If you are buying bread that is already sliced, just put the loaf in the freezer. Then you can just pop off a couple of slices at a time and thaw them in the toaster on the lower setting. When I used to eat bread I did that all the time to make sure my bread didn't get neglected and go stale. My room mate is very allergic to penicillin and she also does that to ensure that her bread never starts to grow mold.
I like all the suggestions above. There is a recipe I use that is similar to the 'bread pudding' recipe's that were mentioned only mine is for savory. You can add the milk and egg but instead of adding sugar and raisins (or whatever ingredients you add), You can add salty ingredients like mushrooms, carrots, ham and cheese. It turns out really yummy sort of like a quiche or egg casserole. Since you are soaking the bread, stale bread works better than fresh. You can often get discounted bread at your grocery/bakery section that will work really well with this method. Bake it as you would any casserole and eat hot or cold. Put a little hot sauce on top and you have a tasty snack that can be eaten at any time!
I don't know if I'd like that salty bread pudding you mention, but I guess I will never know until I try it. I do think it's great to have so many options because bread is a healthy and expensive food, so it really makes no sense to waste it.
