The couple shared on Reddit how their clever system is paying off. In the spreadsheet, they track eight categories by week. First, there's a column for the name of the product and the store where they last bought it. Then there's a column for “Too much/too little at the beginning of the week” (how much they had in stock at the beginning of the week) and “Too much/too little at the end of the week” (how much they had left at the end of the week). They then note if they threw out any products and why. Then there's a column for “Future Plan” (how much should they buy to avoid waste?) and “Mitigation” (is there another way to reduce waste, like freezing, pickling, cooking in a specific recipe, or reusing roasted chicken?).
With the bigger picture in front of them, the couple is adjusting their shopping lists for the future. “If something goes to waste at Costco, I remove it from my list,” one of them explains in a Reddit post. She also sets up calendar notifications to stay on top of her data entry, because consistency is essential to success. Judging by the comments, her efforts seem to be appreciated. “I need to do this too,” one person responds. “I keep throwing out old onions and potatoes, but for some reason I still buy the big bags at Costco.” Another simply asks, “Liz Lemon? Are you?”
