How it helps: If you have a favourite cashier for every day of the week or know the details of your deli counter attendant's personal life, you're visiting the grocery store too often. Every trip you make for one or two items is a waste of time and gas. Make a weekly plan and pick up everything you can at once – even better, stop on the way home from work. It might be necessary to pop out one other time for more milk or fresh veggies, but minimizing your trips to the store also minimizes the greenhouse gases you emit on all of those side trips to the store.
Green grocery shopping tip #8: Only buy what you need
How it helps: Once you have a plan in place, not only will you make fewer trips to the store, but you can buy only what you will need for the meals ahead. Don't snatch up asparagus just because it's on sale if you have no idea when you're going to eat it. An average family of four tosses $590 worth of food every year. Farmers already feel pressure to produce as much food in as little space as possible – perhaps we wouldn't see the same strain on our land if our eyes and stomachs (and wallets) were all the same size.
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