5 Tips to Make Food Last Longer And Save Money
You already know how managing family finances is tricky enough before you factor in your weekly food shop. It feels like food prices are skyrocketing, and nothing lasts as long as it used to before you started paying for everything yourself. This issue is enough to make anyone nervous, but there are some great ways to make your food last longer and save money to help keep your family happy and healthy.
Freeze Your Leftovers
Did you know that you can freeze just about anything to save for later? If you’re not making the most of your freezer’s potential, it’s no wonder you struggle to stick to your food budget. Whether you make pasta, curry, or chili that was a little too large for one serving, put it in an airtight container to save for later. Most meals will last in the freezer for several weeks, and if you want to be sure you eat it in time, you can write the date on the exterior so you don’t let it go to waste.
Bulk Prep
Bulk prepping is another great way to make sure you have enough food to last you and your family throughout the week. This is because you can usually get food cheaper the more you buy, and knowing how to cook bulgur wheat, rice, pasta, or lentils in bulk will make it much easier to keep everyone fed. You can freeze any leftovers or save a portion for lunch the next day to prevent waste while still getting excellent value.
Put a Stew Together
Knowing the expiration dates on your food can help you be more efficient with them. Rather than leave them to rot in the fridge, you can plan to use them at the right time. But, you know how quickly life gets in the way, and there could be a day here or there when you can’t finish everything. No worries, though, because you can throw everything into a stew to enjoy on a chilly Sunday evening so you feel less panicked about food waste.
Learn to Store Food Properly
You can also benefit from storing food properly. The guidelines and advice you find on packaging can go a long way toward preventing food from going off too soon. Use your crisper for vegetables and freeze meat on the same day you purchase it if you know you’re not going to use it for a while. Likewise, make sure you put food away at the right time after dinner so you don’t give bacteria or flies the chance to interfere.
Plan Your Meals
Meal planning is a fantastic way to ensure fewer trips to the grocery store and fewer take-outs which can burn a hole in your wallet. If you know what you’re eating each night, you avoid indecisiveness, especially after a long day at work. Of course, you’d prefer to order in, but this won’t do your finances any favors. Instead, put something together quickly, like a sir fry perhaps.
Lasting
Food may not last as long as it used to (or at least it seems like that), but these tips should help you make each meal go a little further and reduce food waste significantly.