois E
Box Stores, Bulk Buys, and Stocking up to Save
We won’t say the Little Northern Bakehouse 2-pack is the only reason subscribers raved about the value they get from their annual membership at their favourite warehouse store. But it did earn an honourable mention from many.
Beyond the big box stores, subscribers shared more to stock up and save, too!
“Eating clean, fresh vegetables. Seeking sales to find affordable produce and buying Little Northern Bakehouse bread … in a 2 pack and freezing the loaves. Great savings!”
– Tara W
“I wait until something is on sale and stock up. 3 – 4 loaves of bread or 10 boxes of pasta, if it’s on sale I make room for extra.”
– Tina C
“Plan out your meals weekly before going shopping. Avoid empty calorie snacks and cookies by shopping online, this helps us avoid all the temptation and just allows us to buy the essentials. Also get a membership to a wholesale club near you as they sell two packs of Northern Bakehouse bread! Worth the membership just for this.”
– J.B.A.
“Watch for deals! Stock up when gluten-free items you use regularly are on sale and look for coupons for extra savings. Try to make as much as possible vs. Processed/prepackaged items (sauces, soups, dips etc.). You will get more in the end and can freeze for future use.”
– H.T.
Meal Plan More, Spend Less
Weaving its way through several sections, subscribers shared how meal planning is a gluten-free budget-saving tactic that’s tried and true.
“Have a plan or a recipe that can last you a few days and include the gluten-free and dairy-free eaters so there are not 5 different meals needing to be made!”
– Coupons for bread! -Janae
“Only buy what you need and that way you’re not going to have waste that’s money saved.”
– S. Sechrist
Master the Art of Making Your Own
“Make your own granola! The upfront cost of the ingredients may be more expensive, but you will get 10x the amount of granola compared to buying the tiny little overpriced bags from the grocery store. Lots of easy recipes are already on the internet, and it’s easy to make substitutions if the recipe is not already gluten-free.”
– Tia P
“Make your own gluten-free flour blend instead of buying it pre-packaged. This is the one I use the most, but there are others available if you search the internet.
Homemade Gluten-Free Flour Blend
4 ingredients
Baking & Spices
- 220 g Oat flour
- 240 g Sorghum flour
- 340 g Sweet rice flour
- 200 g Tapioca flour (starch)”
– KF
“I rarely purchase anything that I can make myself. However, I still need to buy things to make myself, like flour. If it’s on sale, I buy as much as I can and freeze what is possible. I rarely purchase anything not on sale. I eat a lot more fruits, veggies, and dairy than I used to eat. Every bit helps to keep the expenses down.”
– Shirley Paulsen
Think Outside of the Box
Some budget-friendly gluten-free hacks subscribers shared had nothing to do with how you shop—instead, a little creativity and smart use of available benefits can make a difference.
“The best way to budget for gluten-free eating throughout the year is to expense it on taxes at the end of the year. We use an automated spreadsheet to help us calculate the differential. Then we can splurge on more delicious Little Northern Bakehouse bread with the money we save!”
– S. Allen
“We do open faced sandwiches, that way a loaf of gluten-free bread lasts 2 times longer.”
– GlenA
We hope these gluten-free budget tips from our subscribers help you live in abundance!
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