The way you use your fridge has a lot to do with how long your food lasts, and how much your bills end up being at the end of the month.
According to experts, from the positioning of your food to the temperatures in different parts of the appliance, they all are vital in getting the most out of your money.
Scott Evans, the owner of self-storage company Pink Storage, has revealed the best fridge tricks to keep your food fresh for longer and save money in the process.
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Most people will use common sense when storing items in the fridge - like making sure to store meat at the bottom in case of spills - others don’t take into consideration the different temperatures that each area of the fridge will naturally have.
The fridge door
According to experts, the fridge door is one of the warmest areas in the fridge and so it actually shouldn’t be used for the likes of fresh juices or milk - despite this exact spot being commonplace for many households.
Instead, proper advice states that you should store items such as bottled water, ketchup, mayonnaise, and soft drinks as they can stand up to the up and down temperatures.
Mr. Evans explained: "The door of the fridge seems the perfect place to keep your eggs, milk, and juices as they often have compartments for them, but due to the fridge door being the warmest in temperature it will cause them to spoil quicker.”
Higher shelves
The higher shelves in the fridge should be used to house foods that spoil easily with moisture because this is the safest place to avoid it.
Evans added: “Berries are a good example of this as if you keep them in the lower draws of the fridge where it is cooler they can develop moisture and rot.”
Herbs are another item that can last longer on the top shelves of the fridge, as he explained: "To keep herbs lasting longer you should wash them and put them into a container with water just as you would do with flowers.
"If you want to make your herbs last even longer, a great hack is to cut them up and put them into ice cube trays with olive oil. When cooking you can just pop one out and let it melt."
Bottom shelves
Apparently, the best place for foods that are more costly and spoil quickly should be kept towards the bottom shelves.
This includes milk - avoiding the typical fridge door slot - as well as eggs, butter, cheese and meat.
The coolest part of the fridge is at the back of the bottom shelf, making it a prime location for milk, however, items such as herbs shouldn’t be left here as it can cause them to freeze and die.
Scott said: "When placing your food in the fridge try not to put anything too tall at the back of the fridge as it could block the fridge's vents. You also don't want to overfill your fridge as you will stop the air circulating as much and cause your food to spoil quicker."
The Freezer
The more you pack the freezer, the less time the items in there will be kept fresh, packing your freezer will actually help it stay colder for longer - and will therefore use up less energ.
The freezer can be utilised to buy food in bulk and use them a little at a time as well, as Evans advised: "Buying food in bulk often leads to savings, all you need to do is check whether the food you are buying is safe to freeze and how long you can freeze it for.
“Foods ranging from eggs to milk to cooked pasta to various fruits and vegetables can be frozen to make them last longer.
Finally, Scott advises that the ideal fridge temperature is deemed as being between 3C and 5C.
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