Procrastination Saves Money: Master The Grocery Pause

We all do it. The pantry is full of dried goods, there's still leftovers in the fridge, and even a few wilting specimens of fresh produce too. But somehow nothing inspires you - so you pull out the shopping list and reusable bags, and you head out to the store.

But stop for a minute. As we've shown before, using leftovers saves money, and can even give you homemade beauty treatments.

If you're serious about using up old food, check out Colleen's suggestions for never wasting food again, but for the rest of us, it's kind of inevitable that we'll sometimes pass on that last bit of stale cheese or slimy lettuce. However, I'd like to propose a compromise—what if, each time we decide to head to the store, we instead give ourselves just one more day of using what we have. What if, instead of going shopping, we grab those odds and ends and try something new. Who knows, you may discover some great new recipes, and it could even become a habit.

I'm calling this the 'Grocery Pause'. A kind of a cease fire, if you will, in the ever escalating war of consumption. And don't worry, if you're not the most creative of cooks, here are a few tips to get you going.

Keep a Well Stocked Pantry

Using up those random odds and ends in the vegetable crisper becomes so much easier if you have a well stocked pantry of dry goods. Lentils, rice, couscous, these can all be lifesavers when you are staring at two limp carrots and half a tomato. Likewise some herbs in the garden and some (not too old) spices will help you out. Check out Sara's tips for keeping a well stocked pantry for more ideas.

Just Roast It

I picked up this tip from NPR's Splendid Table, but for nights when you just can't think of what to make - turn the oven to 350 degrees, and get looking. Chances are a few peppers, an onion, and whatever else you have can be mixed together with some olive oil and thrown in the pan by the time the oven is up to speed. (But don't forget about it or change your mind, preheating an oven for no reason is not the best form of green virtue.)

Get Online

Yes, a well stocked shelf of cook books is useful, but with the wonders of the Wibbly Wobbly Web at your fingertips, it hardly seems worth it to thumb through the index. Usually I just head to Cooks.com recipe search, type in the ingredients I have to hand, and see what takes my fancy. Of course you can always check out our Planet Green recipes for more inspiration too.

Lower Your Standards

I'm not saying you should settle for second rate food, but if you are usually a fancy cook, see if you can embrace simplicity. Sometimes a plate of sauteed potatoes is all you need to be happy, and don't get me started on the joy of baked onions!