Waste Not, Want Not

Let me tell you something about being on a budget, I eat everything I buy and cook. There is no room for waste. At the end of the week my frig is pretty empty. It's a good feeling to use what I have and eat what I buy. When I do shop and put thing in the cupboards and frig, its a nice feeling of clarity. It's open, I can see everything that's in there. I hate to throw anything away anyway. Waste in our society is out of control, especially where food is concerned. But food is money and money is something I have to work for. I never have liked to see my hard earned money go to waste, even for a black banana or a mealy apple - I will find a way to put them to use, a banana/apple bread or a smoothie. A little ingenuity goes a long way with overripe produce or an abundance of something I don't want to waste. If I can't think of something, I'll google it or look in my cookbooks.
The best thing to do is clear out your frig and clean it up. Make your food visible. Another great idea is if you are planning a certain meal with meat and produce, put those items together on a shelf in the frig. If you take meals to work, keep a shelf in your frig just for your work lunches - containers filled and ready to go. Separate your frig into sections for lunch and dinner. Keep a shelf just for your kids when they come home from school - containers with food easily heated or prepared sandwiches for them to grab when they are in a hurry going from school to sports.
By keeping foods prepared, you're not allowing waste to creep in! What goes in your frig is going to get eaten!