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• Use your supermarket for things you can't get locally, or the heavy goods like washing powder. Make a trip to the local shops for the rest, then freeze some.

• Make a list before going out, and stick to it. Impulse buying can be very wasteful if you can't use or freeze a fresh food straightaway.

• Stick a Post-it note on the fridge or notice board in the kitchen. Write on it things that are running low. Check it before going to the shops.

• Don't shop on an empty stomach, as this could lead to over-buying. This is particularly true when shopping with children; they are more likely to see something undesirable to eat and demand it if they are hungry.

• The best time to shop is just after breakfast; you won't be hungry, the stock will be at its broadest and freshest -- and the shops are always quietest then!

• Think about those "two for the price of one" offers in supermarkets. Is it really worth getting the extra one, or will the second one be wasted? And who will actually be paying for those offers? Ten to one it won't be the supermarket.

• Bulk buying of certain things can cause waste. They may cost less, but will they go off before you have the chance to use them? Flour, dried fruit and some cans can age and deteriorate in storage.

• Put all your fresh and frozen foods away as soon as possible. Move what is left in the fridge and freezer to the front, to use first (or throw away).

• Freeze basics such as fresh bread and butter: make sure they are wrapped properly, and then you will never be at a loss when the local shop is closed. You can freeze bacon well wrapped, and even milk, so long as it is those plastic bottles.

• Buy fresh vegetables from the farm shop, blanch and freeze them in batches. Then you'll always have them when you need them.

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Excerpted from Second Helpings: Fresh Ways to Feed Your Family by Jeanette Orrey. Copyright 2006 by Jeanette Orrey. Excerpted by permission of Corgi, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.