The 'Waste Not Want Not' Food Challenge

[redsoxmaniac]

For some time now I have been on a quest not to waste food. I have made a conscious effort and I have reduced my food costs by nearly 40%. I have less food in the fridge but nearly all gets eaten. Occassionally produce spoils and I throw it on my compost pile. I have even brought extra food into work to share so it doesn't get wasted. I also find I go out to eat less and when I do, I usually order something that is a pain in the neck to cook and I usually bring half of it home to enjoy later.

I am careful how I store my food, so that it has the longest possible "shelf life".
I eat in theme's like Mexican, vegetarian or italian. I have a plan. I spend a lot less time cleaning out the fridge because it doesn't have spoiling food in it. I portion out food when I buy it and freeze it (vacuum sealed) in the portions I'll use. I also use Mason jars both in the freezer and to seal everything from grains to snack crackers.

I am challenging my fellow Wise Bread contributors to spend the month of October (and hopefully beyond) to save some of their hard earned $$ by not wasting food this month. Dig through those cupboards and use up some of your canned goods. Eat out of that freezer BEFORE the food looks like frosty the snowman.

Right now there is so much volatility everywhere financially, this is something we can control.

I have sent a portion of my savings to my local food pantry. Not much but the folks that run the food pantry's really make a dollar stretch so $25 a month really does some good.

If you want to find that 'spare' hundred or more bucks a month give this a go!

[jdp]

I totally agree. I did this when I was moving, not to save money but to clean things out and not have to pitch a bunch of food or move it. Careful shopping...what I call "pantry eating" (meaning if there is something in the pantry thats what got eaten before buying)...used something called My Chef???? you put in the ingredients you have and it suggests recipes - that was a big hit!

Then after moving we just started to try and keep things simple, almost like the raw food deal but not really, just minimal cooking, minimal prep, just more wholesome food. No more planning a month ahead method and shopping for the whole month. I go by the store every day anyway so now I buy less, maybe stop more often but then you have to be careful not to "shop" just "get" what you need.

[redsoxmaniac]

I agree JDP. It becomes a habit and a way of life. I feel so much less "guilt" about food because I'm not throwing $$ away. There is something to buying things in volume if your going to use them and they have a long shelf life but for me it wasn't always working.

I haven't used my chef (couldn't find it) but I have used allrecipes. com and put in ingredients I wanted to use and I've found great recipes that way. In fact, I've found some great recipes that have become part of my repetoire.

I need to be away for a few months, so right now I am in the process of "eating down" the few things that I have in my freezer. By the time I am leave I am hope that I have 3 condiments to run over to the neighbor before I catch my plane. The last time I left and I had to shut down the power because I needed to winterize the house, I gave away a large cooler full of frozen food and many, many other things out of my pantry. I bet I gave away a couple hundred $$$ worth of food. (I did give it to some folks who really were grateful but still a lot of money)

This habit is like found $. I love it.

[purplefdu]

I am an allrecipes addict. I can make my husband find stuff to help with the shopping list and we have a huge favorites list built up of stuff we would have never tried without that site. Its also been a great excuse to visit the Asian market where we can always buy "just enough" for not much.

My budget doesn't allow for such minimal shopping these days, but I would love to be able to visit the local market every day to get just what we need minus some condiments and staples. Unfortunately when items go up .25-.50 or more daily its not frugal for me to not buy a couple boxes of pasta when they are cheaper.

[SouthShoreGirl]

This is really a great way to save lots of hard-earned cash!

[redsoxmaniac]

Mainly it is the perishable stuff or the short expiration pantry stuff that seem to be the guilty parties in terms of waste.
I do stock up on canned goods and pasta and the like. But I am really careful of what I'll fill my freezer and fridge with. I always keep eggs, yogurt and frozen fruit on hand. I freeze bananas when they start to turn and use them in smoothies. Apples and oranges seem to have a good shelf life. If I get a really great deal on ground beef or Chicken breasts I will buy but I am more realistic about how soon it will be eaten. Right now I am trying to buy meat or fish in about 4 meal portions. That seems to be working.

[indieretailer]

I was at Costco recently and the cashier's helper (don't know their title), was pronouncing that "yeah, leftovers are so in now."
I had to tell him that leftovers were never out in my household. Rather sad when working class people have to designate leftovers as some type of trend and not out of a habit.

[jdp]

Sorry. I should have been more specific. MyChef is one of the google gadgets I use.

http://www.google.com/ig/directory?h...com/mychef.xml

I buy "in bulk" when I'm planning on filling the freezer. I don't have a separate freezer, just the one on my fridge. For instance, yesterday I stopped at a local store called The Corner Cupboard, bought enough lunchmeats and cheeses and wraps and spreads to make a months worth of lunches, came straight home and did an 'assembly' thing, rolled them all up and froze them right then. I don't buy large things then to take up cupboard or fridge space, for instance I bought a very small bottle of spread. Probably could have saved $0.10/ounce if I bought in a big bottle but it would most definitely not get used for another month at least so why bother? I just got the little bottle, used it all up, washed it out and saved it for those times that clover or dandelions come home as gift bouquet from ds.

I also got about 12 pounds of apples and made enough slow cooker applesauce this weekend to be frozen in smaller portions to probably last me a year so I'll have to be sharing lol. Normally I'd buy an apple here an apple there.

[redsoxmaniac]

Jennifer it is funny the aversion to leftovers. Often I'd rather eat left overs. Usually the flavor melds and its wonderful. I sometimes wonder how people grew up. When I was at home my dad was a wonderful cook. We had a great variety of food and once a week (usually Thursday if I remember correctly) we'd have smorgasbord night. All the leftover (leftovers ) would come out of the fridge be reheated and we'd eat like a mini buffet. It was fun! I am sure now it was a clever way to clean out the fridge but as kids we thought it was fun. Microwaves are wonderful for leftovers.
The other thing that has really helped me is a plan. Even one day at a time. What's in the fridge...what's for breakfast, what am I taking for lunch and what about dinner. I always have a spare Easy Mac or two at work, in case I am running late, I am not forced to eat out. Not that I am enamored w/ the stuff, but it beats spending six bucks on some nasty fast food. I have also gotten in the habit of packing up leftovers in some tupperware or whatever it is I will use to take to work. Then I can grab and go, which is often the only difference between food getting eaten or being left behind.

[redsoxmaniac]

JDP,
I just added the mychef gadget from google. Thanks for that. I will use that often!
Great tip!

S.