So this is a pretty short blog entry but I feel like it’s important to share these things with all of you as they come into my head!

Staying organized and planning ahead in the kitchen is one of the best things you can do for yourself in terms of setting yourself up for success. Another way that I like to stay organized is labelling. Oh so necessary, oh so much fun! I love it, sad but true. I label all of my kitchen stuff: jars, bags and most importantly – food.

Whenever I make a dish that I put in the freezer of have as leftovers in my fridge I always label and put the date on it. I can’t even tell you how many times I have thrown something out because I forgot how long ago I prepared it. Who wants to chance possible food poisoning? And really, what’s grosser (I don’t think that’s a real word but I’m going to use it anyway…) than biting into something that has gone bad – nobody’s friend. What I do to stay on track in my kitchen is simple:

• Take masking tape and a sharpie and make sure to write the date down whenever you put something you have prepared in the fridge or freezer. Or write it directly on the container or box it doesn’t matter, as long as you do it. This goes for chopped up veggies and open cartons too. Make sure that you are aware of each item in your fridge and how long it has been there. This you will never waste money throwing away groceries again!

So simple, right? This one tiny tip is going to make sure a difference in the life of your food – I promise. I really feel like it’s the small but important steps that make the most difference.

Do you have a time or money-saving tip to share with me? I’d love to hear them! Comment below, on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @staceygliving

High five like you mean it!!

Stacey