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

A lot of things, like bread, can be kept in the freezer and taken out as needed. You can also portion off things like sandwich meats into single servings and take a little out of the freezer at a time.

I don't have a solution for fresh veggies, because I waste my fair share of those too.

seems to me like having a heart-to-heart with the Mr. might be in order - like, let's come together as the heads of the family, make a plan, make some compromises (like, what quick stuff does he like that ISN'T fast food?), get some cooking done ahead, some frozen stuff... but I think if you frame it in terms of "hey, we're losing a lot of money, and I'm not getting healthier from this pattern, either..." he may really want to work together to make a change...?

After a big trip to the grocery store I end up freezing a lot of the perishables if I am not 100% certain I'll use them in the next few days.
Onions and bell peppers freeze wonderfully. I'll take them out and toss them into stirfrys, fajitas, anything using a skillet. I do the same with green onions, chopping them into rings and putting them in an empty water bottle. That way I don't waste them and I can just shake out a few. You can even take the white root parts and put them in some dirt to grow all over again!

I also find that it helps to explain the meals in the morning. Tell your partner that you'll have dinner prepared at a certain time, or have him help you prepare it.

After a big trip to the grocery store I end up freezing a lot of the perishables if I am not 100% certain I'll use them in the next few days.
Onions and bell peppers freeze wonderfully. I'll take them out and toss them into stirfrys, fajitas, anything using a skillet. I do the same with green onions, chopping them into rings and putting them in an empty water bottle. That way I don't waste them and I can just shake out a few. You can even take the white root parts and put them in some dirt to grow all over again!

I also find that it helps to explain the meals in the morning. Tell your partner that you'll have dinner prepared at a certain time, or have him help you prepare it.

That's great advice about freezing onions and peppers. I bought a bag of frozen onions once, and I've never been able to find them again. I guess I'll be freezing my own.

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!!!!!!

Wow. I'm not sure where to begin...

I guess first, food doesn't go bad that quickly in the refrigerator. When I have leftovers I eat them until they're gone. Yes, it can get boring but I'm not going to waste food, especially if it was delicious and healthy. My food budget for a family of 4 plus a newborn is just over $100 a week. With that tight of a budget I will not throw food away. My husband doesn't always like leftovers and my kids like variety so I end up being the one to eat the leftovers, but for me, that's fine. It's quick and easy, something I don't have to worry about.

If you make a meal, eat it. Don't eat the fast food your husband brings home. If you want to eat sandwiches for lunch, eat them. Don't let your husband and his bad habits affect your plans.

Your kids shouldn't be eating different foods than you. Don't buy "kids" cereal, it's loaded with sugar and doesn't have the same nutritional value that healthy organic cereals have. My kids don't get special cereal. They get the same ones we eat. We buy organic cereals, often ones with fruit, which are actually delicious.

Make breakfast and lunch for your children, don't let them eat at school. That way you can ensure that your groceries are actually being eaten and that your kids are eating healthy foods.

Jennywren1971 had some excellent suggestions. I too plan my buying. I use a lot of cooked ground chuck ( spaghetti, chili,and casseroles.) I go ahead and cook it, cool it, and package it in 1or 2 pounds at time in zip lock baggies. Freeze it. Same with boneless skinless chicken breast. I bake it and cool it, cut into bite size pieces put into zip lock freezer bags and freeze it. It makes really quick meals. ( chicken stir fry, casseroles, salads, and crockpot meals) Vegetables such as carrots, green bell peppers,celery, and broccoli I wash and chop and put into small plastic containers lined in a dry paper towel, then wet a paper towel in cold water and squeeze out excess water, cover the chopped vegetables with wet towel and veggies will stay fresh for 5 to 7 days. ( chopped veggies are good for quick salads , casseroles,stir fry, or soups). I usually do pre-cooking and veggie preparation on the day after I shop. With planned shopping and pre-cooking I rarely have food ruin. Food is so expensive we all need to do what we can to get the most out of what we buy.

Try getting organic milk. It costs a little more but it lasts way longer.

There are a lot of great suggestions on here! The first step is to talk to your husband and to inventory your fridge, freezer & pantry. Make yourself a food budget and a weekly menu for the week.

I work full time, and have kids, pets and a husband to contend with. So during the week I have no time to mess around. I usually spend my weekends bulk cooking. Some weekends I'll make a huge batch of chili and 2 lasagnas, maybe a chicken too. I freeze at least half of everything - with roasted chicken I'll chop it up too and stick it in the freezer for later in the week.

I use every bit of leftovers we have - we take them for lunches or whatever. Another poster said that when she roasts chicken she makes one dish one night and something different the next. Your menu is only limited to your own imagination!

On Thursday evenings, I usually pull out the leftovers from the week and everyone picks what they want for dinner.

Tonight I'm being a bit more creative and the chili (Taco Soup Recipe on Skinnytaste) - I thickened it up and we're having chili dogs. Not super healthy, but not horrible either! It fits into my daily calories budget and my lovely husband doesn't feel deprived.

I used to have the same problem until I created a budget for myself on mint.com. I stopped buying unnecessary things, such as junk food, which was great for my diet. I only bought food that I know my family would finish within the week. So, for example. If i buy milk, then I know I'll be eating it with cereal and I can estimate how long it will take us to finish it. Therefore, I won't buy yogurt or anything else. The following week, I'll buy a large yogurt container because it's on sale but I'll only get a small milk for necessities. I watch the amount of fruits I eat, so I'll limit to about 2 fruits per day per person. I buy frozen veggies that do not go bad. Or, I'll buy veggies such as squash that don't spoil quickly. If you know you only have a certain amount of money to spend on food per week, you take the extra measure to plan out the food you will eat and rarely does anything get thrown away. My schedule is very unsteady. I frequently have to work doubles and sometimes I work without a day off. I bake chicken for the week, and make whole wheat pasta or quinoa for the week too. When I need to pack it for work it takes 2-3 minutes. I'll grab baby carrots and packets of oatmeal as a snack, and I'll take my chicken and quinoa for lunch. Frozen mixed vegetables, I just throw into a container and they thaw on their own. For dinner, if you have basic things, like chicken, precooked it makes life a lot simpler. Make a budget for the amount of take out you can have per week. That will prevent you from ordering out. This method, saves so much money while helping you lose weight and prevent food from being thrown away.

But, most importantly, your husband needs to be on the same page with you. Make his lunch ahead of time, so he won't be tempted to buy it. Have leftovers in containers, ready to go, so they won't get pushed around. Prepare, out of the premade food, the exact amount of food that will be eaten that day, if possible. You have to make your family understand that it's not an option to have 50 different things out and open. Once your husband is on the same page, the kids will follow.

He can pick up extra milk or anything necessary on his way home, instead of junk food.