Reduce food waste and you will be amazed by how much money you can save. Reducing the food waste you send to the landfill, and moving towards a zero-waste lifestyle is great for our planet. But it is good for you personally too. Let’s take a look at 5 simple ways to save money by reducing food waste, and think about what you could do with the money you save:

1. Reduce the Amount You Buy in the First Place

Much of the food waste we generate comes from over-buying. So the first step in saving money and reducing food waste is reducing the amount that you buy in the first place. Some ways to reduce the amount you buy might include:

1. 1. 1. Taking notes on your family’s dietary requirements, and working out before shopping exactly how much you need.
      2. Making lists and sticking to them (or get a personal cook to shop for you, to eliminate impulse buying).
      3. Going grocery shopping on a full stomach after having a snack or a meal.
      4. Growing at least some of your own food at home (You could grow a little on your windowsills, even if you do not have your own garden).
      5. Ordering groceries online is another way to reduce impulse buying.

2. Use Every Part of Your Food Purchases

It is also important to make sure that you use every part of all the food you buy or grow. Many people end up throwing out perfectly nutritious and delicious ingredients – such as carrot tops, broccoli stems, or beet or turnip leaves. Make sure that you make use of all these things. And, if you eat meat, make sure you use the whole lot – use bones to make broth, for example.

3. Cook and Eat Leftovers

Quite a lot of food and money waste derives from leftovers going uneaten. Reduce food waste in your household by making good use of all of your leftovers. Leftovers are nutritious and delicious, and you can re-use them in a wide range of exciting and delicious recipes.

4. Use Frozen Foods

Not only it is cheaper but experts also say frozen produce actually has a lower carbon footprint than fresh, mostly due to less food waste at home. Also, because of the prep work that goes into frozen produce (washing, peeling, etc), they can often have less pesticide residue and more nutritional value than fresh.
On top of all that, fresh produce is usually flown around the world to markets in airplanes with extra AC, while frozen foods travel by ship, which takes a fraction of the fuel. Even if you take into account the extra packaging frozen foods require, it’s still a more green solution.
The best green (and cheap) solution – eat local fresh in-season produce, eat frozen for out-of-season or non-local produce and recycle the packaging, if possible. Don’t forget to read the frozen food labels carefully to avoid packages with hidden salts, sugars, unpronounceable additives, and preservatives.

5. Compost Food Waste At Home or Get a Chicken Coop

Whether or not you grow your own food, composting is a key skill to learn. Composting food scraps at home can allow you to make full use of the nutrients they contain, even when they are not good to eat. Composting can be done at home, even without a garden. You can install a small container under your sink or in a kitchen cupboard and keep food waste out of the landfill. Another way to deal with it is to install a chicken coop, the chickens will eat all the scraps and you will also get nice fresh eggs.

What To Do With the Money You Save

If you could save $50-$100 per week from reducing your food waste, that’s sums up to $5,000 a year. If you invest it with a 2% interest rate, it can grow to $200,000 over 30 years!

If you add takeout/delivery savings, this can climb to $200-$400 per week, which is up to $21,000 a year, and with a 2% interest, this can grow to $788,000 over 30 years! And you will reduce food packaging waste too, improving sustainability even more..

What can you do with these savings?

1. 1. 1. Book an in-home personal chef once a week to prepare healthy meals
      2. Save towards your kids’ education
      3. Pay off your mortgage faster
      4. Invest in your own garden and/or chicken coop
      5. Pay for a gym membership or other hobby
      6. Get a manicure, pedicure, or your hair done more often
      7. Donate money to your favorite cause