If you can, the best thing to do is shop locally and daily for your fresh produce, buying only what you need, and no more, to avoid waste. Pick up a couple of bunches of basil going cheap and some lean chicken mince on the way home. Throw it together in a wok with some oil, garlic and fish sauce, cook some rice from your pantry to go with it and you've got a thrifty delicious dinner in no time. And if you don't have specialist local shops nearby, popping into the supermarket on the way home may be just as handy.

Of course, not all of us have the luxury of a farmers' market, greengrocer, butcher or fishmonger within walking distance or on our way home, where we can pop in to get a couple of chicken thighs or a few zucchinis for that night's dinner. If you have to drive a fair distance to get to the shops, it certainly doesn't make sense economically to go every day. Many of us find we have to buy our fresh produce on a weekly basis (some even less frequently), so you'll need a few tricks up your sleeve to make it last the week.

Have a think about the fresh produce that you and your family eats each week, and include on your shopping list only what you know you'll get through. Buy a whole bag of potatoes if the family is spud-mad, but if you only have them once a week just take a handful; if you like chicken thigh fillets in curries as well as barbecued, buy enough for two meals and freeze half of them. While this might sound boring and predictable most of us do eat the same kinds of dishes week in week out - it's the clever cook who spices things up with simple variations (and you'll find plenty of inspiration for how to do just that in this book). Keep in mind that a good squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh herbs can perk up almost any dish, so they should be permanent fixtures on your weekly list. Better still, grow your own parsley, mint and basil and you will have ready access to these versatile herbs (see page 134 for tips on growing your own herbs).

The best way of all to shop is to choose food that is in season - it's your guarantee that you're getting the best and paying less for it. There are great bargains to be had when you buy in season. At the beginning of summer, asparagus can be picked up for next to nothing, as can baby squash and capsicum, and for a few precious weeks you can get delicious raspberries at a reasonable price. Once you start to notice that something is getting a bit pricey, you can be sure it's not at its peak.

Information kindly provided by Suzanne Gibbs and Kate Gibbs from The Thrifty Kitchen.