According to Jonathan Bloom, creator of WastedFood.com, Americans waste as much as half of the food produced every year. That’s enough food to fill an entire, 90,000 seat football stadium to the brim at least once a day. This is not only food wasted, but dollars wasted. Imagine: we’re throwing our money right in the trash! Instead of wasting money on uneaten food, look into a grocery list maker that can help you minimize food waste. A grocery list maker is a device that can help you make grocery lists. A grocery list maker can often be found in food applications or on databases online. In a grocery list template you can specify meal plans, which could, in the long run, serve to minimize waste. While minimizing waste can be a challenge, taking some factors into account could help you significantly reduce your food bill when using a grocery list maker:

• Don’t include items that are totally out of the norm in your grocery list maker. A study done at the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab found that more than 63% of unused products are bought for specific recipes, like Beef Wellington, that were never made. While you may think that you’ll eventually use the product for a specific occasion, 9 times out of 10, that product wastes away in our pantries. Don’t try and convince yourself that you’ll eventually make certain, bizarre recipes. Instead, stick to your guns and stay practical.
• Keep your fruits and veggies fresher instead of letting them rot or throwing them out. This will help you greatly reduce your food waste. For example, keep apples in refrigerator, potatoes and tomatoes on counter, and put your asparagus and broccoli in water (like flowers). Try to avoid putting grocery store items on your grocery list maker that last for only a couple days, like berries and mushrooms. Citrus fruits, potatoes, and apples last much longer and will help you minimize your food waste.
• Make a budget and be ambitious with it! Your budget should be a number that you never think you will plausibly reach (within reason), but that you would love to achieve. You will be shocked at how much you can save at the grocery store when you’re staying diligent. Making a budget will prevent you from straying too far from your grocery list and buying things that will just go to waste at your home. Put your budget for the grocery store trip on your grocery list so that you have a number in mind as you enter the store.
• Find versatile ingredients that can be used in multiple recipes to avoid food waste. These items could include chicken breasts, spinach, cheddar cheese, and eggs.
• Make sure your meal plan is visible so that you’re held to it.  Whether you put a meal plan on a menu board or simply write down your meals on your kitchen calendar, make sure they’re in plain sight so you’ll stick to it.

Just follow these tips and get your hands on a grocery list maker to minimize food waste and save big on your next grocery store bill. A grocery list could help you stay organized and stick to your budget next time you’re hittin’ the aisles.