Started tracking what I throw away and it changed how I shop

used to think i was pretty good about not wasting food. then i started actually writing down what i threw away each week.

first week was embarrassing. half a bag of spinach that went slimy. three bell peppers. leftover rice i forgot about. bread that got moldy. probably $15-20 worth of stuff gone into the trash.

so i changed my approach. now before i go shopping, i take a photo of my fridge and pantry because it stops me from buying stuff i already have buried in the back.

i also started treating my fridge like inventory. wilting lettuce? makes tonight's dinner. bananas getting brown? into the freezer for smoothies later. leftover chicken? gets shredded and frozen in portions.

my big change was accepting that i don't need variety every single day. i used to buy ingredients for 12 different meals and 1/4 of it would go bad. now i buy ingredients that overlap. if i'm making tacos one night, i'm using those same beans, cheese, and peppers for a burrito bowl later in the week.

my grocery bill dropped from like $120/week to $70. not because i'm eating less, just because i'm actually eating what i buy instead of throwing it away.

also learned to meal plan around what's expiring first, not what sounds good. those mushrooms are getting soft? mushroom pasta tonight. that yogurt expires tomorrow? breakfast sorted.

So this way no throw into trash.