DON’T Waste Food

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Guest Article by NRP & Blue, December 8, 2021.

Hello again from Lightning Point.

Living Frugal, Connie is doing one heck of a GREAT job of ideas and such on “Frugal Living on the Ranch”, I would add to living Frugal anywhere/everywhere is all so important.
So here is a short Rant about my ‘dumbness’ this week.

So, Why the photo of a rotten stalk of Celery?

Because I’m aggravated at myself, actually more than aggravated, I’m (pardon the language) ‘pizzed’ at myself.
Allow me to say this. I LOVE a good Salad or most any fresh vegetables; I grow a fairly nice Garden, and work hard at it. I Can, Freeze, Dehydrate most everything I get for long term storage of what I grow and buy.
But honestly ‘Fresh’ is the way to eat Vegies bar none.
And Celery is one that I cannot grow, though I love it in all sorts of things, even with a splattering of Peanut Butter on it raw.
So what’s the problem you ask?
Well first of all, I HATE wasting Food in any means, BUT I just took $2.49 out of my pocket and tossed into the Wood Stove, or Trash, whatever. AND I don’t have that Celery now. UGHHHH!

Not that big of deal you say??

Wasted Food:

Here are a few facts from 2018 I grabbed off the net.

“Americans throw away $165 billion of food each year.
40% of food is wasted in the United States every year.
35 million tons of food is wasted in the United States each year.
The average American household throws away $2,200 of food each year.
The average American throws away 300 lbs. of food per year.
More than 20 lbs. of food is wasted per person every month in the United States.
20% of food that the average American buys is never eaten.
90% of food is thrown away too soon.
Food waste in American has grown by 204% since 1960 and 50% since 1990.
Reducing food waste by just 15% would be enough to feed more than 25 million Americans every year.”

Yeah, read those stats a second time. It’s absolutely shocking that we as Americans waste so much Food EACH year.

Here we are in the midst of so much turmoil with the Economy, Pandemic, Supply Shortages and so-on, and these are the Statistics just here in the USofA.

Honestly I have nobody to blame but myself for that Stalk of Celery, I’m the dummy that kept overlooking what I had right in front of me and ignored it.
What’s more depressing, that next Stalk of Celeryto replace the one I ruined will cost me $4.98 in my mind.

The Refrigerator:

Ok, this may sound kinda dumb, but how you stock the old Fridge will greatly extend the food’s life you stuff in there. Take a little time and do some research of this. Don’t be a dummy like me and toss stuff out because I stuffed the Celery at the top and it rotted.
Oh well, lesson learned I guess.

Freezer Burned Foods:

While I’m on the subject, ever have a nice hunk of Meat Freezer Burned?
What a waste. Learn how to properly wrap or seal that $19 per pound Steak for a longer “Shelf Life” in the freezer.

Long Term Food Storage:

If you are going to store food, as I truly hope you are convinced to do so, Please PLEASE do the research and learn how to store it properly.
There are a lot of good Articles here on Frugal Living on the Ranch, if you can’t find what you are looking for, do the research.

Wasting food, as I have to admit I have in the past and did with that lowly stalk of Celery, is just all out wrong.
I think back on the ‘Stuff’ that has hit the trash in the past, I just shake my head and think of the foolishness I have done, all alone thinking of those Statistics I posted.
Think on that list of ten stats.
Honestly, what is wrong with us?

Ok, Rant over, sorry all, but needed to just get that off my shoulder.
I can tell you one thing, I’m going to be a LOT more Frugal about what I’m doing, Tis time to really get serious about where I’m headed, AND where the rest of the Country/World is headed.

Thank you all for your time you spend reading my ‘Stuff’.
Life really is good here on Lightning Point, I just need to learn to appreciate it a LOT more.