Ways to Save is a series of posts about how I save money, time, my sanity, or a combination of all three. Keep in mind, some things that save time and sanity might actually cost more money, and things that save money might take more time. It’s up to you to decide what’s more important to you in those instances. These posts are what works for me!
Here’s an easy way to save yourself some time: chop the whole onion.
What on earth does that mean?
I needed about half an onion, chopped, when I made a frittata on Sunday. Knowing I needed chopped onion for Tuesday’s sloppy joes, I went ahead and chopped the whole onion on Sunday, saving what I needed in an air-tight container in the fridge. It took minutes, but will save me time as now I don’t have to get out a cutting board and knife to chop up another 1/2 onion, nor do I have to clean everything again.
Here are a few more examples:
If you know you need sliced carrots for a salad, slice up more than you need and save the rest for snacks or a side for dinner.
Same for grated cheese….go ahead and grate the whole block if you know you’ll be using it throughout the week.
Browning ground beef for tacos? Brown double the amount, use half for the tacos, save the rest for chili.
Speaking of chili, double the recipe and freeze the extra for another night. It won’t take much more time and effort to double, and you’ll be so glad to simply defrost and re-heat on a hectic night.
It’s a simple thing, really, but goes a long way in saving time, especially if you have planned a menu and know ahead of time what ingredients you’re going to need.