Vegetables
Yet, with a bit of planning, there are some great ways to save on food bills and even add some extra goodness to your diet, writes Teena Lyons
Step one: Think ahead. Go beyond the old adage of never shopping while hungry and plan your shopping trip down to the last detail.
By listing which meals you intend to make in advance, there is less chance of buying unwanted food. It is also always cheaper to buy in bulk. So, if you see a BOGOF (buy one get one free) on a favourite non-perishable item such as rice, pasta, or washing powder, stock up.
Note – this does not work for perishable items. It is not a bargain if you end up throwing half of it away.
Step two: Dig in. Growing your own fruit and veg can be a lot of fun and saves cash. All is not lost if you do not have a garden, because renting an allotment will can cost as little as £35 a year. Contact your local council for details.
Alternatively, save money and get some fresh air too, by picking your own produce from a local farm. www.pickyourown.org/unitedkingdom.htm will show you the closest PYOs.
Step three: Box clever. Stick to what is in season as far as you can when buying fruit and veg. Goods bought out of their natural growing season in the UK will have to be flown in from exotic locations and guess who is paying the air-fare?
Buying local foods is always cheaper and if you prefer organic you might like to subscribe to a vegetable box scheme. Here, a box or bag of freshly picked, locally grown, organic produce, is delivered weekly to the door.
Step four: Watch your waste. One third – or 6.7m tonnes – of all food bought in Britain is thrown away every year. Yet, with a bit of thought, this figure could be significantly cut thus doing your bit for the environment at the same time as cutting bills.
If, for example, you are unlikely to finish a whole loaf of bread within a few days you could freeze half of it to use for toast later on. Alternatively, you could put some in the blender to make breadcrumbs which can be used for breaded chicken or fish, or in casseroles.
There are some more great tips on how to cut down on food waste from www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/