10 Ways To Make Your Groceries Last Longer

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10 Ways To Make Your Groceries Last Longer

No matter how or when you grocery shop, everyone is always looking for more ways to save money and make our budgets stretch further. Another way we try and save money is to make our produce and grocery items last longer on a single shop. That is not always an easy task, but luckily there are ways to make your groceries stretch farther at home with a few helpful tips! Check out the ideas below for 10 ways to make your groceries last longer:

1. Whole Fruits & Vegetables: One great way to keep fruits and veggies fresh for longer is to avoid cutting and slicing. If you keep your produce in full form, it won’t go bad or mold nearly as fast!
2. Bread Care: A really great way to keep bread in the house for longer is by freezing it! If you are buying a few loaves of bread or even buns, freeze what you won’t use right away and put what you will use in the fridge. This will help bread stay fresh and you will always have a freezer supply of bread whenever you need it!
3. Seal & Care: For any leftovers, cut produce or any extra items you want to save, place them in air tight containers or mason jars. This will keep them alive for a few extra days and you will be able to see into your containers to avoid any waste.
4. Isolate Bananas: If you notice your fruit dying quickly when surrounded by bananas, there is a reason this happens! The bananas give off gasses that will kill produce faster, so when you can keep them separate do so or even better use a banana hanger for maximum freshness and air circulation.
5. Bottle Storage: Items like green onions and chives can go bad quickly! To avoid this, cut up the produce and place in an airtight plastic bottle. These items will keep for a few weeks and because they are pre cut it will make seasoning super easy!
6. What You Need: It’s really important when shopping to only buy what you need. Make sure to pre plan what you need to make it through till the next grocery shop and avoid overbuying items that may be wasted. This is especially important when it comes to fresh produce.
7. Clean Fridge: When it comes to making food last longer, your fridge plays an important role. If you load groceries into a fridge that has had any type of mold or leftover food in it, it can actually get to your fresh groceries and kill them faster. So make sure to give your fridge a quick clean with a gentle cleaner before you load new groceries in.
8.   Cover Herbs: Herbs are usually one of the first items to go bad! To avoid this make sure to cover your herbs with a plastic bag and a rubber band. This will keep them fresh for up to a few weeks.
9. Bad Apples: Did you know that one apple can make the whole bunch go bad? If you notice you have a bad apple in the group, remove it right away. One rotting apple can take down a whole bunch if you’re not careful!
10. Paper Towel Lettuce: When storing lettuce, it is best to add a piece of paper towel or two. By doing this you will remove the moisture in the lettuce and keep it fresh for up to a few weeks longer.

6 Ways To Use Wine Corks

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6 Ways To Use Wine Corks

Do you love to have a glass of wine at the end of a long day? Most of us do, but do you ever think about saving the cork? Wine corks actually have some pretty great, practical uses and it doesn’t take long to collect them. Once you start collecting corks you can use them in the kitchen, in DIY projects and even around the office! Check out the list below for 6 ways to use wine corks:

1. Spout: If you need a spout for a fast pouring bottle, try using a wine cork! Simply, cut a small slit out of your cork leaving just enough room for liquid to come out. Fit the cork the bottle and you’ll have full control on how much your pouring at once!
2. Card Holder: If you want to make a cute and easy card holder, try this quick DIY project.  Simply choose your favorite wine cork and slice it halfway through. For more stability you can shave off a little on the bottom as well. Now you have a business card or place card holder to use in the office or at dinner!
3. Doors & Furniture: Slice wine corks and attach them to the feet of your furniture to avoid scratching your wood floors when moving items around.
4. Cupboard Slam: To avoid the dreaded slam of cupboard doors, use wine corks! Similar to above, slice your corks into small rounds and attach them to the inside of your cupboard door. This will prevent them from slamming and won’t cost you anything to create.
5. Garden Mulch: For easy DIY garden mulch use old wine corks and your food processor! Simply grind up the corks with your processor and spread the corks around your garden beds. This will help the beds retain moisture and grow strong!
6. Vase Filler:  If you are looking for ways to decorate with wine corks, try using them as vase fillers. Whether you are using them in the bottom of a cut flower arrangement for height or using them to fill decorational jars up, they look so great and it won’t cost a thing!

DIY Screen Cleaner

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DIY Screen Cleaner

We all love our electronics and most likely use them on a regular basis. But after a while they start to get covered in dust, pet hair and fingerprints and eventually are ready for a clean. But what is the best way? Well, there are some cleaners on the market that work great but come in a small bottle and cost upwards of $8-$15 dollars. For most that is just not a feasible add in when you are trying to budget, so what is the next best option? Not so surprisingly you can make your own DIY screen cleaner at home and you can save a ton of money! Check out the instructions below to create your own DIY screen cleaner:

Ingredients:

• Rubbing Alcohol
• Distilled Water
• Microfiber Cloth/Soft Cleaning Cloth
• Spray Bottle

Instructions:

1. This might be the simplest DIY yet! Simply, pour equal parts of the isopropyl alcohol and distilled water into the spray bottle. Secure the spray top.
2. Mix the solution slightly and it will be ready to use! Make sure to spray the solution on your cloth first and then wipe down any electronic screens for a sparkling result!
   **Please note: This solution is not suggested for Apple products. Also please make sure your device is turned off before cleaning.