SOME WAYS TO MAKE YOUR FOOD GO FURTHER

MONEY-SAVING KITCHEN TIPS:

If milk is likely to go off before you use it, stick it in the freezer so it won’t go bad.

Freeze leftover herbs with melted butter in an ice tray to cook with later. Do the same with garlic, chillies, ginger and so on.

Don’t bin those old and wrinkly tomatoes. Roast them in the oven with garlic or boil them up to make a pasta or pizza sauce.

Cut back on meat. Cheaper pulses, chickpeas and beans can bulk up sauces and stews.

Use up leftovers. Turn old veg into soups, sauces or chutneys. Freeze browning bananas for smoothies. Dry bread makes great croutons.

SHOPPING HACKS:

Beware taking kids to the local supermarket – pester power can bump up your bill.

Visit local markets – big reductions late in the day on fresh fruit and veg.

Avoid prepared foods such as salads, pastas and chopped fresh fruit as they are pricey.

Eat before you shop. It is never wise to trawl the aisles when you’re feeling peckish. Shun bottled water.

It’s cheaper from the tap with no bottles. Shop in season to avoid overpriced fruit and veg. Stock up your pantry during the sales – and check receipts as errors are more common than you think.

BATCH OF THE DAY:

Families could cut waste and save around £1,440 a year by batch cooking, which involves preparing larger meals than freezing the surplus to use later, research from Pyrex suggests.

It helps you eat more healthily and save time overall, says family cooking expert Suzanne Mulholland, author of The Batch Lady.

You only need a large pan to cook more ingredients in one go and freezer-friendly containers to do this.

Double or triple your usual ingredients and set aside the extra portions to freeze and reheat later. Pasta is great for batch cooking in particular. Cool your prepared meals before putting them in the fridge or freezer. Label them with the date – most should be eaten within three months.

You can find recipes at pyrex.co.uk/pages/ batchingforbeginners or search for batch cooking at BBC Good Food, 50 Batch Cooking Recipes from Food Network or Jamie Oliver’s Batch Cooking Recipes. Influencer

Miguel Barclay (@ OnePoundMeals) is worth following for his

recipes.

Moneysavingexpert. com devotes a whole section to freebies and discounts available at supermarkets.

The Shopmium, GreenJinn and CheckoutSmart apps offer discounts on top brands.

TopCashback offers up to £11 back when you shop with Sainsbury’s Groceries. Quidco is also popular, as is The Iceland Bonus Card. Scanning your receipts to app Shoppix will let you collect tokens that you can exchange for rewards.

Community app OLIO helps neighbours connect to share unwanted food between them.