Showerthought: I compared my meal planning app receipts vs actual grocery bags and the difference was wild

I tracked every single thing I bought for two weeks against what the app said I'd save. Turned out the app assumed I'd use up every single ingredient, but I ended up throwing away $42 worth of sad cilantro and half a carton of milk. The real win came when I started a list on the fridge and only bought what we genuinely need for three days at a time. Anyone else notice meal planning apps oversell how much you'll actually use?

3 comments

3 Comments

park.wyatt25d ago

Guilty of buying cilantro just to watch it rot in my crisper drawer.

taylor_mitchell8025d ago

Respectfully, this sounds more like a user error than an app failure. Most meal planning apps let you customize portions and frequency of use, so if you're ending up with sad cilantro, that's on you for not adjusting those settings. The fridge list method works fine for some, but it falls apart fast when you've got a family with different schedules or when you're trying to avoid a midweek store run for one missing ingredient. I've been using one of these apps for two years and my food waste is basically zero because I actually follow the prep instructions and freeze what I won't use in time. The real trick is being honest about what you'll actually cook, not blaming the app for assuming you'll follow through on your own shopping list.

paul_mason1225d ago

Taylor I feel you on the "being honest about what you'll actually cook" part. That's the REAL kicker. I've wasted so much money on fancy ingredients I swore I'd use but never did. The app can't magically make me want to chop veggies after a long day at work. You're right though, the freezer is a lifesaver. I freeze everything now, even herbs in ice cube trays with oil. Its the only way I don't end up with a science experiment in my fridge.