9 Ways to Save Money and Not Waste Food

8) Take Your Leftovers Home

If you enjoy dining out, even if just on occasion, make sure to ask for a “to go” container for your leftovers. Many restaurants have portions too large to eat at one sitting. This is especially true if you dine out buffet style or order the full course with appetizers. It’s always tempting to over-fill your plate, or order too much, especially if you are particularly famished. Rather than dump the rest, take a container home with you. This will not only avoid wasting that great food you paid for, but will offer an option for lunch or dinner the next day, thereby saving you the expense of another meal. Alternatively, you can put the leftovers in a freezer container and save it for a rainy day. Either way, you’ve just created another meal that didn’t really cost anything if you were going to toss it in the first place.

9) Use Opened Items First

It’s easy enough to open a fresh bottle of salad dressing when you already have opened ones in the fridge. To save money and avoid waste, it’s best to use what you have open first. Try to keep track of what you’ve already opened and incorporate those ingredients into your meal plans. You can also stretch items, such as salad dressing, by adding a little freshness to it. For example, if you have a bottle of thick creamy dressing, instead of wasting what’s stuck in the bottle, add a couple of drops of milk and shake it up. You’ll find you can stretch some items and get the most for your money out of them, simply by thinking in terms of using everything to the last drop. This will avoid having to re-purchase these items more frequently and therefore save money on your grocery bill.