8 Easy Ways to Reduce Food Waste and Save Money

Food prices are still eating away at family budgets and every bit of waste adds up. According to the latest USDA forecasts, grocery store prices have risen 2.2% over the past year, with categories like beef, poultry, and eggs seeing even sharper increases. Egg prices alone are expected to jump more than 24 33% in 2025, driven by supply shortages from ongoing bird flu outbreaks. That makes every leftover, half-used veggie, or forgotten carton of eggs feel like money straight out of your pocket. 

The impact of reducing food waste goes beyond your grocery bill. Wasted food is a major contributor to environmental harm, accounting for about 30–40% of the U.S. food supply ending up in landfills (USDA source). By making small changes at home, you’re not only saving money but also cutting down on unnecessary waste.

The good news? The WorkMoney team put together a few simple, affordable habits can help you stretch your groceries and reduce waste, even when food prices feel unpredictable.

• Embrace "Eat Me First" Zones in Your Fridge

  How many times have you found forgotten produce or leftovers shoved in the back of your fridge? Designating an "Eat Me First" section is a simple, visual way to prevent good food from going to waste.

  Put soon-to-expire items, opened packages, and leftovers in a clearly marked spot. This keeps them top of mind for snacks, lunches, or quick dinners. Get the whole family involved so everyone knows to check that space before reaching for new food.

• Understand How Expiration Dates Work

  Many people toss perfectly good food because of confusing expiration labels. It’s easy to see why consumers do this, but terms like “sell by,” “best by,” and “use by” are not regulated for safety on most foods. These labels are more about quality than actual spoilage, according to the USDA (source).

  Here’s what they really mean:

  • Sell By: Date for stores to display product—food is still safe after this

  • Best By/Before: Suggests peak quality, not safety cutoff

  • Use By: Often a freshness guideline, except on infant formula

  Trust your senses. If it looks, smells, and tastes normal, it’s often still safe to eat. This simple awareness of how expiration labels work can prevent unnecessary waste.

• Get Creative with Leftovers and Scraps

  Instead of tossing food scraps or small portions of leftovers, repurpose them into new meals. Even simple tricks can stretch your food and budget:

  • Turn leftover veggies into soups, stir-fries, or omelets

  • Use stale bread for croutons, breadcrumbs, or French toast

  • Save bones, veggie peels, and herb stems for homemade broth

  If you’re short on ideas, apps like SuperCook let you enter ingredients you have at home and suggest recipes to use them up.

• Store Food the Right Way to Make It Last

  Proper food storage can significantly extend the life of your groceries. If you’re looking to make your food last longer, these are some quick, easy adjustments to make:

  • Keep herbs fresh by storing them upright in water (like flowers)

  • Wrap leafy greens in paper towels to absorb moisture

  • Don’t store potatoes and onions together—they spoil faster

  • Freeze items like bread, cheese, or leftovers before they go bad and to preserve freshness

• Shop Smarter, Not Just Cheaper

  It’s tempting to buy in bulk or stock up during sales, but that can lead to more waste if food spoils before you use it. Be intentional when grocery shopping:

  • Only bulk-buy shelf-stable or freezable items
    Avoid perishable bulk items unless you know you’ll use them in time

  • Shop more frequently for fresh produce if possible

  Don’t forget to use your government benefits while shopping. If you qualify for programs like SNAP or WIC, use those benefits strategically. Remember, these programs are your right—money you’ve earned—and reducing waste helps stretch those dollars even further. Each year, more than $1 billion in WIC benefits go unused because many eligible individuals don’t claim them. Plus, families often use less than 70% of their allotted food packages, overwhelmed by the program’s complexity. Lulo simplifies this process by helping you easily find WIC-approved foods, avoid checkout problems, and tap into extra savings like free diapers and cribs—all available in both English and Spanish.

• Freeze It Before You Lose It

• Don’t wait until food is borderline spoiled to freeze it. Freezing preserves freshness, prevents waste, and ensures you always have ingredients on hand.

  Freeze items like:

  • Bread, tortillas, and bagels

  • Cooked rice, beans, or pasta

  • Meat, poultry, or fish you can’t use in time

  • Chopped veggies for soups or stir-fries

  • Fresh herbs in olive oil or butter cubes

  Label everything you stash in the freezer with the date so you can use older items first. Regularly rotating freezer contents helps prevent forgotten food from going to waste.

• Track Your Progress and Celebrate Small Wins

  Cutting down on food waste takes time—it’s a journey, not an instant fix. Begin by focusing on one or two habits, like planning your meals ahead or freezing leftovers, and gradually add more strategies as you go.

  Using apps like Propel can make managing your grocery budget and SNAP benefits (SNAP users could save an average of $199 or more per month) easier, helping you keep track of your spending and savings. Watching your savings grow over time is a powerful reminder that even small changes make a big difference.