The one number that made me rethink my grocery budget

I stumbled on a study saying the average American household wastes about $1,300 a year on food that gets thrown out. That is basically a free month of groceries I was just tossing in the trash. Makes me wonder how much of my own budget is literally going to the dump.

3 comments

3 Comments

angelaellis1mo ago

Heard a similar story from my friend Jenna - she was cleaning out her fridge last spring and found three sealed jars of pasta sauce that had expired. She added it all up with the wilted produce and half-eaten takeout containers, and she figured she had tossed like $80 that week alone. Really made me stop and think about checking my own fridge before I shop now.

jessicaw541mo ago

Laughing at @angelaellis because honestly $80 sounds like a rookie number. I did a full fridge purge last month and practically funded a small country with the amount of forgotten yogurt and mystery leftovers I tossed. Now I just open the door and pray before I grab anything.

sagea881mo agoMost Upvoted

$80 for a fridge cleanout sounds dramatic. Most people just forget a couple things and toss them. @angelaellis, your friend Jenna probably could have stretched that pasta sauce another month anyway, sealed jars don't go bad that fast.