The biggest food budget buster isn't a $1 candy bar or $4 bag of
grapes.
It's waste, says Linda Larsen, author of "The Everything Meals on
a Budget Cookbook" (Adams, 2008, $14.95).
"Americans throw away as much as 45% of the food they buy,
whether it's a head of lettuce that languishes in the fridge until
it wilts, or steak imperfectly wrapped so it develops freezer burn,"
Larsen writes in her book.
With food prices rising at the fastest pace in 17 years -- eggs
alone are up 69% over the past two years -- many consumers are
taking a closer look at lifestyle and spending habits formed during
prosperous times.
There are plenty of strategies for stretching food and making
smart grocery buys.
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