WAYS TO SAVE MONEY ON FOOD STUFF.

Tough times are ahead for households under pressure from price hikes in electricity, fuel and food, but there are ways to nip your expenses in the bud. Guidelines to follow ; 1. Buy fruits and vegetables in season, when they are cheaper. Buy from the local greengrocer, farmers’ market, where you get much more for your money as you don’t have to pay for food washing, peeling or packaging. Look for specials. 2. Buy in bulk. For instance, buy half a lamb, divide it and share the cost, Buy boxes of fruits and vegetables and split them – and the cost – with family or friends. 3. Freeze your bulk purchases if you don’t share them. Grate that hunk of cheese and freeze in portions. The same goes for citrus fruits, which are in season now. Lemons and oranges can be squeezed into juices and frozen in portions in your ice-trays or in freezer bags. 4. Freeze food; don’t waste it. Cook fruit or vegetables that are just about to turn and freeze them. Frozen tomato pulp can be used later in sauces and stews; frozen fruit pulp can be used in desserts. You would be amazed at what can be frozen. 5. Cook more than you need , and freeze portions for later. It’s your own convenience food. Make large pots of pasta, stew and soup and freeze into several containers and only take out the amount you need. Angela Day says cooking in large quantities and freeze in small portions works out cheaper and is healthier than ready-made frozen meals. 6. Be frugal with leftovers. Instead of binning them, use as a base for another meal. Leftovers potatoes, for example, can be used to make hashbrown or omolletes. Even save meat , chicken and fish bones and put them in a plastic bag in the freezer and make a rich stock when you have enough. 7. When cooking dinner, cook enough for packed lunches for the family the next day. Taking a packed lunch to work or school can save hundreds of rands (money) a month. Alternatively, during breakfast, make sandwiches or snacks for the family. 8. Grow your own vegetables. Find a corner of the of the garden and plant a variety of salad leaves or tomatoes, which grow well. You can also sow herbs like mint, basil, rosemary and parsley in pots. Freeze excess herbs in ice-trays, as some stores are doing , and freeze any surplus vegetables after cooking them. Alternatively, use the surplus in preserves. 9. Make shopping list for the meals you have planned for the week and stick to it. That way you won’t be tempted to buy unnecessary items. Don’t buy groceries when you are hungry. Be conscious that the area around the tills is packed with items to tempt you to buy what you don’t need. If it’s possible, leave the kids at home so they can’t pester into unnecessary purchases. 10. Buy the supermarket’s in-house brand. They’re few rands cheaper and often there is no difference in quality. 11. Give up your daily caffeine fix from the coffee shops. Take your own in a flask to work, have instant coffee at the office or give up caffeine altogether. You can save up to R15 a day. Take care.