Can a pepper save your grocery bill?

Yes, with the help of some friends and a smart website

When’s the last time you cleaned out your fridge? If you’re like a lot of Canadians, you probably found yourself throwing out a lot of unused food, from slimy green beans to sweaty cheese. In our house food is our biggest monthly budget item, so throwing it out is pretty depressing.

Apparently, we’re not alone when it comes to grappling with uneaten food; according to a consulting firm, Canadians toss $31 billion worth of food every year. And while you might think that’s due to restaurants and grocery stores, think again: half of it is being thrown out at home.

The good news is that it’s a relatively easy problem to solve with a few quick fixes:

List before you shop Stay focused in the grocery store by having a list and sticking to it. This will help you avoid aimless wandering, grasping at stuff you don’t need.

Don’t shop hungry Shopping with an appetite can make you more susceptible to impulse buying.

Shop more frequently In our house, we try our best to stock up on groceries on the weekend. But fresh foods don’t always co-operate with our plans and, come Thursday, those berries can look pretty tired. Shopping for fresh foods throughout the week helps, but with a caveat: more frequent trips to the store can lead to budget creep.

Tote your lunch Why leave leftovers sitting in the fridge when you can take them with you? Bringing your lunch not only means you’re using food you already have, you’re also saving big bucks by not heading to the food court.

Be creative I’ve got two red peppers, rice and half a tetrapak of chicken stock. I just entered my leftovers into an online tool I found and it gave me a tasty chicken and chorizo jambalaya. Try new things and see how creative you can be.

Let retailers assist Tesco can help you find recipes to use up leftovers, at realfood.tesco.com/ meal-planner/leftover-tool.html.