Your Worst Grocery Store Mistake, According To The Struggle Meals Host

If you are interested in saving money when it comes to grocery shopping (and who's not, really?), then you might want to check out Struggle Meals. According to Grow, on the show (which you can find on Hulu, Facebook Watch, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube!), Emmy award-winning host Frankie Celenza of "Frankie Cooks" fame teaches viewers how to make easy, inexpensive meals for an impressively low amount — around $2 a person! The cooking show host has built quite a following and has even had the opportunity to show off his talent everywhere from inside the White House to down on Sesame Street (via FrankieCelenza.com). So, when he shares advice, we are all ears!

Celenza pointed out to Grow that one of the biggest mistakes we Americans make when it comes to grocery shopping is not using everything we buy. According to Celenza, the U.N. puts the approximation for how much food Americans throw in the garbage at 40%. Of course all that waste can add up and have a most unfortunate effect on your funds. If the average American spends $2,400 a year on food, like Celenza estimates, then he also figures that, by planning better and buying less, shoppers can save around $1,000 a year. Now, that sounds like some advice we'd like to wrap our wallets around!

Thinking ahead can help you avoid buying things you will not end up using. According to the FDA, one way to reduce food waste is to plan your shopping list before you go to the store. Keeping in mind what meals you will be preparing and checking to see what items you already have are both ways to prevent unwarranted purchases, according to the site. The FDA also advises caution when buying in bulk, especially for items that can go bad before you have the chance to use them.

Another way to avoid waste is by using leftovers. This is where you can get a little creative. In "Put an Egg on It," Celenza shows how leftover rice can be given a "second life" in a new dish by adding scallions, carrots, garlic, olive oil, an egg, and sauces you have been hoarding from your latest Chinese takeout order (via Facebook). If you have company, you can also simply send home any leftovers with your guests, like the FDA suggests. Of course, this method is even more tempting for any dishes your guests may have brought that you were not that crazy about in the first place.