One way most people lose money on food is through wastage. The person shopping for food may buy something their families don't like much maybe because it's cheaper or they hope that their family's tastes might change. Most of it will end up being thrown out. To avoid such wastage of food [and money] you ought to be practical. Buy foods which your family enjoys eating. Buy in bulk and you'll save a lot of money.
I agree with you about buying some things in bulk. I like that you can forget all bout them over the next few months and just have perishables to worry about, which don't cost too much.As soon as I can afford to, I'll be going back to this style of shopping!
I simply get a list of what me and my family would like to eat for the week and then buy it all at once according the the size I guess will be eaten throughly. I think the biggest problem contributing to wasted food is the ignorance of people's actions and inactions, and how it effects the planet at large because most people don't care where their garbage goes so long as it's gone from their sight. I believe the best way to prevent wasting food is to have preplanned meals and to eat leftovers before cooking anything new!
I agree. I've seen a few articles and studies that claim exactly this and it's made me really conscious about being more discerning whenever I do my shopping. I always make sure I have a plan for each item and I stick to it, so that I will have as much free space in my refrigerator and also to eliminate waste which in turn then helps me to save money and not waste it.
That is so true. I thought I was doing the smart thing by trying to buy different, cheaper brands for my family. I really thought that if they didn't see the packaging then they wouldn't know the difference. Some things I did get away with but on the others they knew right away. It was so funny to me. The way they looked at me with evil in their eyes after they tasted that slop. They knew what I had done. Now my husband wants to "monitor" my shopping. But at least now I know what I can and can't bring into my house while trying to save a dollar or two.
My parents have always trained us not to waste food, and so now even as an adult, that value remained. I never order anything that's more than what I think I can consume, and in case there are excess, I always have it packed. Food is something that you work hard for, so I don't see why I would be wasting it just like that.
It's always pot luck with cheaper brands. There are a few where you'd never guess you'd switched but others are glaringly inferior.
I swear it is hereditary whether you throw food out or not . My husband randomly throws out all sort of food, it drives me nuts. I on the other hand will try to make sure I used everything in time and eat what I have. He throws things out that are perfectly good but he just doesn't want to eat. I suppose it all has to do with upbringing, and being made to believe what is acceptable or not. In my family it would be completely unacceptable to throw out perfectly good food, but it his family they would throw out food at the start of any random diet or whim.
Wasting food is a common problem all over the world. It has caused a loss of so much money but still people waste because they do not think before getting their food. It greatly affects the economy and leads to a great loss. It can be well taken care of if the food is properly utilised. But most of the people do not get enough money for a days meal and some people wasted as much as they want.
I got into some really bad habits with wasting food when I moved out on my own. Especially when I would try to make some big batch of whatever in my crock pot or slow roasting it in the oven - I would quickly grow tired of whatever it was I made and never finish it all before it went bad. Then I would wind up dumping the rest of it out because I couldn't stand to eat it or look at it any longer. I was also notorious for buying all sorts of specialty items that I would only use a little bit of then toss the rest, such as fresh herbs like tarragon or chervil, which I never normally cook with. Or even vegetables such as parsnips or leeks, which I don't cook with often and don't really care for to use them up before they go rotten. I've tried to get into the habit of scanning over ingredient lists, and warning myself that I will never use many of those ingredients, so I should just pass on that recipe and try something else instead.
I always try to eat what is left over first. It actually makes me comfortable to eat in order of age The only thing is sometimes wasting is unavoidable. For example sometimes I get salsa but I don't eat Tostitos that often and it ends up going to waste because I'm the only one who likes it. I really wish they had smaller jars. I don't know why they don't. Another reason I waste is I get scared of eating old stuff. I know you should always trust your instinct but I am more likely to not eat it if it's more than a few days old or past the date. I had eaten leftover soup once that wasn't too old and it tasted okay but my mom and I got horribly sick after. Ever since then, I feel funny about eating leftovers sometimes. My perspective is it's better to throw something away if you're unsure because if something has gone bad, you're still wasting it because your body throws it out.
I have always been very particular when it comes to wasting food. In my household nothing gets ever wasted. I have taught everyone around me about discipline when it comes to food. My basic approach is to never buy any food that you know you might not be able to finish before it goes bad. It's as simple as that.
My problem with food wastage tends to stem from the fact that my husband and I are just two people. Often I can come up with meals that are easily made for two, but other times I have a lot of leftovers. Most times I can reuse the leftovers in ways that create a completely new meal. Other times not so well. I suppose my husband and I should invest in one of those seal-a-meal things, but we never seem to get around to it.
To avoid wasting food the best thing to do is to not purchase items that will not be eaten, don't purchase too much or freeze what you do not use. Make a menu for a week so that you know what you will need and use.
