Sometimes it feels like 24 hours a day aren't enough. Wouldn't like to have more free time, especially after a day at work, rather than having to clatter about the kitchen trying to throw a meal together?  If you often end up stressed after a day's work, you are not alone.  Finding ways to save time and money doesn't mean that you are not capable of handling your work and your personal life.  It means that you are a practical person who can balance work and family with time for yourself.

Plan a weekly menu. Do this when you aren't rushed, say, on Sunday morning while sipping your morning coffee. Jotting down the weekly menu can be relaxing because it declutters your mind. You can save time and money by preparing food in batches and dovetailing meal plans. If, say, on Monday you plan to cook chicken broth, on Tuesday you can prepare chicken wraps with the leftover chicken. Knowing what to cook beforehand means you'll know what to do before you leave home for work, like taking things out of the freezer and letting them defrost during the day. This avoids you having to wait for food to defrost when you only have half an hour to prepare dinner.

Plan your shopping. Before going to the supermarket, check your pantry and larders and write down a list. It's basic, it's obvious, but so many of us forget to do this. Be efficient. Write your list according to where items are found in your favourite supermarket. For example, if cereals are in the first aisle exactly near the entrance, put that item at the top of your list. This cuts down on the amount of time you spend traipsing around the supermarket aisles.

Buy a week's supply of fresh vegetables at a time. There's no need to rush to the green grocer every day for fresh produce. Frozen vegetables and fruits are a stop-gap alternative. You can buy fresh vegetables in bulk and freeze them yourself.  Chopping marrows or cutting pumpkin into cubes can help you unwind, and ready cut vegetables will ease your daily routine when you need to prepare a delicious, nutritious vegetable soup in a short time.

Buy meat in bulk but store it in portions. Avoid standing at the butcher counter any longer than you need to. Buy in bulk and freeze in portions. That way, you need to prepare only as much as you need for a meal. Freezing mince in small portions cuts down on waste.

Store food according to its expiry date. Buying in bulk saves time and effort and makes the most of storage space. Avoid waste by storing food in order of its expiry date, putting the earliest dated food at the top or front so you'll use that first.

Store food in appropriate spaces. Meat and fish should be stored on the lower shelf of your fridge and used within a day. Freeze fish and meat in well sealed packaging marked with the purchase date. Dried food can be stored in a drawer or cupboard. Once opened, use clips to reseal packaging. Resealed packets can be stored in the fridge for additional protection.

Save time while cooking by using a table-top 'bin'. Put all scraps into a bowl and then tip the lot into a compost bin.

Save more time by washing up as you go along. Better still, get another member of the household to manage this task.

Make your own flavoured water. Instead of buying flavoured and sugary water or fizzy drinks, flavour water with fresh fruit pieces. Fill a jug with water and add slices of orange, lemon, lime, cucumber or mint.›‹