I need a system-please help!

boo81

Im getting a bit peeved with myself. I think im fairly successful at keeping t a budget and organising myself Old Stylee but I keep forgetting about things and them going to waste. :mad:

Today the vistim is a packet of sausages which I bought but forgot to check the date on. With being out with work and having to get early nights it completely slipped my mind and now they dont smell right.

Does anyone have a system so they use everything up effectively or do I just have to improve at remembering to check the dates in the first place

MRSMCAWBER

Hi there

I have a wipe down board stuck to the fridge..and everything that goes in gets written down with the use by date at the side and i simply wipe each item off as i use it, it doesnt take long to make a quick note as you put your items in the fridge.. and you can see at a glance what you have...i started doing this as i was just like you...soooooo sick of throwing things away:T :T :T

lil_me

Every other day I check the fridge for anything that needs freezing/using pronto, make sure it's rotated well and new items go to the back etc. I usually work meal plans around use by dates. Wipe clean boards are a great idea, cheap version is an A4 sheet of paper laminated

Chipps

A meal plan helps, if you can do it. For example, if you know you need sausages for Friday's dinner & you shop on Saturday, check the date of the sausages when you buy & if it is before Friday, pop them in the freezer. Then make a note for Thursday to take them out. If the date is ok, leave them in the fridge & when you look on Friday morning to see whats for dinner - there they are, ready to cook!
I hope that makes sense!?!

angchris

i tend to keep my fridge contents very minimal, i keep milk,butter,eggs,cheese and my salad drawer topped up but pretty much everything else gets frozen to reduce waste. i find that its much easier to plan what im eating for the day the previous evening and take it out to defrost overnight. normally daily i end up defrosting bread,milk, sliced meat and a couple of slices of traybake for ds/dh`s sarnies/lunchbox and a pack of meat of some desciption for tea. i find this really cuts down on my waste :j

Penelope_Penguin

I use a combination of meal planning, and using the top shelf for anything that needs using. If it's getting close to being time expired, things can be frozen for later.

HTH, Penny. x

morganb

I've got a chalkboard that my husband notes items and dates on; as well as things we have run out of so that we can put them on the tesco shop the following week.

boo81

I think its mainly as my organic box delivery is on a Tuesday whereas I got used to shopping on a weekend and I simply put things off. I find the box people deliver meat with hugely varying use by dates and they arent always obvious :-(

Gingham_Ribbon

Supermarkets rotate things so that the things at the back that need to be sold first get put to the front so they're picked up first. Our fridge is never full enough to lose things in it but I like Penny's idea of a shelf for things that need to be used up soon. Or move things to the front or the door.

Menu planning seems to solve the problem too though. I had to throw a little food out last week and it was the first time in ages. It only happened because I had to go away unexpectedly for a few days.