Smarter Shopping to Prevent Waste
Once you have a plan, it’s time to execute it at the store. This is where clever marketing and psychological tricks can lead you to overbuy, creating the very food waste you’re trying to avoid. Arming yourself with a bit of knowledge can protect your budget and prevent your fridge from becoming a food graveyard.
Strategy 4: Master Unit Pricing for Right-Sizing
The big, bold price on the shelf is designed to grab your attention. The most important number, however, is the unit price. This is the cost per ounce, per pound, or per item, usually displayed in smaller print on the shelf tag. It’s the great equalizer. A giant “family size” bag of chips might seem like a bargain, but the unit price might be higher than two smaller bags. More importantly for food waste, the unit price helps you decide if buying in bulk is truly a deal. If buying the giant tub of sour cream at $0.10 per ounce saves you money over the smaller one at $0.15 per ounce, but you end up throwing half of it away, you’ve actually wasted money. Use the unit price to buy only the amount you can realistically use.
Strategy 5: Scrutinize “Buy One, Get One Free” Deals
The “BOGO” deal is a powerful psychological trigger. It feels like free money. But retailers use these promotions, sometimes called loss leaders (items sold at a loss to get you in the door), to move large volumes of a product quickly. Ask yourself one simple question: “Would I buy two of these if they were 50% off?” If the answer is no, you probably don’t need two. This is especially true for perishable items like salad bags, bread, or berries. Unless you have a specific, immediate plan for both items, you’re often just buying a future science experiment for your crisper drawer. Only take the deal if it’s a pantry staple you use consistently and have room to store properly.
Strategy 6: Embrace “Ugly” Produce
A growing number of grocery stores now offer a section for cosmetically imperfect produce at a significant discount. These are the carrots that are a little crooked, the apples with a slight blemish, or the bell peppers that are an odd shape. From a nutritional standpoint, they are identical to their perfectly shaped counterparts. For any recipe where the produce will be chopped, grated, or blended—like soups, stews, sauces, or smoothies—this is a phenomenal way to save money and combat a massive source of farm-level food waste. You’re getting the same quality for a fraction of the price, preventing that perfectly good food from being discarded simply for its looks.
