A New Year brings with it good intentions and resolutions to be better, like eating healthier and saving money on eating out, taking out or ordering in are often high on the list.
If you consider that about 20% of food purchased last year ended up in the garbage, according to a Wall Street Journal, that equates to $252 billion worth of food that Americans threw out last year. This works out to nearly $1,900 per household, or about $150 a month. Imagine if that money was added to your retirement account or used to pay down debt. However, specifically in January great intentions of eating healthier can result in soggy salads, ignored and spoiled fruit and vegetables and stale healthy bread. Getting takeout while your fridge is filled with food just compounds the dollars flying to the garbage dump.
Smart Planning
Just as financial planning is crucial, effective food planning will turn good intentions into financial gains. Give it the same priority as vacation planning (the number one of all types of plans). It is much less expensive to eat at home than to go out or do take out. Last year, food-prepared-away-from-home, including restaurant orders and grocery store pickups, accounted for about 54% of overall food spending. That makes it possible to get a great result with some simple changes.
Make a Weekly Meal Plan: check your calendar, identify days when dining out or ordering in is not necessary and find meals that are quick to prepare. Those who opt for monthly meal plans tend to waste more food.
Cut down on your food shopping trips, only shop for food weekly. Take an inventory of your pantry, your refrigerator and freezer. You will be surprised by how many duplicates and very old items you have. Going forward, when you use something up or need to throw it out because it is so out of date, write it on your shopping list. Don’t buy things you can’t use within a week (staples should be replenished as needed). Don’t buy anything you have no plan to eat and that is not on your list! Even if it is on sale!
Fruit and vegetables are the most commonly wasted food. Google how to store them correctly; consider creating a cheat sheet to remind yourself when you bring groceries home.
Have some quick healthy meals in the freezer, for when you don’t feel like cooking on the day you planned. You can eat leftovers or when you prepare food, you might want to double the recipe and freeze half for another week.
Be realistic
Don’t set yourself up for failure, give yourself some space and flexibility; plan to eat out with friends or do take-out for the nights you have to work late. But PLAN and stick as closely to your plan as possible. Start with building a food budget that accommodates your existing food habits and making smaller adjustments over time. Gradual changes will give you long-term success. Give yourself time to get used to a new way of eating and saving money. And use that money for a better future for you and your family!
