Day 16 of 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending: Avoid Food Waste
The next time you open your refrigerator, consider this troubling statistic:
According to the U.S. Dept of Agriculture**, a U.S. family of four discards around $1,500 a year on food.
Let’s reread that sentence:
A U.S. family of four discards around $1,500 a year on food.
Did that stop you in your tracks? I was blown away by that number. Imagine saving your family’s budget $1500 a year just by being more aware of your food waste and taking action to stop it. What would you do with an extra $1500?
How to Stop Food Waste in the Kitchen
1. Keep your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry neat and tidy.
If you’re following along with the 31 Days to Slash your Grocery Spending, then you will remember, disorder = disaster. Make it a habit to go through your refrigerator on a weekly basis. You will prevent tasty leftovers, fresh fruit and vegetables, and dairy from turning into science experiments. Instead you will have a chance of claiming that $1500 of wasted food.
2. Freeze your leftovers.
If you don’t think you’ll eat your leftovers before they go bad, freeze them. With the exception of pasta and rice dishes, a lot of food can be frozen. Currently in my freezer, I have leftover chicken & black bean tacos, turkey taco meat, ham & bean soup, and grilled chicken. Freeze leftover meals in single portions for a quick lunch.
3. Make one night a week, “Raid the Fridge” Night.
One night a week, raid the fridge to get rid of leftovers. Set up the leftovers in a buffet style. Every one’s plate might look different, but you’ll at least use up the leftovers and avoid the waste.
4. Brown Bag lunch.
And the easiest way to avoid food waste is to take your leftovers to work. You’ll save money by reducing your food waste at home and avoid eating out on your lunch break. It’s a win-win!
How much food do you think you waste annually? Could it add up to a month’s worth of your groceries? What are some things that you do to avoid food waste? Let us know in the comments.
I’m always shocked when I see articles that talk about food waste and mention the amount that most people annually waste. It’s crazy!
I like to think I do pretty good, and over all, I think I do thanks to tips and habits that I’ve learned here and there. But there are still weeks when I’ll find something languishing in the fridge and need to throw it out. It always annoys me, because it feels like I’m throwing money in the trash and it’s always totally avoidable if I only take a bit of effort to stay on top of it.
One thing that I’ve found to be super helpful is to use clear glass containers for leftovers. It’s such a simple thing, but it makes it easy to see at a glance what’s in the fridge and helps me know exactly what I have. And amazingly, it has helped me a lot!
Lydia @ Thrifty Frugal Mom recently posted…The Easiest Way to Save Money on Groceries
That’s a great tip, Lydia! I like to think that I do well with wasting food too, but then I find things pushed to the back of our fridge. I’m trying to do a better job at keeping the fridge tidy and that seems to help.