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At the end of last year, we did a "Waste Not, Want Not" challenge. G Magazine reader Bronwyn suggested that we all go through our pantries and freezers and use up the food there instead of buying new items every week. Since about 20% of the average Australian's food purchases end up in landfill, that seemed like a great challenge to me!

I've been doing better with my food waste since then - how about you? I've been planning and choosing my groceries better, using a shopping list and making a rough meal plan for the week. I don't usually plan it right down to every last detail, but having an idea that I'll make a curry one night, and a salad the next, helps me work out what kinds of things I'm going to need for the week.

And I've been very good about not just freezing leftovers, but reusing them instead of letting them gather frost for months on end! Nowadays I tend to take my leftover dinner in for lunch the next day, and it's much nicer to have a home-cooked meal at work than a boring old sandwich. Not to mention cheaper and healthier than getting takeaway!

If you could do with a refresher on how to waste less food in your household, take a look at the new FoodWise website. They've got tips on how you can plan ahead, how to store your fresh food and leftovers properly, and how to save money while you're doing it. It's well worth a look to get you all inspired!

It really is a crime that we waste so much food. I guess it comes from being both too busy to notice as it happens, and not realising how much damage it does to the environment to just buy things then throw them out, even when it's just food. Luckily, it's a bad habit we can easily improve, and when we do we'll be eating better as well as saving money!