15 ways to avoid wasting all your money on off food.

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There’s really nothing worse than getting to the end of the week and having to throw out half your fridge because you a) forgot about it or b) changed your meal plans at the last minute.

While eating leftovers is good in practise, even the most delicious meal can get a bit too much if you’ve been eating it three times a day.

The good news is that it’s actually quite easy to do your part and waste less food. And if you really want to minimise your food spoilage, check out these genius ways to use your everyday leftover food.

1. Create a grocery list and stick to it.

If you have a list, it is less likely that you will impulse buy. You wouldn’t have to throw away that food you didn’t want to get in the first place.

2. Buy only what you need.

If you are just there buy some tomatoes, do not stock up on lemons. Just stop. They will still be selling lemons when you come back.

3. Avoid bulk buying.

There are things you can buy that do not expire and when bought in bulk are sold at a great discount—like beer, toilet paper, and feminine supplies. But be aware when buying fresh produce. Can you really finish that whole box of apples?

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4. Shop more often.

If you do smaller but more frequent shopping will result in less waste. If you shop in bulk, there will be more wastage.

5. Use a celery stalk to lengthen your bread’s shelf life.

The moisture in the celery keeps the bread soft.

6. Freeze fresh herbs in butter or olive oil.

Since sage, oregano, thyme, and rosemary freeze well, freeze them with olive oil or butter in ice trays. Note that mint, basil, and dill should only be used fresh.

7. Do not mix vegetables and fruits.

A less known fact: mixing vegetables and fruits make them spoil each other.

The foods you should be putting on your shopping list (post continues after gallery.)

8. Wrap cheese in cheese paper or wax paper.

Wrap your cheese in wax paper of cheese paper, then put inside a plastic bag. Afterwards, place your cheese in the warmest portion of your refrigerator.

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9. Cook with all parts of the food.

Transform your carrot greens into a salad, your corn cob into broth, or your broccoli stems into pesto!

10. Transform your leftover vegetables into frittatas.

You do not need to have a recipe for this one. Just toss in leftover vegetables into your egg mixture and it’ll be delicious!

11. Make homemade vegetable stock with kitchen scraps.

Instead of throwing away pieces of vegetables that will not be used, store them in a bag in a freezer. Afterwards, once your vegetable scrap collection is large enough, turn it into a homemade vegetable stock.

1.2 Turn day old rice to fried rice.

This is something Asian cultures know best. Toss in food leftover with day old rice and you have good ‘ol fried rice!

13. Add extra flavour to sauces and soups using cheese rinds.

Apparently, there’s nothing that cheese can’t do (yes, there are even wedding cakes made of CHEESE!). Keep old cheese rinds in the freezer. Just take them out when you want to add extra flavour to sauces and soups.

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14. Bring home a doggie bag.

Take home any leftover you may have at a restaurant or even a fast food joint!

15. Donate what you won’t eat anyway.

If you don’t like those cans of beans you bought on sale a couple of weeks ago, donate them to an organization who can give them to the less fortunate.

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This article was first published on Bored Bug. Read the original article.

What are your tips for wasting less food? Got any delicious leftover recipes?