Using Leftover Food to Save Money

Throwing out leftover food is one of our biggest wastes most families have in a family.

We are all looking for ways to save money any way we can and one challenge is cutting back on our grocery budget. You need to get creative to lower food costs, and using leftovers wisely is a great place to start.

Preparing Homemade Meals

It seems like everyone is out of time these days. We cram as much as we can into each day and often meal times are conducted with one foot out the door and the other already in the car. That is no way to save on the grocery bill.

Preparing more meals at home has its advantages. Just to name a few:

• You know what’s in the food you are preparing
• You have leftovers for lunches the next day
• You have a family meal together

Preparing meals at home can be done if you plan ahead. You may want to pick one day to prep your meals. Then, when meal time rolls around, just pop dinner into the oven and dinner is ready. Now, how does planning and preparing dinner at home help with the budget?

Leftover Luxury

• When you plan your meals at home, you can choose to cook more than you need for a dinner. That way, you can save those delectable leftover morsels for another time and place. Here are a few simple ways that you can use leftovers to save on food costs:

• Divide leftovers into single serving portions and place into containers to be eaten for lunch the next day or freeze for later meals.
• For meals like spaghetti, make a double batch of sauce so you can use freeze leftovers of either one for new meals.
• Save leftover meat or chicken and use in casseroles, soups, sandwiches, or salads.

Even families that aren’t a fan of leftovers can learn to be creative with food. When you make a roast, don’t just serve the same slice of beef with leftover potatoes and carrots the next day. Take the beef and turn it into an entirely different dish. For instance, dice the beef and add gravy, top with puff pastry and you have a yummy meat pie – an aussie staple!

Many vegetable side dishes can be pureed and turned into delicious, creamy soups. Take that last little bit of steamed cauliflower or broccoli, throw it in the food processor with chicken stock and shredded cheese, heat it up and you have Cheesy Broccoli Soup for lunch.

Creative Use of Leftovers:

Left over Roast Beef/Pork:

• Fried Rice
• Beef & Guinness Pie (Make a gravy with some Gravox and some Guinness, add the beef and simmer until thick – wrap in pastry.
• Stir Fry

Left over Corned Beef:

• Corned Beef Fritters
• Pink Pie (Corned Beef shredded in a white sauce in pastry)

Left over Roast Chook

• Chicken Pasta Bake
• Chicken Pasta
• Chicken & Asparagus Quiche
• Check out our post on chicken left overs – click here!

Left over Bacon (what’s that??)

• Bacon & Egg Pie
• Quiche

Left Over Vegetables

• Bubble & Squeak
• Vegetable Fritters

These are just a few examples – there are hundreds more!

Be creative and make that dollar stretch further!!!

You’ll be amazed at how many meals you won’t have to cook or buy if you plan to have leftovers and use them wisely.

Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney, she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

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