Waste Not, Want Not

For those of you not keeping track, we are already in the second half of June. Our country has spent months in quarantine, and some states are starting to re-open. While this is great news for our economy, many people have concerns about their finances, and unemployment is still the reality for thousands of Americans. All of that being said, your budget is now more important than ever.

Apart from housing and childcare, we’ve all seen that food costs more than it did three months ago, which eats up more of your budget. No one knows what is going to happen next, but we will still have to put food on the table. Shopping smart and reducing food waste can help you stretch every dollar. I’ve already told you how important it is to plan meals, use coupon apps, and take advantage of your rewards credit cards, like this one, but there is, even more, you can do to save money…and it all starts with budgeting.

Budget

Prior to 2020, I would have told you to review your budget once or twice a year unless you experienced a life-event (death, divorce, marriage, baby, new house, etc.). Now everything has changed, so you should consider a monthly budget check-up.  Take the time to revisit your income, savings, and spending. You can use this comprehensive Household Budgeting Worksheet to help and adjust accordingly.

What’s for dinner?

After the money has been spent, you’ll want to use everything you bought. I don’t know about you, but I have some picky eaters in my house. How that happened is beyond me, but the good news for me is that it saves money. My kids have a choice…eat what I put in front of you, or choose a sandwich or cereal. It’s also not unusual for them to eat the veggies and leave the meat untouched. This means we have leftovers for lunch or dinner the next day. I’ve found myself in this situation several days a week, which means my dinner budget is essentially cut in half. Score! :)

If you have the time or inclination, make your food from scratch whenever possible. In my free time (hahaha), I can be found in my kitchen baking loaves of bread and desserts, making my own tea and lemonade, and washing vegetables and herbs from my garden.

If you are short on space, you can opt for a small herb garden pot for your window sill. You’ll still save money!

Keep it fresh

Have you ever found yourself digging through the fridge only to find that the fresh food spoiled before you could use it? Yeah, me too. We have the best of intentions, but sometimes life gets in the way. This doesn’t mean you have to stop buying or growing fresh produce. Instead, it might be time to clean and reorganize your refrigerator. It’s not the most exciting pastime, but it’ll save you some cash. Also, if you are still in quarantine, what better thing could you do? :)

To make the most of your condiments, store them on the shelves of the refrigerator doors. This area is for hearty foods that have a long shelf life. Your shelves in the interior of the fridge should store your meat, dairy products, and leftovers. This is the area with the most stable temperature and is perfect for providing consistent refrigeration to more delicate foods. Consider storing these items closer to the back of the fridge to ensure they remain cool even if the doors are open for a while (just beware of freezing!) The drawers in the fridge are perfect for produce because the humidity preserves flavor and texture.

Bring it back from the dead

If you do forget about your fresh celery and find it wilted and sad, don’t toss it. Celery, along with other fresh vegetables (scallions, lettuce, herbs, and more), can be revived with good ole H20. Google can show you the way to breathe extra life into your tired produce, but for the most part, it involves cutting the end of your vegetable and placing it in water. Of course, if it’s covered in mold, it’s time to call it quits and toss it – but you can compost your expired produce, so it’s not a total loss.

If it’s getting close to the shelf life and you don’t have immediate use for your food, you can try some quick fixes to preventing spoilage. You can turn vegetables into soup or stock, many can be prepared and frozen, or pickled. Don’t forget about the scraps. What you typically toss in the garbage as waste, can be perfectly delicious!

What are your tips and tricks to saving money and preventing food waste? I want to hear all about it in the comments below, or you can email me.

Krista Kyte is a personal finance blogger and personal banker with over 17 years of experience in the financial industry. Krista is passionate about helping our members understand their financial situations. She writes tips that will help consumers reach and maintain financial security, and start living the life they’ve always wanted.