1. Many markets have a salad bar that contains sliced red onions, mushrooms, cauliflower, etc.—already washed and trimmed. If you're pressed for time, you can stop by and select a variety for a quick stir-fry at home.

2. A bunch of parsley, that has been washed and dried thoroughly, then placed in a baggy lined with a paper towel, will last a long time in the fridge, if the paper is changed every so often.

3. When shopping for groceries, plan meals for the first part of the week that make use of lettuce, fish, and other perishables. Keep the hardier stuff for the last few days. For instance, salad ingredients like fresh fennel, or pickled beets, or jicama, or tomatoes, and avocados, can wait in the fridge without spoiling.

4. If you peel 2 cloves of garlic, and drop them in a small jar of olive oil, you'll have a nicely seasoned oil all ready to use for frying, or to be used in making a salad dressing. If you wish, you can cut down its pungency by mixing it with some plain vegetable oil. Change the cloves of garlic every other week or so. Store in the fridge.