Terralyn Pilgrim is a writer and mother who was inspired to write a new book about reducing food waste at home. Surprisingly, this book also helped families save money.
Pilgrim lives in Beavercreek, Oregon with her husband and three children. She started writing No Scrap Left Behind: My Life Without Food Waste because she felt guilty about having so much while others had so little.
But she soon realized that her efforts weren't just about reducing food waste, but also about saving her family money.
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“Actually, when I started this, I had no idea how much money I was wasting on groceries,” Pilgrim told FOX News Digital.
“Many people worry about how much they spend at the grocery store, but as soon as they unload the items from their car, they completely forget about the price tag.”
Terralyn Pilgrim (left) said she stopped wasting household food and ended up saving her family $100 a month. It has improved her quality of life, she said, and her children have benefited from it, too. Her daughter is shown on the right. (Terraryn Pilgrim)
In her book, Pilgrim reveals tips and tricks for readers to customize shopping lists, upcycle leftovers, and preserve food for longer. This saved her family $100 a month.
“When I stopped wasting money, I had more money,” Pilgrim said. “I had a lot more time. I had to be more organized so I didn't waste food. That benefited my family a lot. And it actually improved my life a lot. That surprised me.”
“Really, we have to start by not buying too much.”
Pilgrim has created a zero-food waste kitchen in his home.
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“We all have this kind of packrat mentality, especially when it comes to food, of wanting to have enough to feel safe,” she said. “But people end up buying so much food that it spoils faster than they can eat it. So we really need to start by not buying too much.”
That means planning ahead before you go grocery shopping.
Pilgrim advises making a shopping list before heading to the grocery store. (St. Petersburg)
“Bring me a list of what you're going to eat that week,” Pilgrim said. “But think to yourself, 'How much can I actually eat from this meal? How much will this leave me with?' And if you look at your shopping cart, you'll notice that this is in the time it takes for food to spoil. You may find yourself eating far more than you can eat.”
“Creativity shines through”
A lean kitchen can also inspire creative ways to make new meals, she said.
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“That's the most fun, because that's when your creativity comes out,” Pilgrim said.
“And it’s always very satisfying when you come up with something and use the resources you have and save money by not throwing it away. [food] And they made this wonderful dish out of things that would otherwise be lost. ”
Terralin Pilgrim children enjoy food in a zero-waste home. (Terraryn Pilgrim)
Although food waste is often associated with big industry, Pilgrim said it is “actually in the hands of the consumer.”
She said: “Our actions matter and we can make a difference.”
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But if a good cause isn't enough, she hopes the money her family saves will motivate others to be less wasteful.
“I read all the articles and books that gave advice on how to save money, but none of them told me to waste less food,” she said.
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“This is something that people don't really think about or think of as a money-saving technique, but once I started doing it, it worked better than anything I'd ever tried,” she says. I did. .
“And it was easier than anything else I've tried.”
