he way you plan your shopping and store your food will all impact on how much you end up throwing away.  The Thrifty Cookbook gives advice on Basic Stores, Food Labels, How Much to Cook, What goes with What, and plenty more. You don’t have to make stock or sauces, either, but you’ll find that they are incredibly easy and they often freeze well, make the job of using up leftovers quicker and a lot less burdensome.  It really is worth getting easy sauces like mayonnaise or cheese sauce taped.  Here, too, are ideas for simple marinades that could extend the life of meat for just long enough to save it from the bin.

eeping breadcrumbs made from the last bits of the loaf in the freezer will save time when it comes to meatballs and all sorts of puddings and bakes – and there are also lots of simple ways to make preserves and dips that are all but failsafe, simply using up the last bits of veg in the fridge drawer or making the most of fruit or vegetables when they are in season and incredibly cheap.  Then there are the heavy hitters – chilli jam, onion marmalade and curried pickles that whip a bit of extra life into leftover cold meat, pies, salads – in fact almost anything they come into contact with.