Amazing Money Saving Food Hacks

In the US, 30-40% of the food supply is wasted. That’s more than 20 pounds of food per person, per month! Quite shocking, isn’t it. Food waste is not only bad for the environment, it’s expensive. Most of the food that is wasted in households is due to the fact it spoils before you have a chance to use it. Let’s put an end to that, with these amazing money saving food hacks. 

Shop Weekly
It’s tempting to stock up on seasonal produce when it’s inexpensive. But, be realistic about it. How much of that watermelon is your family going to eat in a given week? Only buy what you will eat, even if this means you shop weekly instead of twice a month. This will save you plenty money and limit waste. That 2 for 1 deal isn’t all that great if you are tossing most of it at the end of the week. 

Store Produce Properly
Knowing how to store produce correctly will help it last much longer. Some ways to keep produce fresher, longer is to keep ripe fruits away from others and making sure it's dry before you store in the refrigerator. Produce that keeps fresh won’t end up in the garbage.

Buy Minimally Processed Foods
A hunk of cheddar is a heck of a lot cheaper than a bag of pre-shredded cheese. The extra money you are paying is for the “processing” (ie shredding of the cheese). In general, purchasing food in its rawest form will be significantly cheaper. 

Buying in Bulk Isn’t Better
Supermarkets like you to think that those big bags of apples and orange are a better deal. Most of the time, they are not. In the produce department, individual peppers are almost always cheaper than those in the multi-packs. Check the per ounce price usually displayed alongside the price tag. This will tell you whether or not you are getting a good deal. 

Skip the Endcaps
Many people think that if something is displayed at the end of an aisle, it is a good deal. Often, it’s not. Those end caps are sold specifically to companies trying to promote a product. Look for deals in the middle of the aisles. 

Eat Before You Shop
Shopping when you are hungry will lead to splurge buys.  Plus, with low blood sugar, you won’t be able to concentrate on what you need and end up forgetting what you came in for. Plan on shopping after a meal to keep your body and budget in check. 

You don’t need to spend your entire paycheck on groceries to keep your family fed. With some planning and a few money saving food hacks, you’ll be armed for your next shopping trip.