Swatting at the tiny flies buzzing around my fruit bowl, I scowled.
The crisp fruit and vegies I’d arranged the week before had turned into an over-ripe, squishy mess destined for the compost heap.
In my household, interest in fresh produce fluctuates. Some weeks, the bananas, tomatoes, grapes and carrots barely leave the shopping bags before they are all devoured. Other weeks, it’s completely ignored.
Sick of throwing money away, I’m committed to rescuing all our unused food before it’s too late to save.
For more inspiration download the Saveful app. It has great ideas, so you’ll never throw away food again.
Fruit cubes
I drink a lot of water, but it can get a little boring. A great idea is to put leftover berries, citrus fruit and herbs such as mint into ice cube trays, top with water and freeze.
Use the cubes to drop into glasses or drink bottles full of water for a hint of flavour. You can even use them to add an interesting twist to a glass of wine.
Stock
There’s nothing better than homemade stock that you can use to make soups, sauces or put into stews and pasta or rice dishes.
The best part is you can throw any vegetable or herb that’s lurking in your fridge or pantry into the pot, peelings and all. Add a bit of water, salt and pepper, and let it simmer gently on the stove until all the flavours and nutrients are extracted. Strain, then use immediately or freeze for later.
Muffins
These are the perfect portable snack, or even a meal if you make them Texas-sized. They can be sweet, savoury or spicy, eaten warm from the oven or frozen for a quick bite on the go. Plus, you can put literally anything in them.
Muffins are a great way to use up leftovers. I’ve even chopped up sausages from a barbecue and thrown them into a muffin mix with ripe tomatoes and diced onion. They are so delicious!
Pies
If you have sheets of puff pastry in the freezer you can turn almost any leftover food into a tasty pie. One time we bought charcoal chicken, chips and gravy for dinner and, not wanting to waste any, I turned the leftovers into pies – chips and all.
I’ve also made pies using leftover mac ‘n‘ cheese, spag bol, and slightly bruised apples and pears. Freeze pies for a quick meal!
Job perks:
If you’re looking for a job or wanting to switch careers, the first thing most of us look at is the pay offer, but some employers offer other perks that are worth considering.
Many companies offer staff discounts on purchases, and some have deals with affiliates that can get you a reduced rate on products and services like insurance policies, movie tickets or even fuel and airfares.
Some employers offer flexible work conditions, like the ability to choose your owns hours or work from home, while others encourage wellbeing with discounts on gym membership or access to mental health support.
Additional annual leave, car or travel allowance, covering the cost of upskilling, or salary sacrifice options are also ways employers can sweeten the deal.
Ms MoneySaver’s tips are prepared in good faith. That’s Life cannot assure readers that they will be effective in all cases and is not responsible for any loss or damage resulting from following them.
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