Small joys in life!

It is easy to get pulled into this idea that good, healthy food is expensive and to conserve the pennies in you purse, you have to resort to buying frozen food, fast food or anything that does the job with minimal effects on your finances.

The first time I gave into this was when I moved to London. A tight budget made Iceland chicken kievs a staple and cheese sticks from Waitrose a luxury. 

The second time I gave into this was when I became a university student and without a doubt alcohol became the main priority, followed by pesto and pasta.

However, my eyes have been opened to a great tasting and money saving experience. The end of day sales at supermarkets! Ingenious! The shop can`t sell food that has exceeded its `use by` date, therefore, they dress it up in a red label, decreasing its price and off the shelf it flies.
It makes me wonder... There are so many `Easy Student Meal` books and blogs, but this without a doubt is the best option. 500g of mushrooms for £1, King Prawns and Marie Rose sauce for £1.20, Chorizo for the quarter of the price and my tasty dinner - Lemon Rasam for 70 pence. I almost feel like i`ve won something.

Whilst a frozen meal or £3 Subway deal might be cheap and easy, the joys of cooking a healthy and delicious meal at a low price is possible. It might require a daily venture to the shops, just at the right time but in my books it is definitely worth it. 

However, not everyone is so enthusiastic about this golden nugget of information and it is surprising how many people will not eat food if the `use by` date is even for that same day and this is not even mentioning the amount of food which gets thrown out, because a label advisers its expiry - even though it smells and tastes perfectly fine. It is quiet shocking but comes as no surprise that  "According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), about one third of global food production (around 30 to 40%), is lost or wasted annually".

I might not be reducing global wastage but I am making my money stretch further, my meals far more enjoyable and my trip to the shop much more exciting.