Andrea Woroch Flags $1,200 Grocery Waste as Families Hunt Budget Cuts

1 articles · Updated · WCPO 9 Cincinnati · Jun 18

$1,200 a year in wasted produce is one of the clearest signs families are overspending, Andrea Woroch said, urging households to track every expense before trying to cut costs.
Three-month spending averages and budgeting apps such as Rocket Money and YNAB can expose the hardest-to-spot leaks, especially in fluctuating categories like groceries, gas, entertainment and kids' activities.
40% of purchased food is thrown away, she said, making meal planning, shopping from pantry inventory, sticking to lists and avoiding excess bulk buys the main grocery-saving tactics.
Subscriptions and wireless plans also quietly inflate budgets: Woroch said forgotten trial enrollments, negotiable streaming rates and unlimited data plans that exceed roughly 15 gigabytes of actual use are common drains.
Insurance and monthly bills round out the review, with Woroch recommending rate shopping every one to two years, bundling policies, raising deductibles when feasible and asking providers to match competitor offers.