How to Save Money Cooking for One

About a decade ago, Angelika Zamfirescu couldn’t get her favorite coffee beans from her local C.S.A. in Astoria, Queens. Her neighbor, she learned, had the same frustration. So the two women joined with other friends and neighbors to order in bulk directly from the roaster. Their 10-pound orders continued for at least two years.

When solo cooks like Ms. Zamfirescu, 56, a somatic therapist, find friends and neighbors to share groceries with, it helps them get better prices. A sharing shopper could save 50 percent or more, depending on the item. In cases beyond coffee, it also means more variety with less waste.

Food sharing “goes back to time immemorial, but in other ways it’s new, too,” said Michael Carolan, a professor of sociology at Colorado State University and the author of “The Food Sharing Revolution.”

Before the pandemic, grocery store bulk bins offered shoppers less expensive options. But Covid health regulations forced many stores to prepackage goods, said Anthony Peña, vice president of the National Supermarket Association. Prepackaged food often comes at a higher cost by volume — most labels include the price per ounce, but double-check the unit, if you’re comparing multiple items. (Sometimes a store might show one oil cost by ounce, another by liter.)

Fewer bulk options leave solo cooks with a difficult choice: Buy what you need, but pay more, or save money, but risk spoilage along with meal monotony.

“I don’t feel like eating chili for six days in a row,” said Becky Davenport, 61, of Chugiak, Alaska, who works in early education. Sharing food with a friend — and the savvy use of her freezer — helps her get more variety. Here are four ways to develop the practice yourself.

Calculate Your Food Waste

Ingredients you regularly struggle to finish are a good place to start sharing. Vivian Cabrera, a social worker who lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, said she had to give away a lot of food from her share of a community-supported agriculture program, or C.S.A.

The upfront cost — more than $800 for several months of food — was also a challenge. It became “super affordable,” she said, once she found a family willing to split her allotment.

Though Ms. Cabrera, 31, and her share partner alternate weeks, the split has also helped when she’s running late to get her box. Her C.S.A. has a single weekly pickup. If Ms. Cabrera can’t get there in time, she asks her partner to pick up the box.

If you’re reluctant to make such a large financial commitment, Buy Nothing groups provide another way to share with others. Ms. Cabrera said she often shares ingredients like cilantro or parsley through her group. (The groups don’t allow payment.)

Find a Like-Minded Friend …

If you already know those you split food with, it can deepen your relationship or give you a more consistent way to stay in touch. “It adds a richness to a friendship because you’re looking out for each other,” Ms. Davenport said.

… Preferably One Located Nearby

Sharing food involves a bit more coordination — especially if you’re used to doing things on your own. The closer you live or the more your routines overlap, the easier it will be to add a food share to your life. Ms. Cabrera said that her Buy Nothing group is limited to just a few blocks. In other cities, these communities often restrict membership to a radius of just a few miles.

Tag-Team Shopping Trips

Ms. Davenport started sharing food with a widowed friend after they went to Costco together. Sometimes they’ll divide individual items, like halving cheeses in a variety pack. Other times, they might divide two- or four-packs of chicken or bacon.

If you plan to freeze bulk items like this, divide them before chilling. Cut bacon strips in half, for instance, and separate groups of six halves with parchment paper for easy retrieval later. Do the same for chicken wings, fish fillets or other cuts.

With a little extra planning, it’s easy to make food sharing part of your regular cooking routine.

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