7 Simple Hacks to Reduce Food Waste and Save Money- Thrifty Frugal Mom

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Throwing food away is like throwing money in the garbage! Thankfully, there are some simple things that you can do to reduce your food waste and make a significant difference. Check out these hacks to get started!

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Did you know that the average American family of four throws out an average of $1,365 to $2,275 worth of food each year? That is crazy! I can think of lots of things that I’d love to put an extra $1,000 towards, and I’m sure you can too!

I’m pretty sure we don’t throw anywhere near $1,000 worth of food away in a year, but I know I could do better than I currently am. In fact, just the other day I had to throw some money in the garbage.

Well, not actual money of course, but it might as well have been. It was money in the form of approximately 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, ½ cup peas, 1 cup cauliflower and 1 cup sour cream– all spoiled and annoyingly wasted because of my negligence. Maybe you can relate?

So how can we keep food waste to a minimum? Here are 7 simple tips that should help keep me (and you) from throwing food away.

7 Easy Ways to Reduce Food Waste

1. Shop strategically

This is common sense, but it is amazing how easy it is to not do! When shopping for perishable items, figure out how much you will use in a given week and buy accordingly.

Just because lettuce is on sale for an incredible price doesn’t mean you should buy 3 heads. Remember, if you are throwing food out, you aren’t saving a thing.

2. Keep an eye on leftovers

For me, leftovers aren’t usually much of a problem- it’s other food that I end up forgetting about. But that is largely because we typically finish any leftovers at lunch the next day.

The key for me though is to eat them within a day or two, otherwise, it is just way too easy to totally forget about leftovers until they are past the point of no return.

Pro Tip:
Using clear containers to store leftovers also helps immensely! My favorite are these glass ones that come with lids. But if I have to use a container that is not see-through, I always try to label it so I know what is in it.

To do this, I use a piece of masking tape and write on it with a Sharpie. What I like about this is that as I shuffle things around in the fridge, I am constantly reminded of exactly what I have in there that needs to be used up.

3. Serve kids small portions

Kids can be such inconsistent eaters. One meal they eat like crazy, and the next you can hardly get them to eat a bite. One day they say that macaroni and cheese is their favorite thing ever, and the next day they have decided they no longer like it.

While I realize that kids are just going to be that way, I strongly dislike throwing out food because of their fickleness.

We’ve tried to solve the problem by simply serving them small amounts. They can always have more if they want it! And I’d much rather dish out food several times than throw it in the garbage!

4. Know what you have

Being organized can save you money in so many areas, and food is no exception! When you come home from the store and put food away, place the new items behind the older ones. That way when you grab a can of soup or a box of crackers, you’ll be using up the older food first.

Also, keeping your cupboards, fridge and freezer neatly arranged so that you can see what you have helps a lot! Place similar items together and put larger containers behind smaller ones.

If you can’t quickly see what you have, it’s too easy to miss noticing things and have them go to waste!

Pro Tip: I’ve also found it helpful to keep a running list of things to use up. Then when I plan our menu, I look at my list and try to make recipes accordingly. Sometimes I’ll even tape a “to use” list on our freezer or inside a cupboard door to keep me aware of what exactly needs to be used up.

5. Use your freezer

Speaking of leftovers, here’s another option. If you have leftovers or food you don’t think you’re going to be able to use before it goes bad, put it in the freezer right away.

Don’t wait and assume you’ll do it later, because chances are, it will never happen.

Remember the mozzarella cheese and peas that I said I threw out? I planned to put both of them in the freezer before they spoiled but I always thought I’d do it “later”. Obviously, waiting wasn’t a good idea!

The freezer is also great for flour, crackers and bread too. And if you have fruit that you are worried about spoiling, freeze it and throw it into smoothies. In fact, there are at least 40 food that you can easily freeze to prolong their life!

6. Be smart with produce

If you are like me, you find that produce is what you throw out the most. I’ve discovered that fruits and veggies typically stay fresh longer if you leave them in their original state until you are ready to use them.

In other words, leave them on the stem, in the bunch and all in one piece. And if you notice a “bad egg” in the bunch, throw it out immediately. One molding or rotting piece can quickly cause more to spoil!

I also highly recommend investing in these breathable containers. They aren’t cheap, but I feel like mine have paid for themselves many times over because they have allowed me to keep produce much longer than I could have otherwise.

I’ve especially noticed that berries, mushrooms and lettuce keep anywhere from several days to a week longer when I store them in this.

7. Start a soup bucket

Place an ice cream bucket (or whatever container you want to use) in your freezer and whenever you have leftovers such as meat, cheese, broth or veggies that would be appropriate for soup, simply dump them into the bucket. When the bucket gets full, make a soup from it, adding other ingredients as needed to make it tastier and more filling.

I started doing this several years ago after hearing about it from a speaker at my local mom’s group. I’ll be honest, at first, I was a bit skeptical. It just sounded so odd and I wasn’t sure the soup could even end up being good.

But I figured I should try it before I knocked it…and it did sound like a great way to use up leftovers! To my surprise, we absolutely loved the first soup I made from my Soup Bucket. My husband actually wondered if I could recreate it somehow!

Not all Soup Bucket soups have turned out to be quite as delicious as that first batch, although they have all been very edible.

One of the things that I like about the whole Soup Bucket thing is that it also feels like it is a way for my family to be reminded of how blessed and privileged we are.

We typically eat quite well on our $225/mo. grocery budget and not everyone is that fortunate. For us to occasionally eat something more simple and maybe a bit less rich and delicious, while at the same time reducing waste, feels like a simple way that we can keep perspective of our blessings.

Hopefully, it will also remind us to continue to care for those around us that are less fortunate.

Pro Tip: If you don’t like the soup bucket idea, you can also try these creative ideas for re-purposing food!

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