Every tip helps when you’re trying to save money in the kitchen, so here’s a list of easy ideas to help cut the cost of family meals.

  • Keep lettuce fresh longer by rinsing and drying it thoroughly. Try to get all the excess air out of the bag you store it in. Lettuce keeps for as long as a week this way if it’s dry before you place it in the bag.
  • Don’t rinse produce until you’re going to use it. Otherwise, it can mold and get slimy faster.
  • Save the bits and pieces of leftover piecrust in a zip-top bag in the freezer. When you have enough in the bag, you can make another piecrust or two from the thawed pieces.
  • Use half the amount of meat called for in recipes. Add inexpensive vegetables or pasta to fill in for the missing meat.
  • Stretch ground beef. Stir in cut-up bread crusts, oatmeal, homemade breadcrumbs, cracker crumbs, or plain cereals. This is a great way to use up stale crackers.
  • Buy blocks of cheese when they’re on sale. Grate the cheese and place it in a large zip-top freezer bag.
  • Buy eggs when they’re on sale and freeze them. You can use them in baking, omelettes, and scrambled eggs. Don’t freeze the eggs whole; crack each egg into a section of a clean plastic ice cube tray. When frozen, remove the egg cubes from the tray and package in a large zip-top freezer bag.
  • Bake plenty of potatoes. Fill the oven with baking potatoes when you have to heat it up to bake a few potatoes for dinner. Cool the leftover ones and freeze them in zip-top bags.