In preparation for this baby, I've been doing a lot of deep cleaning- the nesting instinct is a real thing, my friends! One of my most recent projects was cleaning out my freezers. I pulled everything out and rearranged everything and wiped down the shelves- and ended up throwing way too much stuff out! I literally get sick to my stomach when I have to throw out food, and it's so frustrating that I let my freezer get to the point that I allowed that to happen. However, I know I'm not the only one! Whether the food comes from the freezer or the fridge, many of us throw out more food than we should! When we throw out food, we may as well be throwing out money- it's the same thing, really.

While inevitably there will be times you have to throw stuff out, the goal is to minimize that as much as possible! Here are some tips to help you minimize the food you throw out:

*Clean frequently. One of the best ways I can see what I actually have in my fridge is to clean it regularly! I end up throwing out way more food when I let my fridge go weeks without cleaning, simply because I forget what I have. Make it a goal to clean out your fridge once a week, and your freezer once a month- it's a little more work, but worth the money you save by using things up instead of throwing them out!

*Place leftovers in an accessible place. If you tend to place your leftovers on the bottom shelf, I promise they will be forgotten. You'll stick it in there and forget about it, or someone puts the eggs back in the wrong spot and the leftovers get shoved to the back until they're found weeks later when you finally get around to clearing out the fridge. Designate a "leftovers" shelf or spot in your fridge, and place all your tupperwares and leftovers here. Make sure it's a shelf that is at eye level and is easily accessible!

*Organization is key. One problem I have found in the past is simply organization. If my freezer gets too messy, I end up shoving things wherever I can find space, and inevitably I'll lose track of something. There are so many times I've thought I'm out of bread or peas just to find one in a random spot in the freezer a few weeks later. Create a system that you can realistically stick to- like meats on the bottom shelf, butter on the door, bread and cheese on the top, etc. You can get more specific if you want, but do whatever works for you! Something that will help you keep things organized and will help you know exactly where to find what you're looking for.

*Take inventory. If you truly want to keep track of everything in your freezer, keep an inventory sheet of what you have in your freezer and fridge! This takes a little effort, but can be well worth it when you can see exactly what you have on hand! Write down what you have, as well as expiration dates (or when it was opened), so you can keep track of what you need to use up first. This will also help you save money with groceries because you'll see what you need to use up and can plan meals based on what you need to use instead of throwing it out when you find it 3 months later!

*Don't pack your appliance. The fastest way to lose track of what you have is to overstuff your freezer/fridge. Are you really going to be digging into the back to see what to make for dinner? Probably not. You'll be opening the door and glancing- which means you need to be able to see everything! This definitely goes hand-in-hand with organization, but a part of that is making sure you're not buying more than your freezer or fridge can realistically hold. Just because your freezer has the space doesn't mean you should be filling every square inch! My husband and I purposefully bought a larger fridge than we really needed when we first moved into our home so that we would more easily be able to see what we had, rather than cramming things to make everything fit and letting things go bad simply because they can't be seen!

*Don't grocery shop 'til you've looked thoroughly. Don't allow yourself to go to the grocery store without first looking and seeing what you have. You don't have to do a full-on inventory sheet, but at least looking to get a basic understanding of what you have is immensely helpful! You'll also probably remind yourself of items you need to replace or buy more of, which will help make your grocery shopping more effective as well!

*Diligence. There is no perfect system, but you can avoid throwing out food by staying motivated and sticking to your commitment! It's not always easy, but totally worth it!

What tips do you have to avoid throwing food out? I'd love to hear it!