Keep Food Out of the Trash & Put $600 in Your Pocket

A 2004 study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that the average American family throws away 14 percent of their food – that’s almost $600 a year!

I’ll be honest, this has been me from time to time. In the not too distant past, I’ve had to throw away cookie dough, sweet potatoes and asparagus because they spoiled or passed their expiration date before I got to them.

So, here are a few quick tips to save money by keeping food from going to waste:

• Take stock of the produce, breads, cheese and deli meats you have in your home so you don’t double up on these foods.

• Create meal plans around perishable foods to use them up before they spoil.

• Separate the club packs of meat and freeze them the day you go shopping to keep the meat from passing its “sell by” date.

• Use leftovers in next-day breakfasts and lunches. There are also a variety of cookbooks worth checking out that are dedicated to cooking with leftovers to make your food dollar go farther, including “Love Your Leftovers,” “Use it Up Cookbook: Creative Recipes for the Frugal Cook” and “Second Time Around.”

What do you do to keep from wasting money by throwing away food? Do you have any good second-day recipes? I can’t wait to hear your suggestions!