When the temperatures rise, vegetables, meat and fish sizzle in the grill. The good weather is reason enough for many people to meet friends or family. Barbecuing at home is still trendy despite rising food prices. FOCUS Online says how you can save when grilling.

If you want to grill, you have to dig deep into your pocket. Meat, oil, mustard, beer and bread have become more expensive in recent weeks. Some consumers pay up to 60 cents more for sausages. Turkey meat has become 30 percent more expensive.

Despite the price adjustments, there are savings tips that everyone can implement immediately when grilling. Ideally, at least 20 euros per barbecue party are included.

Anyone who wants to save a lot of money relies on the classic charcoal grill. Compared to electric grills, they are much cheaper to buy and clean. In addition, barbecue enthusiasts also save on energy consumption.

Be sure to use charcoal grills that you can cover. This allows the heat to be distributed well and you make optimal use of the heat. The grilled food cooks slowly without burning on the outside.

Inexpensive charcoal kettle grills (with a lid) are available in the supermarket for around 20 euros. You can also find models that cost over 600 euros in specialist shops and hardware stores.

In order to achieve the perfect grilling result, a small amount of charcoal is usually sufficient. The quality plays a decisive role and can save a lot of money. The worse the quality, the more often you have to refill.

When choosing, you should pay attention to which wood was used in the production and how the coal was stored. Consumers only see whether the charcoal is good or not when they are barbecuing. Bad charcoal is difficult to light, stinks and burns up quickly. If you have not had a good experience with the coal you bought, you should leave the pack next time.

Basically, medium-priced and premium products perform much better when grilling than cheap charcoal.

Discounters and supermarkets lure with special offers for grilled food. Often there are already marinated steaks or meat products. At first glance, the prices seem cheap. In fact, such offers are only worthwhile to a limited extent.

Anyone who marinates their grilled meat themselves recognizes the quality of the meat when buying it and also saves money. Consumers should pay attention to special offers and use coupons. We show you exactly how this works here.

Unmarinated meat is usually much cheaper. For a simple marinade you will need oil, salt, pepper, herbs, mustard and honey.

Ready-made salads are not worth it either. Freshly prepared, the side dish tastes better and is also much cheaper.

Avoid disposable plates and cutlery made of plastic or bamboo. Such products are particularly popular because they can be disposed of immediately after grilling. They are not particularly environmentally friendly. You also incur high costs. For a pack of 10 disposable plates, consumers pay around six euros in the supermarket. For the aluminum tray to put the food on the grill, you often even pay ten euros.

Anyone who uses reusable crockery, cutlery and sealing boxes not only saves a lot of money. There are cheaper alternatives in all home and decoration stores, such as mugs, plates and cutlery made of hard plastic. Grill fans can wash and reuse these grilling aids.

In the summer months, it is generally the case that you stand at the grill more often. Sauces, drinks and non-perishable food for the barbecue can be bought in advance. However, if you buy the goods at the last minute, you pay extra.

FOCUS Online advises: Pay attention to special offers for ketchup, mustard, oil, vinegar, meat, fish and sausages and buy them in good time for the next barbecue evening.

You can also freeze grilled meat, fish and sausages and set them out to defrost a few hours before the planned barbecue party. You can leave sausage in the freezer for a maximum of two months. After this period, however, the goods could taste rancid.

Supermarket prices are skyrocketing, but we consumers also have to dig deeper into our pockets for electricity, petrol, furniture and clothing. What did you observe? What do you do to save money each month for yourself and your family? Send an e-mail to Konstantinos.mitsis@burda-forward.de with your name and telephone number