How to save money on groceries

- Produce -

The main thing we throw away is the produce we buy. Some ways to help preserve them are the following ...

Don't wash your fruits and vegetables until you are ready to use them. Excess moisture causes them to go bad faster. When you do wash your leafy greens store them in a punctured plastic bag to help them from going limp.

Separate your fruits and vegetables to help make them stay fresh longer. When you store these items together they tend to make them go bad twice as fast as they normally would. Fruits produce ethylene gases which make things ripen after. Just keep your fruits and veggies on separate shelves or in separate crisper in your fridge to help them both last longer!

Keep warm weather fruits out of the fridge. When you put them in the fridge they go bad faster then they typically would. Items like bananas, tomatoes, and oranges should be on your counter and not in the fridge. You can keep cool weather fruits like figs or apples in the fridge with no problem.

Keep watermelon away from other fruits like honeydew and cantaloupe to help it last longer.

- Food staples -

You should keep your milk, meat, fish, and similar items as low in the fridge as you can. You probably know that the back of your refrigerator is the coldest, but the lower the better as well. The lower shelves are cooler then the higher ones, so your items will last a few days longer. You can also keep your eggs low as well and in the carton they come in to help preserve them as well longer then average.

Do not place your bread, or coffee in th fridge. Many people think they help preserve them but he opposite is true. The fridge tends to dry the bread out and coffee will be fresher stored in the cupboard in an airtight container.

Seal your cereals, chips and other opened items in your pantry nice and tight with either clips, airtight containers, or some other way that will keep them fresh. There is an items I love called Quick Seals, which are zip-top bag tops adhesive strips that you slide right over opened bags, or boxes. It helps to really seal the items and make it stay fresher longer! For more info go to http://www.quickseals.com

- Leftovers -

You want to keep your meat and vegetables separate in your fridge. When you have leftovers make sure you store your chicken, meat or fish in a separate container then your side dishes. Unless you are taking the leftovers for lunch the net day. Your meat items will only last about three days at the most, when your side dishes can last around a week.

Label the items in the fridge with the date you opened them to take the guess work out of when you opened it, as it can be hard to remember. You can also label exactly what the items is. Use label stickers, or stickers that are especially made for this.

Put leftover takeout in an airtight container rather then leaving it in the package it came in. The package it came in makes it spoil faster then your airtight containers.

-Shopping -

Buy items that perish quickly as you are going to use them. For instance if you are going to make a salad one night this week buy the stuff for it, but if you are going to next week, then wait to purchase them then. They will be fresher and there will be no need to waste spae in your fridge.

Stock up on sale items. When there is an item you use a lot and it is at a great price, stock up o it. For instance noodles, cereals, chips, cans of fruit or soups, veggies, or frozen items, etc. Items that will not perish to quickly! It will help you save in the long run so you o not have to buy them at full price when you need them.

Shop your weekly circulars to save money. Each week when you get your ads plan your meals according to what is on sale. It can also help you plan meals which sometimes can be hard enough!

Use coupons! in your Sunday paper you should always use the coupons in them to help save at the grocery store. Food costs are constantly going up and saving any way possible should be done to stretch your dollar!