Most of my posts are about saving money on items that you would be looking to shop for online, such as for your home, for gifts, or for yourself. Today I am going to share a different angle on which to save, and that is at the grocery store.
The reason this came up, is I am now a volunteer at Senior Gleaners, Inc., here in Sacramento, California (SGI). SGI is a food bank that feeds the hungry, run mostly by senior (over 50) volunteers. The average age of our volunteers is 73. Senior Gleaners
In my research to put together the quarterly newspaper for SGI, I have come across astounding numbers of how much food is wasted in this day and age where everyone and everything is ‘instant’.
My favorite blog to date on this subject is by a young man named Jonathan Bloom who actually came from his home in NC and visited SGI last year. He has done extensive research and I am still reading at this time as he has so much in his blog to ‘glean’ from (no pun intended LOL).
You Can Help
There are many ways you can help in your local area to save food and even help feed the hungry, as well as save when you go shopping.
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You can minimize waste with a few simple steps:
1) Plan meals ahead and make a detailed shopping list. If you have a purpose for every item you buy, you’re less likely to waste food.
2) Stick to your list and avoid impulse buys. The majority of home food waste comes from buying items not on your list and unfamiliar foods. While that chayote is tempting, you may not get around to it before it gets overripe.
3) Beware bargains that beget waste. Sometimes “buy one, get one free” deals and bulk purchases are like fool’s gold. True Alpha Consumers know that saving a few bucks is useless if you throw away those savings later.
4) Shop for your real life, not your ideal one. If you find yourself getting takeout and tossing fresh foods, plan fewer home-cooked meals.
5) Save (and eat) your leftovers. There’s nothing better than leftovers for lunch, or you can set them aside for a smorgasbord dinner. Call it “Loco Leftovers Night” and the kids will love it.
* (taken from article dated 5/19/08 by Jonathan Bloom)
I’d like to add here that leftovers are a great source for fajitas! Combine meat and some veggies, heat up, place in a flour tortilla with salsa and cheese and you have a nice dinner. You can add a salad on the side if you like.
Another way you can help is with your local food bank or charity that help feed the hungry. Many churches have Food Ministries that always need food and volunteers. If you have more time than money, volunteer your time. There should be a food bank in your area, check the net or the phone book. Senior Gleaners covers 7 counties and a number of the food banks have regional or national offices. A little research would show you where you could help in your area.
And finally if you would rather donate your money than your time, all the food banks such as SGI and ministries accept donations. You can find them online as well.
On a final note there is a cute Food Salvage Game
My score was 515, can you beat that?
Also, if you would like to see how much food is being wasted:
96 billion pounds of food are wasted each year
According to a study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we waste 96 billion pounds of food in America each year. That turns out to be:
* 263,013,699 pounds of food wasted each day…
* 10,958,904 pounds wasted each hour…
* 182,648 pounds wasted each minute…
* 3,044 pounds of food wasted in America each second!
look at the counter here:
I hope this has inspired you to do your part.
Deb
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