One of the biggest ways to routinely waste food and throw money down the drain is letting your refrigerator go.

You know what I mean…food everywhere, leftovers on every shelf, no rhyme or reason on where to find things and too much food that’s gone bad. All you have to do is look at a plastic bag full of unrecognizable veggies that have liquefied and you know what I mean.

What’s the key to reducing food waste? It’s all about slowing down and increasing your awareness. Just like those of us who constantly run from one activity to another, eat mindlessly and never listen to our bodies, our refrigerator isn’t much different. When we ignore things, they go bad, start to smell and are completely unappetizing. To me it’s a metaphor for our life.

But with a small amount of attention and keeping track of what you’ve got, you can transform that messy refrigerator into an orderly, inviting space. What’s more, when you know what you have and have a plan for using it, food waste is minimal.

How do I keep a handle on my refrigerator and minimize the mess? I put aside a little time each week as I’m creating  our weekly meal plan. I take stock of what we have, what we need to use up and and what need from the store. And during the week, I keep an eye on fresh produce to make sure we’re using up. With a plan that simple, it’s not hard to save money while staying healthy.

What do you do to ensure you minimize food waste and watch your bottom line?

Looking for simple ideas to make consistent, healthy meal planning a whole lot easier? Sign up for my free, 26-minute downloadable audio, “4 Simple Steps to Meal Planning Success.” http://budurl.com/56xd

Filed under: Food Waste, Meal Planning, Saving Money.