throwing money in the trash. SICK OF IT!!!

krista010105

IM THROWING MONEY IN THE TRASH EVER WEEK AND DONT KNOW HOW TO FIX IT!!!!!!

i go to the store and get stuff to make meals for the week.
but because of my husbands crazy overnight and on call schedule he will not be hungry so wont eat what i make, or will bring fast food home so i dont get to make the meals i planned cause that is a lot of food and left overs NEVER get eaten in this house. they get pushed to the back of the fridge to collect mold.

like i will buy lettuce tomatos, lunch meat and bread for sandwiches for lunch for me all week. then hubby comes home late one morning at 11 am instead of 8 and we go to pay a bill and he stops at a fast food place. or he brings food home. so the bread and veggies go bad since they dont get eaten fast enough. im constantly throwing out milk, breads, fruits and veggies, on top of gram crackers that for some reason kids dont put in zip lock baggies so they get soggy. or cereal that goes stale since its left open one day they decide to eat at home instead of school and i dont notice for a week cause its kids cereal.

with just me and my 2 year old we wont use a loaf of bread in a week for lunch especially when daddy gets other lunch ideas.

i know me being super picky about eating old food that im scared is growing mold but you just cant see it , is part of the problem but i cant stop cause thats my health and my kids health i couldnt emagine giving them moldy food that makes them sick just cause the mold wasnt old enough to be seen by the eye yet. i have had grapes that i ate that showed no sign of mold but totally tasted like it.

how do i fix this with a crazy family of 6 schedule. some weeks we will go through 3 gallons of milk and some weeks not even a single gallon but its not something i can predict. and taking my 2 year old and 4 month old to the grocery store every single day just is a major task. dont even have room to put food in the cart with a toddler in the top and a baby car seat in the basket so i get stressed and become a angry person.

im going nuts!!!!!!

morrowsarah

I completely understand your frustrations! My kids are 11,10,8,5 and we throw away a lot of food. It's a little easier for me to go to the store daily than it is for you but I feel like I spend a fortune daily. I have no idea how to fix it. I looked at the milk this morning which is more than half a gallon full and it expired on the 18th. That's like throwing away 2$. Makes me so mad.

Teksavvy

I'm not a big fan of leftovers either. My wife will make food and will freeze half of it the next day. You can freeze bread and it will be ok. In addition, if I do NOT want to eat something in the refrigerator, I'll either eat fast food or make other arrangements for food. Kids yell and scream about not eating certain foods, but they cannot DRIVE!

uneviesaine

I know some of these suggestions may be easier said than done but they might offer some help. Freezing certain things and using them as needed (such as bread - only taking out a few slices and thawing them when you need them, grapes - which are a yummy treat frozen, etc) can be very helpful in not wasting. Further, you have to make fast food a no go. I realize it's more your hubby than you but you either need to ask him not to bring home any therefore meaning you have to cook for at least yourself or you ask him to stop altogether. My fiance is a junk food/fast food junkie but knowing that I can't do that he's really worked to cut back himself and let me cook dinner more during the week. He's even started joining in on the cooking! Also, look at what things you throw out the most and buy less of those until you find the proper balance. It's tough to buy healthy food and then watch it go to waste so working around it becomes really important. I understand your mold issue. I'm actually very allergic to molds and break out so I have a constant fear of that myself but you have to remember that if a food doesn't show signs of molding that means it hasn't molded and again, keeping things frozen or in the food safety zone (below 42 degrees) helps stop/slow mold. Hope some of that helps!

megmay2591

I don't see how you can waste so much food....I waste some veggies every once in a while, but not half the groceries I bought. I don't have a family, it's just my boyfriend and I, but I think it's harder for me not to waste foods...I cook a pound of hamburger for tacos, we can have two meals from that, and the taco meat tastes just the same. I do this with many meals I make, and am only cooking for two. Make your children eat the leftovers, if they are hungry, well they can eat what's provided for them to eat. I might sound strict and I don't have kids, but you're throwing away your money! Make a change, cook the food!

Rayjewls

I would put the bread in the fridge and toast as needed. Leftovers can be frizen before they go bad. Grapes taste better frozen. 2% milk last alot longer then whole and it's better for your waistline just get lots of rubbermaid containers and use you :)r freezer...hope I helped a little

chuckyp

We throw a lot out too and it bugs me. Sometimes it's unavoidable, especially with produce.
We belong to a produce co-op and get a big basket of produce every other week. It's so much that we can't possibly eat it all before it goes bad, but even if we throw half of it away it's cheaper than if we bought it at the grocery store.
My wife likes to buy so much stuff that the pantry and fridge is packed tight. When I open the fridge to find food, I am not going to dig through every shelf with crap falling off the shelves onto the floor to see what is hidden back there, so inevitably it goes bad and gets pitched. I can't get her to just keep less on hand. I think she has a problem with allowing any empty space whatsoever in the pantry or fridge.

JollyJane13

I rarely eat out now that I've started my journey. I am serious about it. I have 3 kids and myself and mother to feed. I purchase 1-2 weeks worth of food at a time. If meat is defrosted, we cook it all, and either refreeze the cooked meat, or make a few meals with it. Wasting money on eating out isn't just making you fat, its making your wallet thin. Re-prioritize your money. That is money you could use to get a pedicure, or depending on amount, go on a mini vacay. Eat at home, its healthier.

PS Its not against wifely duties to make the hubby eat something else. If he wants fast food, let him...this is your diet, not his.

jessicajoy87

Yeah that sucks. I had that problem then I told my husband to make up his mind. He now eats the leftovers. Its expensive eating out all the time and very bad for you. So you tell him he can come home and eat a healthy sandwich when he gets off work!

76tech

Your freezer is your friend.

colochel

My husband and I recently invested in a fancy shmancy new fridge and I swear it keeps food 5x as long as our old one did. My old fridge used to keep blueberries for 3 days before they'd spoil... now they last a couple of weeks. We also freeze a lot of our meals that we make from produce as well. Which is a double win - less sodium than prepackaged meals and it's way more cost effective.

jennywren1971

I have a family of seven and we rarely have to throw out food. I do a big shop fortnightly and a smaller one weekly.

Meal planning is the answer.

Go to your pantry and fridge and check what is in there now, make a list. Now sit down and think about what meals you could. Make with what is in there now, think about breakfast, lunches and dinners. Write yourself another list.

Now challenge yourself to use up the foods you have in the fridge, freezer and pantry without going shopping. It can be done, you just need to be creative. If you have veges that are on their last legs then they make great soups or stews which can then be frozen into meal size portions or individual serves,

Now when you have done that for maybe a week you should have emptied most of the fridge and pantry. Now you plan what meals you want for the following week using the stuff you have left and write a shopping list for the stuff you need. Go shopping and only buy what is on your list. Try to stick to your plan this week. The more you. Do it the easier it gets. If you have a stash of apples left then everyone gets apples until they are gone, don't buy more fruit until they have eaten them or you have used them to make something.

If hubby buys fast food then let him eat it and chuck the le overs out instead of the good food. Tell him to buy only for himself as you and the kids won't be eating it. The money you are wasting with fast food and throwing out food will be substantial so maybe you could aim for the lets save some money angle.

Tips for making food last longer. Buy some good quality fridge containers for storing fruit and vegetables. They really do keep them fresh longer. Sort your fridge into areas so you can easily find stuff and it doesn't get pushed to the back. I buy long life milk and
keep int he pantry and add to the fridge as needed. I freeze our bread and take out as needed. I buy different sorts of frozen veges as they taste great, give variety and don't go off. Freeze your meats in meal size portions and defrost as you need it in the microwave. As for cereal put the cereal in plastic containers to stop the bags being left open. We have a few different types of cereals available at any one time but I often don't buy any one fortnight and make the kids finish the ones we've got, I also use left over bits of cereals like Weet bid or special k in rissoles.

I think with a bit of work and over time you will be surprised at how much money you will save and also how much less wasteful your family can become, good luck!

krista010105

I completely understand your frustrations! My kids are 11,10,8,5 and we throw away a lot of food. It's a little easier for me to go to the store daily than it is for you but I feel like I spend a fortune daily. I have no idea how to fix it. I looked at the milk this morning which is more than half a gallon full and it expired on the 18th. That's like throwing away 2$. Makes me so mad.

$2 to us who have 2 adults 4 kids and just one income with no government assistance is like a weeks pay check.

PopcornPig

I think make a commitment to yourself. If you buy food for lunches then use it, even if your husband brings home food. You have to start somewhere and sometime....doing the same thing over and over is just insanity!

Lleldiranne

If you refuse to go to fast food with your husband, and insist that you (and kids) eat the healthy food you buy and fix instead of the junk he's bringing home, will he get the hint? If you're throwing food away anyway, might as well toss the unhealthy stuff and eat the good stuff, right?

I don't know -- it might work, it might not. Good luck!

ashdawg8790

Hide his wallet so he can't get fast food. Or... tell him he's only allowed a certain number of times a week and then wean him down... That's how I got my fiance to quite energy drinks for a few months! (The limiting part.) Just make sure you keep up with it and tell him it's 'cause you're worried about his health and it's too expensive to eat out. Or... Make a special night once a week to go out so he doesn't have to feel like he's being deprived. Then it's a treat instead of a regular thing. It worked for me when I was a kid I had to earn going to McDonald's on pay day. If I was bad, I didn't get to go! Then, once you get there, make them choose healthy things! So you still win! :laugh:

krista010105

I have a family of seven and we rarely have to throw out food. I do a big shop fortnightly and a smaller one weekly.

Meal planning is the answer.

Go to your pantry and fridge and check what is in there now, make a list. Now sit down and think about what meals you could. Make with what is in there now, think about breakfast, lunches and dinners. Write yourself another list.

Now challenge yourself to use up the foods you have in the fridge, freezer and pantry without going shopping. It can be done, you just need to be creative. If you have veges that are on their last legs then they make great soups or stews which can then be frozen into meal size portions or individual serves,

Now when you have done that for maybe a week you should have emptied most of the fridge and pantry. Now you plan what meals you want for the following week using the stuff you have left and write a shopping list for the stuff you need. Go shopping and only buy what is on your list. Try to stick to your plan this week. The more you. Do it the easier it gets. If you have a stash of apples left then everyone gets apples until they are gone, don't buy more fruit until they have eaten them or you have used them to make something.

If hubby buys fast food then let him eat it and chuck the le overs out instead of the good food. Tell him to buy only for himself as you and the kids won't be eating it. The money you are wasting with fast food and throwing out food will be substantial so maybe you could aim for the lets save some money angle.

Tips for making food last longer. Buy some good quality fridge containers for storing fruit and vegetables. They really do keep them fresh longer. Sort your fridge into areas so you can easily find stuff and it doesn't get pushed to the back. I buy long life milk and
keep int he pantry and add to the fridge as needed. I freeze our bread and take out as needed. I buy different sorts of frozen veges as they taste great, give variety and don't go off. Freeze your meats in meal size portions and defrost as you need it in the microwave. As for cereal put the cereal in plastic containers to stop the bags being left open. We have a few different types of cereals available at any one time but I often don't buy any one fortnight and make the kids finish the ones we've got, I also use left over bits of cereals like Weet bid or special k in rissoles.

I think with a bit of work and over time you will be surprised at how much money you will save and also how much less wasteful your family can become, good luck!

thanks for all the advice. i keep telling him i really really really want to invest in thoser really nice glass sets that have the red lids that stack and click together with the lids. cause they are see through unlike all the butter containers we use so we never know what we have thinking its always butter or sour cream. but with the family size we have i would need mostly the larger ones for enough left overs for the next day for everyone. and they are pricy. and we are totally broke. i tell him it will save money and they will look nicer since they wont get all funky like the plastic storage containers that like melt or something when there is acidic foods, chili, spagetti sauce etc and they wont stain so they can be used as serving bowls for when there are guest over for holidays and such. he just needs to get on board and stop being a tight wad. i told him replacing all out storage containers and spending even $100 on enough to store grapes and stuff in too will be worth it to cut out food thrown out and alot of zip lock baggies i store fruit in.

i think i am going to start shopping twice a week instad of trying to plan means for the whole week. i dont know hubbys work schedule and the kids arent always here. they go back and forwth to their dads house so some times i think there are going to be 5 to eat and really it is just me and a toddler . buying just food for 3 days or so would help and take away my fear of spoiled food other than the large stuff. we tried freezing bread and it tasted different after it was thawed.

krista010105

Hide his wallet so he can't get fast food. Or... tell him he's only allowed a certain number of times a week and then wean him down... That's how I got my fiance to quite energy drinks for a few months! (The limiting part.) Just make sure you keep up with it and tell him it's 'cause you're worried about his health and it's too expensive to eat out. Or... Make a special night once a week to go out so he doesn't have to feel like he's being deprived. Then it's a treat instead of a regular thing. It worked for me when I was a kid I had to earn going to McDonald's on pay day. If I was bad, I didn't get to go! Then, once you get there, make them choose healthy things! So you still win! :laugh:

he says once we get the elliptical he is going to start using it too but i dont think is is totaly into stopping his fast food.i could say if we go sunday to friday with no fast food and only healthy stuff then we will go to a resturant or order pizza on saturday or something.

granolagrl85

i know me being super picky about eating old food that im scared is growing mold but you just cant see it , is part of the problem but i cant stop cause thats my health and my kids health i couldnt emagine giving them moldy food that makes them sick just cause the mold wasnt old enough to be seen by the eye yet. i have had grapes that i ate that showed no sign of mold but totally tasted like it.


ROFL

elf618

the milk in half gallon cardboard containers like "smart balance" and some of the soy and almond milks have longer shelf lives and also tend to go on sale and even have coupons right on the case making them sometimes cheaper than regular milk. We've switched to these. Can't tell the difference with some, flavors take some openmindedness on others. We really like the vanilla almond milk on cereal.

ErinNichole76

I despise grocery shopping! Its just me & the hubs here and some weeks I feel like I'd get more nutrition out of just eating the cash I was going to spend on the food. We are constantly on the go and the one night a week I am home in time to cook a meal, that's the last thing I want to do because there are a ton of other things I think I should be doing instead. But I'm adjusting, slowly. Maybe a few of the things I'm doing will help you.

I've started cooking a casserole or two on the weekends. Once its done cooking I let it cool then dish it into serving sized containers to be frozen. The smaller containers only take about 5 mins in the microwave to heat up. I feel good knowing even when I'm not home my husband can eat a halfway decent casserole, instead of over-processed mystery meat in a box. My 'serving sized' containers are the plastic containers the hillshire farm deli meat comes in or ziploc plastic containers. I can write on the side with a sharpie to know what's in it, but it comes off with just a few swipes of the soapy sponge while I'm doing the dishes.

My sister-in-law taught me to brown my ground hamburger meat before freezing it. That way it just needs to be heated a little and have the seasonings added to it for tacos, italian dishes, or anything else.

I have three tupperware containers for my cereal. As soon as a box/bag is opened it goes into a tupperware. If there are no tupperware containers available we don't open a new thing of cereal. If the kids all want different types of cereal perhaps try the little individual boxes. Two birds with one stone: the kids only get one serving of cereal in the morning and it doesn't go stale. It is a bit more expensive but it beats the waste. Also those little boxes make great munchie food while watching tv, on a road trip, whenever again its only one serving so you don't completely blow your calories for the day.

As soon I buy a package of crackers, graham crackers, saltines, any crackers, I open the box, and put the inner bag inside a ziploc bag. That way if someone other than myself opens the inner bag they have to open the ziploc too and hopefully they remember to close both as well. We had some last minute guests this past Thanksgiving and a couple things of crackers went soggy because they didn't ziploc the bags but other than that its been pretty successful for my pantry.

I've never tried freezing bread because we do go through a loaf in just over a week by taking our lunches every day. My husband is saintly for making our lunches each morning. He has either a ham or salami sandwich and I get turkey or peanut butter. But I've heard freezing bread is a good thing to do with it if you don't eat it fast enough. When I was bread shopping this past weekend I noticed some of the loaves are not as long as others. Perhaps switching to one of those shorter brands might help.

There have even been a few rare occasions where I've managed to get out of bed early enough to throw things in the crockpot so its ready to eat when I get home from work. Other times I get it all ready the night before, keep it in the fridge overnight, then plug it in and turn it on as I walk out for work.

I have worked the midnight shift before, I did it for a year. At the time I was seeking weight loss help from a place that is no longer in business. It was hard to figure out my schedule and the best time to eat. The best advice the weight loss place could offer was get on a normal 9-5 schedule. I lost a couple pounds but nothing like I wanted. All that to say that I know its difficult to adjust to a drastic change from what everyone else considers "normal." I think the thing that helped me the most was that there wasn't a lot of junk food in my house at that time and there were no fast food joints on my way to/from work. What really hurt me was the time I would spend with my friends all they wanted to do was go out to junky food places.

Perhaps if you don't pack a lunch for your husband you could pack him a hunger emergency kit for his car. Then maybe he won't be so tempted to stop at the drive-thru after an off the wall shift. Ask him once a week or so if the kit needs to be replenished. Possible kit items individual size box of cereal, protein or meal replacement or breakfast bars, bottle of water, cracker snack packet, trail mix, snack bag of nuts, sunflower seeds, etc. A lot of my items are prepackaged but that's because when I'm in the car I want something crunchy. There are some prepackaged things that are healthy, healthier than most fast food anyway.

My neighbor had an issue with her husband not eating what she prepared because even when she used his mother's recipes it didn't taste enough like his mom's to be worth eating and he never touched leftovers. There were a good number other issues going on in that marriage too but eventually they sought the help of their pastor. She explained that besides hurting her feelings when he refused to eat her cooking, he was setting a poor example for the kids about respecting their mother. The pastor was able to explain it in a way that really hit the husband like a bullet between the eyes. So the next weekend they shipped the kids off to friends' houses and she spent the weekend cooking meals and tweeking recipes so they would taste more like his mother's so he would be willing to eat them with the family and so she would not prepare more than what would be eaten in one sitting. It was a lot of work but some of the creations they came up with were quite Yummy! Because he still refused to go near leftovers my husband & I ended up with most of the trial dishes. We froze most of them and ate very well for weeks!

Best Wishes to you!!

hbunting86

I hate throwing food away! So much so that I just don't do it where absolutely possible.

I'm a student, so food is a commodity (well, nice food anyway) so I make sure I use everything up!

As suggested, freeze bread and defrost it as and when you need it - if you pop it down in the toaster once this will defrost it quickly.

If you make too much stuff in the evening, do make sure to use it up. It's easy to eat for lunch the next day - you can always mix it up and serve it with a different side or add a few different spices etc - for example I'll make a huge chilli/bolognese once per week usually and then freeze it in portions. I'll then defrost them as I need them/want them and serve them with different veggies or sides - plus it cuts down on time heaps in the week. I get more time to work out or do other things rather than worry about what I'm going to eat or when I'm going to find time to make something healthy.

Also for 'use ups' as my family and I call them, I turn it into a challenge to make a meal of what I can find in the cupboard... kind of makes it seem a bit more fun, as well as economical. Also for the money you save put the extra you would have thrown away/spent in a pot and treat yourself to something nice. It's a great feeling being about to treat yourself and family to something when the money would have ordinarily disappeared in the garbage!

momof8munchkins

FREEZING.. is your answer.. freeze the bread and only take out what you need at the time, buy gallons of milk in half gallons.. pour out a little of each container and freeze them until needed. buy Peanut butter, canned chicken and tuna for lunches instead of lunchmeat... you can also freeze lunch meat and sliced cheese. Boxes of cereal can be put into tupperware and the same with the crackers. if the fresh veggies and fruit are not being eaten then buy less of them.. stick with frozen and canned most of the time.

momof8munchkins

Hide his wallet so he can't get fast food. Or... tell him he's only allowed a certain number of times a week and then wean him down... That's how I got my fiance to quite energy drinks for a few months! (The limiting part.) Just make sure you keep up with it and tell him it's 'cause you're worried about his health and it's too expensive to eat out. Or... Make a special night once a week to go out so he doesn't have to feel like he's being deprived. Then it's a treat instead of a regular thing. It worked for me when I was a kid I had to earn going to McDonald's on pay day. If I was bad, I didn't get to go! Then, once you get there, make them choose healthy things! So you still win! :laugh:

this works for kids.. but she is his wife not his mommy.. Grown men rarely respond well to being treated like children.. would you like your man to tell you what you are allowed to eat???

Figuringoutme

Sit down and talk with him. Go over your weekly mealy plan with him. See what he thinks. Get some of his imput and talk about not bringing food home.

iuangina

Food isn't going to go bad in a couple of days being in the fridge. I really doubt that you couldn't he at something up every once in a while. I mean if leftovers have been in the fridge for weeks, don't eat it. But anything that's less than a week old, should be fine.

I personally hate frozen bread. It's all soggy and nasty when it thaws.

estjames

Meal planning and prepping food in small containers is the key.

For example, I had spinach left over from last week so I thawed some venison and made mini meatballs and froze them in serving size containers so I could pull them out as I wanted. Freezing in serving sizes is great for portion control and reducing waste.

Other ideas are freezing stir fry or fajita packs, if you have extra peppers, onions, other other veggies slice them like you like them and have them ready in containers so you can just pull something out and cook it.

I do all my food prep on the weekend since I do not like chopping when I come home from school or work. Plus if veggies are chopped or the melon is balled and frozen in 1 cup containers, I will take those for my snacks rather than buying a candy bar because I am starving.

sharonus

This article was interesting to me: "‘Use-by’ dates: A myth that needs busting" http://grist.org/food/2011-11-18-use-by-dates-a-myth-that-needs-busting

I do have to say that I'm one of those people who looks at the dates on food and if it's past that, I throw it out. But I've started to try to lighten up on that because it's just wasteful: I'm wasting good food, I'm wasting money, and I'm also harming the environment when I consider all the resources that were used to actually get that food to my refrigerator.

You've been given a lot of good suggestions here. A few thing that I'm working on now to reduce food waste:

- Organize your refrigerator and pantry. Get rid of stuff that is expired now, so you have room and can see the good stuff.
- If people put things in the wrong place, move them back. They'll learn and if it helps you avoid two open containers of sour cream it's worth it!
- Put like things together and label shelves (Leftovers, Beverages, Mexican, Yogurt - whatever works for you) so everyone knows where things belong.
- Have ONE shelf that's all leftovers (or partially used things like broth). When you're considering your next meal, look there first to see if there is anything that can be used up.
- If you have multiple of a particular item, write "OPEN" or "USE ME" on the one that should be used first
- Label food and containers with the date it was opened (and contents if you can't see inside). That way, you don't have to guess how long a food has been around. I have a roll of masking tape and a sharpie hanging from one of those 3m command hooks on my fridge. I just peel off a piece of tape, write the date, and stick it on the container. It works really well. (Not that my husband ever labels anything! )

Good luck!

prettylyzard

I know it's gonna sound crazy, but maybe you can try to plan to shop everyday for food, or every few days. I know it takes a lot of time out of your schedule, but then you don't have to worry about having tons of food at home. Just an idea.

rsmblue

Invest in a FoodSaver...

bedoozled

Just a few quick ideas - look up storage tips (for example, herbs that get their ends trimmed, and then stored in a little cup with a small amount of water and a ziploc over top last AGES longer than stored any other way!), and try to make meals with components you can easily freeze - soups, lasagnas, meats etc. Good luck!