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EHL Insurance has offices in Poulsbo and Port Angeles; serving the communities of Bainbridge Island, Kingston, Silverdale, Indianola, Port Orchard, Gig Harbor, Bremerton, Port Ludlow, Port Townsend, Seattle, Tacoma, Edmonds, Bellevue, Aberdeen and all in between! In addition to Washington, we have clients in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, California, Oregon, Nevada and Arizona!

Upside Down Sour Cream and Other Money Saving & Food Storage Tips

Eating healthier is more expensive in the beginning but costs less in the long term as your health improves. This sounds good in theory but is more difficult to accept whilst forking over the green at the check stand. Here are a few tips on how to eat healthier while saving money by paying less up front and keeping food fresh longer and out of the trash.
Planning and Purchasing

• Plan meals ahead of time with an eye on optimum usage. By this I mean plan a way to use the whole head of lettuce before it spoils or find a way to use the leftover meat from Sunday’s dinner in something quick for Monday.
• Plan meals around what is in season. If asparagus is in season the price will be better and the product will not only be fresher but will be packed with more nutrients. Try a farmers market for fresher produce and lower prices.
• If you are really organized create multiple week long menus that optimize the use of ingredients then rotate the menus to keep from getting burned out.
• Grocery shop, from a shopping list, once a week instead of each night before dinner. This will ensure better eating habits and will cost less overall.
• Steer away from the pre-packaged ready to eat food (cut carrots, bagged salad, etc), it costs a lot more than buying the ingredients and making it yourself.

Make it Last Longer

• Make sure your refrigerator is set below 40° for less spoilage.
• Keep the refrigerator clear of clutter and expired items leaving room for the cool air to circulate and keep food fresh longer.
• Know how to store each food properly. For example bananas should remain in a bunch for the longest shelf life, garlic should be stored in a cool dark place and ripe tomatoes should be stored stem side down in the refrigerator. For more storage tips see this blog post on Mint.com. http://www.mint.com/blog/saving/storing-produce-07072010/
• Find ways to keep items from going bad and learn how to revive them if they do. Try buttering the cut end of your cheese to keep it from drying out or soak limp vegetables in ice water to revive them. How about storing cottage cheese and sour cream upside down to prevent bacteria growth? This information and more is available at CBSnews.com. http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-500164_162-7340130.html 

Next Steps: Plan the next week’s meals in advance and do one larger shopping trip and watch the savings rise while the stress diminishes.