Food prices are on the rise, and 18 percent of families in the United States say that they can’t afford to buy the food they need. Yet the average American family of four throws away 40 percent of the food they purchase — as much as 20 pounds of food per person per month. That means they spend $2,275 a year on food they never end up eating. I hate to waste food and try my best to make sure we use food before it goes bad, but every couple of weeks when I clean out the fridge, I inevitably end up throwing food away. Here are some tips and ways to reduce wasting food and throwing your money away!

The Natural Resources Defense Council says it all adds up to a staggering $165 billion worth of wasted food each year.

A few ways to help reduce waste and throwing your money (and food) away:

Shop wisely. Plan out what you want to buy before you go to the grocery store, so you don’t end up buying more than you’ll actually use.

Cook wisely. Don’t cook more than you can reasonably eat in a given time, and be sure to include leftovers in your calculations.

Understand expiration dates. Those dates on most pre-packaged products isn’t really an expiration date, it’s a “use-by” date.

Use your freezer. Many foods can be safely frozen, including staples like bread and milk.