Did you know there are some great ways to save money by not wasting food? If you think about it, Americans waste tons of money every year by just throwing out food we didn’t use–even if we meant to. Let’s look at ways we can all save money by not wasting food. You’ll be surprised at what a difference it makes!
Ways to save money by not wasting food
Alright, how much food have you thrown out in the last week? In the last month? If the answer makes you uncomfortable, it’s time to change it. A lot of money is going in the trash right along with that wasted food. What can you do to stop throwing away your food & money?
Take up composting
One way to stop wasting food is to start composting. Let’s face it, sometimes produce gets yucky before we remember to use it, or it just goes bad quicker than it should. But instead of tossing it in the trash, get a compost bin and toss it there instead. Compost makes an amazing fertilizer for your garden! And if you make it from all your food scraps like vegetable and fruit peels, you’ll save money by not buying commercial compost.
Do you own chickens? Chickens will eat your leftover food scraps and then pay you in eggs. Definitely something worth thinking about!
Use your freezer
Whenever you have perfectly good vegetable leftovers, such as extra diced onion or chopped peppers, save them by freezing. Put them in a freezer-safe bag or storage container. The next time you make a stew or pot of soup, add them in.
The same goes for extra fruit, such as berries or bananas. I freeze my turning-brown bananas in a freezer bag. Whenever I make a protein shake or smoothie, I add frozen banana that’s always ready and waiting to be used.
A pound of preservation is worth…
Take the time to preserve things before they go bad. Use your freezer or invest in a dehydrator. Learn how to can stuff. You might surprise yourself with a new skill.
Rethink leftovers
Watch an episode of Chopped featuring leftovers. What those chefs do with them will inspire you to use up your own leftovers in new and delicious ways!
Speaking of leftovers, build a leftovers night or two into your meal plan. Once everyone realizes it’s happening and learns to accept it, there’ll be less complaining. Or stop going out to lunch as often and pack leftovers instead. I do this, and no one minds it at all. Especially if dinner the night before was delicious!
Shop more often and plan ahead
In order to prevent your produce from going bad before you use it, shop more frequently and buy only what you can get through before your next shopping trip.
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