Description: Tips for cooking with leftovers.

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One of the biggest ways we have to save money is with our food bill, and with our food bill one of our biggest savers is the effective use of our leftovers.

Everyone has leftovers. There is no way to get around it. No one cooks the exact amount of food that will be eaten...and we shouldn't stuff ourselves just to get rid of it.

Many people are such talented cooks, that they can re-use their leftovers and it is barely noticeable. Others just reheat them, to the groans of their family. Turning leftovers into new, delicious meals is a great talent and one to be cultivated.

How you deal with these leftovers will determine whether they are a plus or a minus, and whether you lose or save money. Again, the more organized you are, the more money you will save.

Sometimes people do not use their leftovers because they simply forget about them. Be sure that you clearly mark your leftovers, whether they go in the freezer or the refrigerator. You also need to know exactly where to find them. If they are going in the refrigerator, it is a good idea to place them in the same spot.

Leftovers make great snacks. They are usually quick to reheat. It doesn't seem to bother family members to heat up something for lunch they have recently eaten for dinner. It can be a nice break from what to many is always a sandwich.

If you have family at home for lunch, consider putting a list on or near your refrigerator of the leftovers that are in your refrigerator. You may want to include heat up instructions. If someone is trying to grab a quick bite to eat...they are more likely to eat the food if it is easy to find and quick to serve.

So many times we waste food. It is like throwing money out the window. We allocate a certain amount of money each week for food...whether we eat it or not. It is a mind set that needs changing. It is too easy to take food for granted once it is in our home.

There is always room for improvement in using our leftovers. A good goal this new year is to take another step forward in our organization and make better use of these leftovers.

One action plan may be to serve soup with your dinner 3 times a week. If you are saving all your leftover vegetables in the freezer, that will keep them rotating. Make it a goal this year not to serve your leftovers to your trash can!

Reprinted with permission from:
The Pennypincher
An E-zine for the Frugally Minded

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