So many people are saving money by summer grilling by following just a few simple tips, so I wanted to share them with you! You’ll be hearing me share my money-saving summer grilling tips on 94FM the Fish radio as well as Talk of the Town TV this week, but I know it can be difficult to keep up with all the tips I share on air, so I wanted to make sure you could find all the ways I’ve discovered to save time and money on summer grilling in one place.

Now don’t mis-understand me – I’m no pro. In fact, I’ve never used a real grill by myself. But because I’ve come to appreciate the health and money-saving properties of  summer grilling, I’ve taught myself a few short cuts that anyone can master!

7 Tips for Saving Money on Summer Grilling

* Marinate, marinate, marinate
-If you marinate your meats, you can buy cheaper cuts (like skirt steak or flank steak) and still pack in the flavor and tenderness. Consider checking out something like the Instant Marinater I found on Rakuten.com that not only marinates your meat safely, but is a great vessel to transport your marinated meat outside.

*Wrap it up
-Same principal as marinating, but with fish. Wrap fish and veggies in foil pouches with a little broth and/or wine & veggies, place on grill for 10 min, and you’ll get a delicious, ‘one pot’ meal, even with cheaper fish filets like tilapia.

*Fill up on veggies
-Summer veggies like zucchini, squash, tomatoes and corn are super cheap over the summer. Consider cutting costs by making kabobs (this will use less meat too!).

*Make a dry rub in large batches
-chances are you’ll be grilling multiple times over the coming months. Instead of spending upwards of $4 on a small bottle of BBQ Rub (or more for fancier varieties), mix up your own batch (using a mixture of kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, dry mustard, brown sugar & chile powder) and store in an air-tight container. It will serve you well over the summer and make it easier for those ‘on the whim’ dinners.

*Smoke your meat
-Smoking meat on a tabletop smoker can be a great way to get the taste of outside without the hassle of a grill. Check out the Smoke N’Grill – for under $80, it may be just what you’re looking for if you’re like me and don’t have the patience to tend a fire and are looking for something a little more automated.

*The Electric Grill – it isn’t just for apartments
-Even though grills have drastically reduced in price over the past few years, not all of us have an extra few hundred dollars laying around (not to mention those of us who live in an apartment and can’t have a charcoal or gas grill). We’ve loved our George Foreman grill for years and recently found the more robust, George Foreman indoor/outdoor grill that not only offers a bigger grilling surface, but comes with a traditional grill top and stand so you can actually grill out on the deck too!

*Outdoor kitchen
-If you haven’t won an extreme backyard makeover but still want to have a dedicated space for your outdoor summer cooking obsession, consider getting a portable/storable outdoor kitchen (like the Mac Station by Origami). It allows you to access everything you need in one place, plus doubles as a great camping kitchen!

You can watch me talk about all these tips on my “Talk of the Town” segment:

Have you been saving money on summer grilling too? What are your best tips?  If you share your secrets with me, you just might win a $250 Super Points shopping spree on Rakuten.com! Just enter via Rafflecopter below:
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