Inflation is a topic we hear about constantly these days. When they reach their limit on financial frugality, some people work more hours to make up the difference. So, Canadians are looking for ways to save both time and money. Surprisingly, your kitchen design can help!

5 Tips for a Kitchen That Saves You Time & Money

By incorporating a few strategic kitchen features and practicing a couple of helpful habits, your kitchen can lower your grocery costs and make efficient time management possible. 

Here’s how to use your kitchen to help you save time and money. 

1. Set up an information center to prevent impulse purchases

The rising cost of groceries has significantly reduced the number of unplanned items Canadians buy, a recent study found. Impulse buying has become a luxury since sticking to our budgets is more difficult. 

An information center—sometimes called a command center—in your kitchen can minimize the temptation to buy on impulse. Set it up for maximum convenience and accessibility, and include a calendar, whiteboard, weekly menu planner, running grocery list, and a spot for coupons and grocery store flyers. 

The calendar can help you plan ahead for special events like holiday gatherings or birthday celebrations. Keeping coupons and flyers visible will remind you to take advantage of discounts and sales. And a running grocery list and meal plan will prevent you from forgetting to purchase essentials or buying unnecessary items. 

2. Enlist a personal sous chef

Enlisting a helper is the best way to save time in the kitchen. Kids are more likely to enjoy being involved in meal planning, food preparation, cooking, cleaning, and serving dishes when your kitchen is set up to accommodate them. 

A few kid-friendly kitchen design features include:

• A built-in pull-out step stool at their workstation
• A special drawer for your child’s own cooking supplies
• A pull-out countertop at a convenient height for smaller people
• A convection microwave oven your child can reach
• Touch-free faucets that are easier for kids to turn on and off
• Round-edged countertops

See How to Make Your Kitchen More Kid-Friendly for more ideas, including some safety and storage features. 

3. Clean as you go

Save time by cleaning your kitchen as you cook. Your kitchen layout can make this easier and quicker, especially if you implement the work triangle concept in your kitchen layout. Incorporate additional features like pull-out compost, recycling, and trash bins, which give you constant easy access while staying out of the way as you cook. 

4. Maximize your kitchen appliances

Modern appliances have helpful time-saving features. For example, the “delay wash” setting on your dishwasher or the “pre-set” option on your oven. Time these functions so the task is complete at a time that’s convenient for you. 

Another advantage of modern appliances is that they’re designed to minimize energy usage. Don’t feel bad about using your dishwasher on a quick cycle multiple times a day. Energy-efficient models often use less water than hand-washing a load. 

You can reduce clutter—which ultimately saves time by making your kitchen easier to clean and use—by storing small appliances in an out-of-the-way small appliance garage. This doesn’t forfeit convenience yet maintains easy access while keeping things tidy. 

5. Organize your kitchen 

Have you ever come home from grocery shopping and, as you put away your groceries, realize you needlessly bought an item you already have? An organized kitchen prevents that by making it easy to see at a glance what items you need. 

“A place for everything and everything in its place” is a money-saving principle in your kitchen. When you can see what you have on hand at a glance, a quick walk through your kitchen becomes the inspiration for your meals and helps you avoid unnecessarily buying more food. 

Invest in cabinet organizers and pull-out shelves to make it easy to store and see your entire kitchen inventory. A built-in spice rack is another handy feature that allows you to find what you need without having to move other items out of the way. 

Kitchen organization also makes it easier to enlist help in the kitchen. When you organize kitchen tools and ingredients with your kids in mind, and when you make it easier for anyone to find what they may need to prepare food, you can entrust cooking tasks and kitchen chores to others and focus your energy and attention on something else. 

Get a New Kitchen Design to Save Time & Money

A professional kitchen designer can help you create a kitchen that saves you time and money. The designers at Riverstone Kitchens & Renovations can create a custom kitchen design that meets your needs and fits your budget. Contact us today.