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How Not to Waste Food When Moving

The transition period right before moving to a new place can be difficult to plan for a lot of reasons, but especially when it comes to going grocery shopping or in using up all the food you already have in your refrigerator or pantry. If you’re not moving far, it can be easy to conserve food and move it to your new space, instead of getting rid of everything and wasting perfectly good items.

Go Through Your Fridge & Pantry

It’s important to go through every area where food is stored well before you move. You don’t want to be moving and then having to just throw a bunch of food out the day of. It also isn’t great to leave a ton of food trash outside of your old residence after you leave – and could even get you fined by your landlord or neighborhood. You can never be too early when taking an inventory of your food supplies.

When going through your fridge or pantry, sort your remaining food into categories. Take stock of frozen items, refrigerated items, canned items, boxed items, and cooking and baking supplies/ingredients. Make sure to write down how much you have of each item.

If you still have some time before you move, start planning meals around making use of these items, and use it as an incentive to cook more at home and try out new recipes! This will also allow you to not have to worry about moving frozen food or perishable items.

What to Get Rid Of

This might go without saying, but throw out anything that’s expired or is about to expire. Pay special attention to condiments or dressings – they often fly under the radar.

If you can’t use up all of your food prior to the day of your move, donate any non-perishables you can. Bring your items to a local food bank or non-profit that benefits the community. Don’t let your items go to waste just because you can’t take them!

For any remaining items, pack food in secure containers for short-term moves and bring them over last if you’re moving a short distance. If you’re moving long-distance, make sure they are secure and can withstand anything that might occur while in shipment. If you’re in doubt, throw it out!