Save Money by Organizing your Fridge

14 Jan 2013

 According to Jonathan Bloom, author of “American Wasteland,” the average family of four throws away $2,200 a year in food. Keeping your fridge organized can save you a lot of money in wasted food.

Click here to watch our Money Saving Monday video on NECN to see how you can save money by organizing your fridge.

5 Refrigerator Organizing Tips That Can Save You Money

1. Organize and Categorize your Food.
   Create your own “drawers” by using clear plastic bins to corral items by category. Always store the same type of items in the same location in the fridge (dairy on the second shelf, meat in the drawer, etc). Like in a supermarket, move older items to the front and put fresh ones in back. This way you’ll use the older stuff before it expires.
2. Containerize and Label Everything.
   Keep produce and other foods fresh by storing it properly in sealable containers. Clear containers are best, so you can see the contents at a glance. Once you open a jar or container, write the date on the top with a sharpie marker. If it’s a reusable plastic container, a piece of painters tape makes a quick and easy label. This will save you from throwing away items that are perfectly good because you can’t remember when you opened them.
3. Get Creative with your Fridge Contents.
   When you have a bunch of ingredients that you don’t know what do with, try entering a list of them into a website like supercook.com, which will take your ingredients and give you recipes.
4. Keep an Inventory.
   Hang a dry erase board or note pad on the fridge and jot down foods as you put them away. Cross them off when you use them up. This way everyone knows what’s available to nosh on. Also, this list easily translates into a grocery list when it’s time to shop.
5. Shop your Fridge First.
   Shop your fridge before you go to the store. This will keep you from buying things you already have.