Worked Examples: Putting It All Together
Theory is great, but practical application is what saves you money. Let’s walk through two concrete examples of how these principles work in a real-world kitchen.
The $50 “Waste-Not” Weekly Basket for Two
Imagine a weekly grocery budget of $50 for two adults. The goal is maximum versatility and zero waste. The basket might include one whole chicken (around $8), a dozen eggs ($3), a large container of plain yogurt ($4), a bag of onions ($3), a head of garlic ($1), a bag of carrots ($2), a bunch of celery ($2), one large sweet potato ($2), a head of sturdy lettuce like romaine ($3), a loaf of whole-wheat bread ($3), a block of cheddar cheese ($4), a bag of brown rice ($3), and a large can of crushed tomatoes ($2). The total is $40, leaving $10 for a piece of fruit or another vegetable that’s on sale.
Here’s how it gets used completely. Dinner 1: Roasted chicken with roasted carrots and sweet potato. Lunch 1: Leftover chicken and vegetables. Dinner 2: Shred the remaining chicken. Make a large chicken and vegetable soup using the chicken carcass for broth, the rest of the carrots, celery, onion, and the canned tomatoes. This makes enough for dinner plus leftovers. Lunch 2: Leftover soup. Dinner 3: A large frittata using a few eggs, any remaining vegetables, and some shredded cheddar cheese, served with toast. Breakfasts: Yogurt, eggs, or toast. Lunches: The remaining lunches can be chicken salad sandwiches (made with yogurt instead of mayo), salads with hard-boiled eggs and cheese, or leftover frittata. Every single item is used in multiple ways, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
Cost Breakdown: Leftover Remix vs. A New Meal
Let’s use the roasted chicken example. Say you have about 1.5 cups of leftover chicken and some roasted carrots from Sunday dinner. You’re tempted to order a large chicken noodle soup from a local deli, which costs $12 plus a $5 delivery fee and tip, totaling around $20.
Let’s build the “remix” meal instead. You take the chicken carcass and make a free broth (Strategy 11). You chop one onion ($0.50), the remaining two carrots ($0.40), and two stalks of celery ($0.40) from your “Waste-Not” basket. You add a half-cup of egg noodles from your pantry (approx. $0.75). You shred the leftover chicken (free) and add it to the soup. The total out-of-pocket cost for a huge pot of homemade soup is around $2.05. By using up what you already have, you just saved nearly $18 and prevented perfectly good food from being thrown away. That’s the power of reducing food waste.
