Waste Not Want Not

I really try not to waste any food. Ocassionally we don't finish up leftovers, and unfornately they go to waste. Overall, though it is rare that food gets thrown out at our house. Recently I have taken the step of starting to freeze chile sauce, broth, etc. when I don't use the whole can. I pour it into an ice tray and freeze it. Once it is frozen I transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. (On a funny note my husband almost used the chile cubes in his koolaid!! Anyone up for some spicy koolaid?)

Probably one of most used items I can think to do this with is tomato paste. It is rare that you need the whole can for a recipe. You can't put it in ice cube tray, but you can put tablespoons of it on wax paper and flash freeze it.

This is a small savings but it can add up. I have a recipe that calls for about a third of a can of chile sauce, so by doing this I can use one can for three batches. If I remember correctly the chile sauce is about $1.25. This is $2.50 in savings, since I'm not buying a can of sauce everytime I make the recipe.

We often dismiss small things we can do to save because we don't think it's worth the time and effort. With that thinking we throw away 100's of dollars a year. So, next time you have part of a can of something left freeze it and remember that you are saving on your grocery bill.