Keeping food fresh will save you trips to the grocery store and will hopefully prevent you from throwing money you spent on groceries down the drain. Take a look at some smart tips from Yahoo’s Shine:

• Line the bottom of the crisper drawer in your refrigerator with paper towels. They can help to absorb moisture that would make vegetables rot.
• Put a bay leaf in containers of flour, pasta and/or rice to help repel bugs.
• Spread butter or margarine on the cut sides of cheese to seal in moisture and prevent it from drying out (works best with hard cheeses sealed in wax).
• To make sour cream and cottage cheese last longer, place containers upside down in the fridge. By doing this, you create a vacuum that inhibits the growth of bacteria that causes food to spoil.
• If you want to check the freshness of an egg, just place it into a cup of water. If it’s fresh it will sink. If it’s bad it will float.

Find more useful tips over at Shine’s 14 Ways to Save Money on Groceries.