Volunteering at the food bank in Boise gave me 3 weeks of solid budgeting habits
I went to help sort donations last month because my shifts got cut at work and I had too much free time. They had this rule where volunteers could take home any dented cans or near-expiry stuff that would get tossed otherwise. I grabbed about $40 worth of pasta sauce, soup, and canned veg that I would have normally bought at full price.
That got me thinking about my own pantry. I started doing the same thing at home, checking dates and eating the oldest stuff first instead of grabbing whatever looked good. Ended up cutting my grocery bill from $280 to $210 for the next two weeks without feeling like I was missing out.
Anyone else find that seeing food waste up close changes how you shop or prep at home?