I want to talk about money. For some time, I've been racking my brain thinking of realistic ways I can be better off, when I came to a realisation. Rather than be consumed by the endless quest for more, why not make the most of what I already have.
When it comes to money, I can only earn so much at any time - for now at least - so my immediate income potential is loosely capped unless I take on another job and work weekends. Therefore, to make more I need to focus on being more resourceful. This is actually pretty easy to do. It's just a change of mindset. A little refocusing here and there.
There are lots of money saving tricks out there. But one of the easiest and arguably most important has been staring me in the face every day. It's there when I open the kitchen cupboard. It's there when I scan the fridge. And it's still there when I stare glaringly into the freezer. Food is my money saving weapon.
Treat it right. Make the most of it. Reduce the amount I throw away. Save money. Easy.
Now I'm not talking zero waste here. I mean being just a little more aware of how I manage the food that's already at home and planning better before stocking up again. Little things really.
Many of us are aware of food waste as an issue and yet most are pretty convinced that we're doing as much we can to reduce food waste at home. The fact is, we currently throw 7million tonnes of food from our homes every year across the UK. That's enough food to fill Wembley stadium to the brim nine times! And, that's not the worst part - around 60% of it could have been eaten.
I know there are a lot of gripes about the amount of packaging we all have to contend with but when we compare the amount of carbon dioxide packaging releases in landfill to that of food waste, food waste wins by miles. It really is a massive problem and throwing food away causes a lot more damage to our planet than we care to realise.
It also costs us £12.5billion every year, which is another pretty big reason to take action.
I know I'm not alone in saying that throwing food in the bin really upsets me. That grimacing feeling of finding a half-eaten bread loaf covered in mould or the painful realisation that the salad bag has gone soggy and has to be chucked. It may seem like an awful lot for us all to be thinking about, but, if there's one thing the Love Food Hate Waste campaign has helped me appreciate, it's that there are plenty of really simple things we can all do to make sure our food lasts longer. And doing so, means saving a decent wedge of money each month.
When comparing it to other typical household money saving opportunities, it's actually super easy.
We could probably save around £200 - £300 a year on our energy (something I have already looked into!). A better broadband deal could save me around £100 a year. I could also probably slash £120 a year off my mobile phone bill. However, reducing food waste can save me more than all of the above put together... a very tasty £700 a year.
What's more, I wouldn't need to spend any time researching comparison sites, phoning customer services and reviewing quotes. I'd also be doing my bit for the environment at the same time.
No brainer.
www.lovefoodhatewaste.com