Each week, we are sharing a financial wellness tip to help you make the connection between financial management decisions, your overall wellness, and student success. Money touches every aspect of our lives, and a lack of financial literacy can cause unnecessary stress and negatively impact our mental and physical health.
Save on Food, Help the Environment, and Help Tigers in Need
Did you know, the average family of four in the U.S. spends between $1,047 and $1,576 on food monthly? In 2023, food inflation is 7.5%. A recent study looked at food waste and found that 40% of food in America is wasted, equating to 119 billion pounds of food, 130 billion meals, and $408 billion per year! U.S. consumers can strive to become better food shoppers to save money and save the environment as most of this wasted food ends up in landfills which contributes to climate change, air pollution, and affects many ecosystems and species.
Here are some tips to become a better and more economical grocery shopper:
- Use a list to be more organized and to make less impulse purchases
- Plan your meals on a weekly basis - shop the weekly specials at the store including using online coupons and grocery store discount cards (Ex. Top’s Bonus Card or Wegman’s Shopper’s Club)
- Buy frozen and canned foods when you do not have to have fresh fruit and vegetables
- Try to buy in bulk, shop food that is in season, and shop at bakery outlets such as Freihofer's (Genesee Valley Regional Market)
- Avoid ready-to-make meals and proportioned snacks, as these are more expensive
A big money saver is to eat more meals at home and get creative with leftovers to reduce food waste! Reducing food waste is also a way to help feed those struggling with food insecurity. Another way is to contribute to this year’s Goodbye, Goodbuy!
collection program happening between May 5-14. Every year, RIT students throw out over 100 tons of goods, including food, during move-out. Any unopened, non-perishable items donated will be routed to RIT’s on-campus food pantry – the RIT FoodShare Center
which has been helping Tigers in need since 2015.
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