Here are a few simple tips and tricks to help you save money. It all starts with planning what you buy and how you store it. A well-organized larder is a solid foundation for healthy, good value food.

The principle to remember is eat at home rather than out

A The link will open in a new window study by the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office on Swiss eating habits revealed that most Swiss people spent a lot of money on food and eating out, with midday being a particularly popular time, which is when over 70% of Swiss people eat out. Eating out several times a week is not exactly cheap, and so it puts a strain on finances.

A cheaper and usually healthier alternative is to cook at home. You can even save money when you shop if you do the right things, for instance if you think carefully about what you would like to purchase. This way, you will avoid purchasing overly expensive products you don’t even need. You can also save money by going on a big shopping trip once or twice a week. If you go shopping every day to buy bits and pieces, you will generally end up spending more money than you would actually like.

By having a decent larder, you will save a lot of money

The way you store your food can also have an impact on your budget. After all, it’s the stuff you throw away that ends up proving the costliest.  This is why it is well worth investing in a decent larder so your food lasts for longer, which will save you money. A healthy diet is important, but it needn’t be expensive. It is also perfectly possible to eat healthily without buying expensive products or compromising on quality. What you do with the food you buy is key. Here are six savings tips that will help you with your daily routine and in and around house.

Sorting: separate your food

When you’ve done your shopping, it is a good idea to sort your food. It’s important to separate fresh foods like meat, fish and milk from non-perishables such as rice, pasta, tinned foods, sugar and salt. You should buy fresh food regularly as it does not last very long. Every household needs longer-lasting food items. It is a good idea to stick to buying these only when necessary rather than spending too much money on them. Given they last such a long time, it is well worth waiting for good deals to crop up so that you can save money, which you can then spend on other things.

Savings tip

Buy non-perishables such as salt in bulk and save money.

Space: store your food in a dry, cool space

The ideal storage space should have a light source such as a window or LEDs, and it should be cool and not damp. Only in a space like this will your food keep, especially potatoes, which keep a long time if stored in a cool, dry space. To make life easier, this storage space should ideally be near the kitchen so you can save time cooking.

Tip

Your apartment is a new build, check whether the cellar is heated. If it is, then it won’t be suitable for storing food.

Storage: separate fruit and vegetables

Your larder is where food best stored in a cool, dark place should be. Fresh fruit and vegetables should be stored separately. This is because fruit soon starts smelling of onions and potatoes, and fruit also causes vegetables to go bad faster.

Fridges have different compartments. The coldest part of the fridge is above the vegetable compartment, and this is the best place to put meat, sausages and fish. The middle is good for cheese and dairy products, the top for prepared meals, the doors for butter and eggs.

Containers: make sure you use the right material

Every good larder should have shelves where you can put tins, jars, baskets and plastic containers. Fresh fruit and veg should be stored in baskets and not loose. You can also store other foods really well in boxes or crates along with similar products rather than have them in loose packaging. Your larder should also have space for drinks. This way, you will have all your long-life products in one place, and you will be able to keep close track of what you have at home.

Tip

In bigger stores, you will always find good deals on jars. Even old Nutella jars or jam jars can be repurposed very easily, and this will save you money with minimum effort.

Best-before date: keep checking it

The food you throw away ends up being the costliest, which is why you should definitely check the best-before date once a week. This will help you keep track and consume your food in good time. Many foods are usually perfectly fine even after the best-before date has passed, though caution is advised. Always consume the oldest foods first. New purchases should always be stored right at the back.

Storage plan and apps: make a list of what you’re storing

Keep an inventory of what you have. This won’t just save you money, it will also save you time writing your shopping list. This, in turn, will tell you when you need to buy more pasta so you avoid spending pointless money on your umpteenth bag. There are a number of apps that can make your everyday life easier doing this. The app “The link will open in a new window My Inventory”, for instance, can be used to record and categorize the food you have. This helps you see at a glance what food you have at home, what its best-before date is and how long it is still good for.

If you follow all six of these tips, you will save money and enjoy a healthy diet. You will also have a really well-organized larder. Not only will your household budget be grateful, so will the environment. After all, food waste is a growing problem, but something that can be mitigated if everyone does their bit.