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4 Ways The Instant Pot Saves Our Family Money

Want a simple way to make a difference for kids in foster care?

Gretchen’s $75 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 5

4 Ways The Instant Pot Saves Our Family Money

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Have you thought about trying to use an Instant Pot for home cooking? Though it’s a little bit of an investment up front, it might be worth it if it helps you save money on groceries and meals!

{Psst! Want to save money on your grocery bill? Sign up to receive my FREE cheat sheet that teaches you 10 Easy Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill By $50!}

Instant Pot Saves You Money

Guest post from Sarah of Sidetracked Sarah:

I’ve always been a late adopter, so when I continually heard about everyone’s love of the new (at the time) small kitchen appliance called an “Instant Pot”, I was curious, but definitely not planning to get one any time soon.

My friends raved about the wonders of the Instant Pot:

They told me the food was delicious.

They said that it would save me money in the long run.

They insisted it saves so much time, too.

Being a stay at home mom of seven kids, my interest was finally piqued after months of hearing these comments from friends. I truly needed to save some serious time and money, so I decided to try it!

Can an Instant Pot Actually Save Your Family Money?

I was definitely surprised by how much money the Instant Pot saved our family right from the get-go! Here’s how…

1. We Don’t Eat Out as Much.

If you’ve ever read through the Trim Healthy Mama cookbooks, I’m “Drive Thru Sue”.

My seven kids keep me running around and I often don’t take the time to think through dinner early enough in the day to get it prepared. Because of this, I’m constantly hitting the drive-thru.

With the Instant Pot, though, I don’t have to rely on the drive-thru. I can throw a frozen pot roast in the Instant Pot or even a big block of ground beef for one of the many Instant Pot ground beef recipes that our family enjoys.

I know that if I keep some basic meats and sauces or sauce ingredients on hand, I can make a quick meal that won’t cost me as much as going through the drive-thru or grabbing take out.

2. We Buy Fewer Convenience Foods.

We use to make frozen pizzas, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets too often.

Now that we have an Instant Pot, we don’t buy the convenience foods nearly as often, thus saving us money each month!

3. We Cook More From Scratch More Often.

Having an Instant Pot means we end up cooking from scratch a whole lot more than we used to, which saves us even more on our groceries.

It’s simple to make homemade yogurt, rice, boiled eggs, and beans — as well as many other inexpensive meals.

4. It Replaces Many Other Small Appliances.

The Instant Pot is an all-in-one appliance that eliminates the need for a rice cooker, slow cooker, and a yogurt maker. It can even count as a skillet if you don’t mind using the Saute function to cook your meat.

You can even use it to reheat food, which eliminates the need for a microwave!

Our Favorite Instant Pot Recipe

I’m often asked what our favorite Instant Pot recipe is. And I think I’d have to go with Chicken Tacos!

It’s super simple to make:

Add a frozen bag of chicken breast, can of diced tomatoes and green chilies, and a packet of taco seasoning to the Instant Pot.
Close the valve and cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
Quick-release the pressure and shred the chicken.
Serve in taco shells, over chips, as a taco salad, on quesadillas, etc.

The possibilities are endless and it’s SO delicious!

We actually have TWO Instant Pots now and I’ve decided I can make just about anything in it! I’ve even taught several of my children how to use it. It is my most used appliance and saves me more money and time than any other appliance in our household by a long shot!

Sarah is a busy work from home, homeschooling mom of 7 who blogs over at Sidetracked Sarah. She loves helping families spend less time in the kitchen and more time with their families. She uses her Slow Cooker and Instant Pot on a daily basis to help her do just that.

Want a simple way to make a difference for kids in foster care?

So many of you have told me that you would love to do something to make a difference for foster families and kids who are in foster care. Well, I’ve got the perfect opportunity for you today!

Tennessee Alliance for Kids (TAK) — an organization that I am closely involved with (I’m on the board) — is doing amazing things to come alongside and provide practical help for kids who are entering the foster care system and kids who are at risk of entering the system.

Many times, kids entering the foster care system come with just the clothes on their back and maybe a trash sack or pillowcase with a few belongings. TAK works with individuals and organizations to provide some of the most needed items — such as diapers, bedding, backpacks, underwear, and so much more.

They are currently in need of a number of baby items and gave me permission to share their Amazon Wishlist here. The items on the list are based on the requests that are coming in from those they serve and will be given to foster families in need as well as to fill backpacks or diaper bags with essential and comfort items for children entering foster care.

If you’d like to help make a difference, you can order something directly from the Amazon wishlist here and it will be shipped directly to TAK. They will then distribute it to the families and children who need it most.

Thank you SO much for serving and helping in this way! It means the world that you all care so much and want to make a difference!

Gretchen’s $75 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 5

Aldi

3 boxes Mac & Cheese – $0.34 each

2.40 lbs Red Grapes – $2.28

1 bag Frozen Chicken Breasts – $5.59

2 dozen Eggs – $1.03 each

1 gallon Milk – $1.69

1 box Saltines – $0.75

1 bag Spring Mix – $1.89

1.56 lbs Zucchini – $2.01

2 bags Shredded Cheese – $2.75 each

1 bag Tomatoes – $2.19

1 bag Corn Chips – $0.75

1 Grape Jelly – $1.29

1 bag Kettle Chips – $1.29

1 bag Baking Potatoes – $2.99

1 box Chewy Dipped Granola Bars – $0.99

1 box Chewy Granola Bars – $0.95

1 Vegetable Oil – $1.69

1 bag Spinach – $1.19

1 bag Romaine Lettuce – $2.19

1 box Cinnamon Crunch Cereal – $1.39

1 Pasta Sauce – $0.85

2 cans Great Northern Beans – $0.49 each

1 bag Flour – $1.15

1 pkg Deli Cheese – $1.79

1 Ranch Dressing – $0.89

1 Italian Dressing – $0.89

1 Peanut Butter – $1.15

1 Half & Half – $1.55

1 Organic Yogurt – $2.69

1 Chunk Tuna – $0.68

1 MooTubes – $1.29

1 bag Frozen Blueberries – $1.79

1 bag Frozen Broccoli – $0.89

1 bag Frozen Peas – $0.79

1 Ciabatta Rolls – $2.69

1 bag Blueberry Bagels – $1.49

1 loaf Bread – $0.79

1 pkg Oven Roasted Turkey Breast – $3.99

1 box Crackers – $1.59

2 Cucumbers – $0.49 each

1 Cantaloupe – $1.69

1 bag Tortilla Chips – $0.89

Total: $71.19

Publix

2 pkg Go-Gurt Yogurts at $2.59 – On Sale Buy One, Get One Free, used $1.50/2 Publix e-coupon – $0.54 each after coupon

1 box Whole Fruit Fruit Bars – $1.99, used $1/1 Ibotta rebate – $0.99 after rebate

1 Oikos Yogurt – $1.20, used Free Publix e-coupon AND $0.10 Ibotta rebate – Free plus overage after coupon and rebate

1 Vermont Creamery Butter – $1.99, used $1/1 Ibotta rebate AND $0.10 Ibotta rebate – $0.89 after rebate

2 Welch’s Fruit Snacks at $2.79 – On Sale Buy One, Get One Free, used $1/2 Checkout 51 rebate – $0.89 each after rebate

Used $0.25 Ibotta rebate for any receipt

Total after coupons and rebates: $4.39