Don't Throw Food Away Challenge

icontinuetodream

Following on from Squeaky's threads of 2011 & 2012(https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3696329) here is the challenge thread for 2013

Message from Squeaky from last years first post:

Morning all

And a Happy New Year and all that rot Here's our new thread for the year - good luck everyone, and remember... you are challenging your self; not the whole world

Throwing food away can have many reasons... things spoiling because you bought too much, or getting lost at the back of the pantry/fridge/freezer, or having leftovers or scrag ends that you just don't know what to do with.

There are lots of threads about on how to use up individual things - but this one is aimed at keeping an eye on what and how much you waste and, should you wish, setting yourself a target (either total, or a reduction).

You could set your target by weight, or volume, or even cost the waste - so if you waste half a cabbage bought for 98p then you threw away 49p.

By the time your total reaches a tenner... just imagine tearing one up and flushing it down the loo !! because that, effectively, is what you will have done.

There are a number of ways to reduce waste... shopping more effectively, organising your stocks, regularly checking use by dates, adjusting portion sizes, and finding ways to use up odds and ends.

So this challenge covers quite a lot of ground.

Do please remember that this is a Challenge thread, so do yer best to stay fairly close to the topic

As for me... I'm not sure what to set myself... my dalek composter, now five years old, is just over half full - and that includes some garden waste; and no food waste goes into my normal bin. My waste is usually the cuttings and peelings from preparing veg etc - and the majority of those are used when making stock before they finally appear in the bin.

If you are not sure what to include... the best suggestion from challenge participants is - if you were going to eat it but had to bin it; that's waste.

Anyway... good luck everybody


So, here we go....2013, the year of weird food combinations and minimising or eliminating food waste!!! As Squeaky said....GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!!! :T

icontinuetodream

Reserved for challengers.....

1. i continue to dream - £5
2. JAMIEDODGER - £5
3. Frogletina
4. poohspal - £5
5. WelshWoofer - £5
6. hedgesparow - £5
7. E2006 - £5
8. LittleVoice - £1
9. Linda32
10. Karb - £2
11. Bluegreen143 - £5
12. Solstice_3 - £5
13. Xspender - £5
14. life unexpected - £7.50
15. laurel7172 - £5
16. Wendall
17. Jenagain - £5
18. CCStar
19. mummy2threeboys - 11oz per day
20. Oscar_the_Pug - £5
21. KatyReed+5 - £5
22. loobylou79 - £5
23. ImDoingItForMe - £1
24. lizzietish - £5
25. Sparrer - £2
26. mumof2 - £5
27. thehappybutterfly
28. Firemunchkin - £10
29. Katzen
30. Lilyplonk
31. princesskitty29 - £5
32. Billy-jo - £1.50
33. Sheeppapper - £5
34. donnajt - £10
35. Sprozza - £5
36. Mrs_T_M
37. K9sandFelines
38. Ostrichnomore - £5
39. Couponchaos - £10
40. Dons65 - £10
41. princesskitty29 - £5
42. Tryingagainandagain - £5
43. ArthriticOldThing - £5
44. Mrs-s - £10
45. barneydee - £10
46. parsniphead - £10

JAMIEDODGER

Please count me in for this one:) I've been hoping someone would start a thread for 2013:T

Today I have put gammon in sc, which when ready will be sliced, some for dinner tonight and the rest for sandwich meat for the freezer.

I have made banana loaf and muffins, from bananas on the turn the kids had a muffin each for a snack this morning so 9 for freezer and the loaf will be frozen too for another day....instead of all sultanas in the loaf I used up some dried apricots from the cupboard to make up the amount needed:j

A couple of eggs turned into egg mayo for the kids sandwiches for lunch which they will have with the last of the twinks from the tin and some Pringles/twiglets left over for christmas.

Took a couple of breast fillets from freezer, sliced and made a marinade for ds2 for dinner tonight, which I will do with homemade chips. Dd will be having leftover chipolatas from last night, plus mash balls and carrots from freezer and will make her up some gravy, leftover gravy will probably be used with sliced pork, roasties and veg from freezer as I will have a freezer roast for dinner tomorrow. Ds3 is having pasta for dinner. Mince pies and ice cream for pudding tonight.

Hoping that I can keep the total throw away cost for January at £5..

Won't be including tea bags, skins/peelings (veg peeling gets saved in freezer to make veg stock)

Good luck everyone x

icontinuetodream

JAMIEDODGER wrote: »

Please count me in for this one:) I've been hoping someone would start a thread for 2013:T

Today I have put gammon in sc, which when ready will be sliced, some for dinner tonight and the rest for sandwich meat for the freezer.

I have made banana loaf and muffins, from bananas on the turn the kids had a muffin each for a snack this morning so 9 for freezer and the loaf will be frozen too for another day....instead of all sultanas in the loaf I used up some dried apricots from the cupboard to make up the amount needed:j

A couple of eggs turned into egg mayo for the kids sandwiches for lunch which they will have with the last of the twinks from the tin and some Pringles/twiglets left over for christmas.

Took a couple of breast fillets from freezer, sliced and made a marinade for ds2 for dinner tonight, which I will do with homemade chips. Dd will be having leftover chipolatas from last night, plus mash balls and carrots from freezer and will make her up some gravy, leftover gravy will probably be used with sliced pork, roasties and veg from freezer as I will have a freezer roast for dinner tomorrow. Ds3 is having pasta for dinner. Mince pies and ice cream for pudding tonight.

Hoping that I can keep the total throw away cost for January at £5..

Won't be including tea bags, skins/peelings (veg peeling gets saved in freezer to make veg stock)

Good luck everyone x

Wow!!! What a start!! Name added...welcome to the challenge!! :wave:

Frogletina

I would like to join in this challenge.

I have been keeping a record of what I have bought since September and have a list of what I have thrown away since then.

Mustard and Cress (wilted), runner beans (not very nice) , Bread, Milk, Apples (I really must buy one at a time), Radishes (gone soft), more milk, Yoghourt (past its use by date, and tasted funny), some more milk, 2 bread rolls (left out after a party and went rock hard), runner beans (forgot to use), I piece of cheesy puff pastry bought for party and forgot to put out - I did eat two on the following two days) and half a banana (forgot to eat it).

The milk was either left out of the fridge or past its use by date and the bread I am trying to put half in the freezer when I get it and use the other half fresh.

There is only me here, I buy about a pint of milk a week and probably only eat half a loaf of bread a week - my freezer is at least a third full of bread which I am intending to toast which should last most of January!

frogletina

icontinuetodream

Frogletina wrote: »

I would like to join in this challenge.

I have been keeping a record of what I have bought since September and have a list of what I have thrown away since then.

Mustard and Cress (wilted), runner beans (not very nice) , Bread, Milk, Apples (I really must buy one at a time), Radishes (gone soft), more milk, Yoghourt (past its use by date, and tasted funny), some more milk, 2 bread rolls (left out after a party and went rock hard), runner beans (forgot to use), I piece of cheesy puff pastry bought for party and forgot to put out - I did eat two on the following two days) and half a banana (forgot to eat it).

The milk was either left out of the fridge or past its use by date and the bread I am trying to put half in the freezer when I get it and use the other half fresh.

There is only me here, I buy about a pint of milk a week and probably only eat half a loaf of bread a week - my freezer is at least a third full of bread which I am intending to toast which should last most of January!

frogletina

That's not too bad if that's all since September!!

Welcome aboard Frogletina :wave:

[Deleted User]

I had made this my personal challenge of 2013 so it's lovely to have others doing the same. I had hoped to throw away £0 but don't want to start with such a high expectation - lets start with £5 please

WelshWoofer

Can I join too please?
There's only me and the dog (who is a pretty good hoover but is now on a diet) so I have nobody else to blame.

I'm going to attempt to make broccoli and stilton soup for tea to use up some aging veg and a lump of Xmas cheese.

Please put me down for £5 for January. I'll try my best

hedgesparrow

I'd love to join if I may? I love the idea of costing what we throw away I think it will really be eye opening. I'll keep my receipts handy and give it a go. I need to menu plan - am I allowed to post that on here to motivate me? I have a lot of food rammed in my cupboards and freezer but I really need to tackle the fridge and make a plan for this weeks food.

Can I aim for under £5 too?

E2006

Hi, can I join in too? The plan for 2013 is budget budget budget, and its the food budget that we always struggle with! Im meal planning every week, but want to make sure that we do this in such a way that we have no waste whatsoever (ideally!).

Can I say £5 for January? As a start we're having the last 2 rashes of bacon, few sad mushrooms and a couple of eggs that went out of date a few days ago, with beans and toast for brunch. Im making egg mayonaise for DH's packed lunches with the rest of the OOD eggs, and Im going to cook and mash the rest of the potatoes left over in the fridge and freeze them in portions before they get too past their best.

E2006

hedgesparrow wrote: »

I'd love to join if I may? I love the idea of costing what we throw away I think it will really be eye opening. I'll keep my receipts handy and give it a go. I need to menu plan - am I allowed to post that on here to motivate me? I have a lot of food rammed in my cupboards and freezer but I really need to tackle the fridge and make a plan for this weeks food.

Can I aim for under £5 too?

Theres a weekly menu plan thread going if thats helps x