> Refrigeration can be costly if you are on a budget, and can be a non marginal factor in the total expenditures.

> Other ways to save are:

> - buy large bags of rice, flour, lentils, which last for a long time.

If you’re living in a place where the general weather is quite cold, you may be able to manage this. But in all other places, buying large bags of rice, flour and lentils is a recipe for infestation by insects (rice would have rice weevil eggs in it).

Buy large enough bags that you’re sure you can consume within a month, and you may probably be able to avoid infestation. The other option would be to get foods that are heavily sprayed with insecticides, which is likely to be bad for one’s health.