The ongoing cost of living crisis has placed huge pressure on many Irish households with the price of almost everything on the rise.
From energy bills to the food shop, many people are finding new ways to save money.
Among them is pensioner Sandra Smith, who has told how she is making big savings on her food shop.
READ MORE: Spar, Centra and more Irish shops selling huge bags of food for just €4
She has shared an 'old fashioned' money-saving tip that could Irish households up to €1,000 a year.
The 75-year-old from Cardiff said she makes big savings by not wasting a thing.
A recent survey by MyWaste.ie found that every household in Ireland is responsible for 117kgs of food waste per year. That's between €400 and €1,000 per household per year thrown into the bin.
That means that by using Sandra's simple practice, Irish households could save between €400 and €1,000 a year.
Sandra told Express: “I was quite frugal before all this so I'm just trying to be more frugal. I’m quite good with cooking and buying in and not wasting food. I’m a great believer in that. They waste too much food today.
“I cook all my own food for a few days and I don’t mind eating leftovers.”
Budgeting experts frequently recommend meal prepping, batch cooking and reducing waste as they say these habits can lead to savings of up to €1,000 a year.
A mum of two spoke exclusively to Express last year about how households can save money just by planning their meals in advance and batch cooking.
Suzanne Mulholland started batch cooking after her first child was born 15 years ago and hasn’t looked back since.
She even made a career out of it, setting up The Batch Lady, a blog to help others make savings from batch cooking.
It all began because she didn't have the time or energy to cook from scratch every night when her children were younger.
She said: “It was easier for me to cook when they took a nap or were at nursery, so I started making recipes that I knew would freeze well so I could cook when I wanted - not when I had to.
“If you prepare in advance then you automatically stop panic buying and naturally save money.
“Because you portion everything out when you batch cook, you save on food waste too. It’s a win, win really.”
One of her top tips is to only plan four or five days out of seven, because it’s human nature to want a change every now and then.
Another mum spoke to Express about how meal planning and wasting less food can have a significant impact on food bills.
Mum of two Natalie Lachim said: “Make a meal plan at the start of the week and stick to it.
“A lot of people will just buy whatever they fancy at the supermarket and inevitably end up wasting a lot of food because they haven't thought about how they'll use the ingredients they've bought.
“If you stick to a plan, you'll only buy exactly what you need, and spend less.”
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