It's a money-saving tip I came across on a blog and don't know if it really is something anyone has ever tried. The blogger suggests that before going shopping for groceries you should ensure that you have exhausted all your food supplies in the kitchen. This is specifically meant to ensure all food is consumed. If you don't throw away food which goes bad because you got something fresher [and wanted to eat it first], isn't that money saved?
I do that to a certain extent with the food that I have in my pantry, but never with fresh produce. When I don't have much money, I save by eating all the grains and other dried foods I keep in my pantry, fluffing my meals out with a few fresh vegetables from the backyard or farmer's market, before I restock.
Personally, I always eat about everything in my home before I go to the store. I don't see a reason to go grocery shopping if I have everything I need at my apartment. When I do grocery shopping, I like to get items in bulk because I don't like going to the stores. I save money this way and can put some funds toward other things and not needlessly on food I already have.
Well, no, not really. I mean, some things just last longer than others, but you can't use them for making a proper meal. Does the blogger suggest that we eat all our pasta before we go to pick up more sauces for example? That would entail eating it all dry, which I think you'll agree, would not be that nice.
This does sound like good practice, but I personally don't follow it. I usually just get food whenever I'm running low on supplies, but I never wait until I'm completely out of them. I just try to compensate by being more diligent in finishing all of my leftover food in the fridge even when I do get new supplies, and I try to get as close to completely running out as possible, but it's not always the practical choice for me since sometimes I run out of certain items first which means I'd need to go to the grocery and if I just get those one or two items then I'd have to go back which means I'll be wasting gas.
I pretty much do this. I won't use everything because I keep some of it in case of emergencies. However, the basic stuff we eat each week we'll eat until there is no possible way to cook anymore food. That is how I have always done it. I was raised that way and my husband is that way, for the most part. There are some things he is like "We're almost out!" Like milk, he loves his milk.
I don't wait till the items are completely exhausted. I make a list of things about to run out, keep them in a separate room and bring them out when the existing supplies are done.
I think this should only apply to perishables. It makes sense to eat the current produce and leftovers in your fridge before going shopping. As soon as you get fresh food, you're likely to eat those instead of the older food and it may go bad...which is wasteful. I don't think you should necessarily try to finish up absolutely everything, though. And if there are a few items left that might go bad in the next few days, then be sure to shop for food items to go with them and keep them at the front of the fridge so they get eaten first.
I don't finish absolutely everything because things like milk and eggs run out before things like rice and canned goods. I do try to use up most of the food in the house before going shopping again, but with perishables, I have to make a couple of extra trips during the month when they run out. As a coffee drinker, I don't like to run out of milk.
I already do this out of sheer laziness. It's good to know that I may be saving money because of it. I guess using the first in, first out method would be a good way to save money because you avoid stocking up on products you don't really need, and this your pantry becomes more efficient and budget friendly. Great tip.
I think it's just a matter of taking note of the expiry date of the product to avoid wasting them. You don't really have to exhaust everything before you go to the supermarket. What if there was a typhoon or something that requires you to stock up on food, then you would clearly be at a disadvantage when you do that.
Will Give This a Try Truthfully, I need to do this. There are many times where there are items in my pantry that honestly I am NOT in the mood for. So instead of using what I have, I will go to the grocery store to shop for foods that I like more. For example, I have cans of tuna in my pantry right now. I could use that to prepare a meal, but instead I will go out and and buy chicken so I can have grilled chicken for dinner instead of tuna. I think its a great suggestion! Brandi
Sadly, I do exactly that. I shop when I am about to consider eating a can of pumpkin and beets. It's a habit I really want to change. I just cannot find the right time in the day when the store is open and I'm free. I just need to plan a tad better me thinks. I would prefer to shop once a week. That's my ideal.
I agree with the blogger, but I rarely eat up all of the food in my home. Normally, once the meat and vegetables are almost gone, I'll head out to the store. Other items such as crackers, chips, etc, I don't worry about. These items are less perishable. What I do though is take an account of what I have for food before going shopping and make a list. This process helps me save money. I don't over buy or get the same product that's already in my cupboard.
I think this should only apply to perishables. It makes sense to eat the current produce and leftovers in your fridge before going shopping. As soon as you get fresh food, you're likely to eat those instead of the older food and it may go bad...which is wasteful.
I agree that this should really only be applied to perishables. I do try to eat all those before I run out most of the time because I know if I wait too long I'll be afraid they've went bad so I get paranoid about getting sick and I don't like to waste things. As for pantry items like mac and cheese that's not really a meal so I mostly leave it for when I have nothing else. Then we stock up real good once we're almost out of things so we don't have to go for a while.
