Eat well without having to stomach a big bill Most of the food we throw away is actually still perfectly good, and more people than ever are saving money by buying out-of-date food. Approved Food (approvedfood.co.uk), which helps people buy food that is out of date but not yet inedible, has been popular since the start of the credit crisis. According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), it is not safe to consume milk, or foods such as smoked fish which go off quickly, if they have passed their "use-by" date. However, a "best-before" date is usually for foods that last longer, such as frozen, dried or canned goods. According to the FSA, food will be safe after this date, if no longer at its best. Never eat eggs after the "best-before" date, however, because salmonella bacteria could start to multiply. Get supermarket savvy For many of us, the supermarket offers too many temptations. It can be better not to visit at all, although if you shop online the delivery charge may cancel out any savings made. If you visit the supermarket, be aware of the steps that shops take to persuade you to spend more money. Supermarkets will place their most expensive products at eye level so you are tempted to buy them. If you look higher up or lower down, you will often find similar items at a lower price. It also pays to look carefully at deals and discounts. These may seem attractive, but will often be an attempt to make you buy more food than you meant to. Don't assume that bigger packs are always cheaper, either. If you always visit the same supermarket, you may learn when it applies heavy reductions to products that are about to go out of date. Many of these are freezable, so you can stock up, and discounts can be hefty. Competition for items can be heavy too, so you need to make sure you are there at the right time - most supermarkets discount at the same time each day. If you shop online and have a choice of many supermarkets that deliver in your area, mysupermarket.co.uk is a handy tool. It will compare the cost of your weekly shop with Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and Ocado (the online shopping company that delivers for Waitrose in many areas). Once you've decided which supermarket to use, it can send your shopping list directly, so you don't have to type it in again. It also has voucher codes that you can use for each company to help you get more money off. Eat seasonally Plan your meals around local and seasonal produce and your bills should fall. This might sound dull and worthy, but there are websites to help. Try eattheseasons.co.uk for lists of seasonal food and recipe ideas. Scallops may be a luxury food, but they should be cheaper now than in the summer, while butternut squash, celeriac, apples and pears are all at their best.