We've all been guilty at some point or another- you finally get around to cleaning out your fridge and end up throwing out a garbage sack worth of produce and leftovers. Am I the only one who absolutely hates that?!?! It didn't bug me as much when I was first married, but as I have become more budget savvy, it's become much more of an issue with me- I hate throwing out food. It's really quite depressing if you think back to all the times you have thrown out food and how much you paid for it- that amount can add up pretty quickly!

So what are some ways to avoid this money-waster? Here are some things I've learned over time:

-PLAN YOUR MEALS. This is probably the biggest one! How often do we buy something just because it sounds good or because it's on sale? Without a specific meal plan, a lot of food can go to waste. Decide how often you want to grocery shop (once a week, twice a month, etc.), and plan every meal to last you until the next shopping trip. Remember to plan accordingly if a recipe is going to have a ton of leftovers or if you have meals you know won't be eaten at home (e.g. family dinners, date night).

-Shop your pantry and fridge. When writing a list of groceries you need to buy, check your fridge and pantry for the ingredients first! This way you'll be using up things you already have instead of adding to the stuff you're not. This is also a great way to make sure you catch things before their expiration date. (If you know something is going to expire soon, include it in the meal plan!)

-Write a specific grocery list. And I'm not just talking about writing every item you need to buy- I'm talking about writing exactly how much of every item you need to buy. This alone has saved me so much money! I used to buy a ton of produce just because it was a good price, but realistically we could never get through it all. Now as I meal plan, I keep track of how much of everything I need- how many cups of cream, how many tomatoes I'll be using, etc. This takes a little more planning, but it will save you so much money (and space in your fridge!) in the long run.

-Embrace leftovers and creativity. Sometimes, leftovers just aren't that appealing- but come on, it's just one meal! If it is truly setting off your gag reflexes, then find a way to spice it up or change it around. Add some cheese or cream of chicken soup, find ways to incorporate it in other meals. And this goes for leftover ingredients as well- if you have a little bit of evaporated milk or extra pecans, use your awesome Cook'n program to find a recipe that will help you use it up! Or get in touch with your creative side and add it to something you're already planning on making. I'm sure many a delicious recipe was created out of the need to use up leftovers;).

-Give food away. Sometimes life happens and we still end up with extra food. If you know you won't get to something before it's going to go bad, don't be afraid to give it away! If you know of someone in your neighborhood or family that's going through a financially hard time or just had a baby, I'm sure they'd appreciate leftovers, even if it's only half a pan of casserole. Or if you bought a bunch of peaches with the intention of canning them and life threw a wrench in your plans, then call up a friend or neighbor and see if they'd like to take some! Obviously, you don't want to give something away that's already bad, but if you know beforehand that you're not going to get to something in time, than don't waste it! At least you'll feel better than throwing it in the garbage:/. Waste not!

-Fill your freezer. If you know you won't have time to get to something throw it in the freezer! If you have time to wrap it in freezer paper or cut and prep it, great! If not, throw it in the freezer anyway! If it ends up getting freezer burned or doesn't freeze well, at least you tried;).

What tips do you guys have to make sure your food doesn't go to waste? I'd love to hear from you! Share in the comments below!