Nick Saltmarsh / Flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
I’ve thrown out $85 in spoiled food. Crazy, I know. I’m ashamed to admit that I end up throwing out rotten produce once in a while, but till know I didn’t know how much it was costing me. To stop wasting money and food I’m challenging myself to make changes in the kitchen. (More on that below.)
So what went wrong? After a couple weeks of being sick and not having an appetite (or the energy to cook), I finally got around to cleaning the fridge. I was sneakily disposing of items when my dad walked up behind me.
“How much money are you throwing away?”
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
Stop wasting money and food! The folks over at All You shared a handy inforgraphic that compares the shelf life of food kept in the freezer and the pantry so you know how long items keep. Taking advantage of sales and stocking up is a good way to save money on groceries, but throwing food away is wasteful.
This weekend I’m taking inventory of everything that’s in our pantry. I want to cut down on my grocery bill even more and this is the first step to lowering my food budget. The fridge also needs a good scrub down. I’m using baking soda to leave it smelling fresh. Check out these other secret uses for baking soda.
HomeDepot.com
If you’ve ever contemplated composting at home you know that the plastic bins that hold household and yard waste are expensive, impossible to move, and rodent-prone. I know a low-cost solution!
Store-bought compost bins, like the one above, cost more than $100. (Would you believe Home Depot sells a composter that is $398?) Once the bins fill with waste, they can burst at the seams but are too heavy to relocate. The containers are open on the bottom, enticing raccoons and rats to dig a hole for easy trash access.
However, it is very easy to make your own composting bins from empty buckets. DIY power! Here’s what you need:
- 1 or more 5-gallon empty Homer buckets with lid (they are about $3 at Home Depot)
- A screwdriver
- A 1/4 or 1/2 inch drill bit
Put the lid on the bucket and drill 11 holes into it with the screwdriver and drill bit. Try making an inner circle with 5 holes and an outer circle with 6 holes on the lid. Next, turn the bucket on its side and make 15 more holes, spreading them out. Flip the bucket over and make seven final holes.
Voila! You have your very own composter. The holes let moisture out and the 5-gallon buckets are light enough, even when full, that you can easily turn and shake them to hasten the composting process. The tight lid deters vermin. If you want to collect the juice from the composter, it is smelly but great for plants.
Once you fill your bucket with a mix of food waste and green debris, the compost will be ready in about six weeks. Expect the volume to shrink to half its original heft.
