how to save money on food shopping (without wasting half your groceries)

Let’s be real: cooking for one or two sounds like it should be easier. Less food, fewer decisions, smaller grocery bills, right? And yet somehow, the spinach always goes slimy, the bread molds before you can freeze it, and half a red onion dies a lonely death in your crisper drawer.

If you’re constantly tossing groceries and feeling the burn (both guilt and cash), you’re not alone. Small households waste up to 100% more food per person than larger ones (source: Herzberg et al., 2020). And the average EU citizen? They lose up to €1300 a year to food waste (Eurostat and FAO data).

So let’s talk about how to save money on food shopping when you live solo or duo. Because you deserve a stocked fridge, not a science experiment.

why small households waste big money

You’d think buying less food would mean less waste. But the math doesn’t add up. Here’s why 1-2 person households are overrepresented in the landfill stats:

• Packaging is not made for us. Most grocery products are sized for families. Good luck finishing that four-pack of romaine before it liquefies.

• Recipes serve four (or more). Even when you do plan, you’re left with awkward leftovers or half-used ingredients.

• Plans change. Maybe your Tuesday curry turns into Thursday wine and crisps.

• Cooking fatigue is real. One-person households don’t have built-in sous-chefs. When you’re tired, the easiest thing to throw out is your good intentions.

The result? Food waste guilt. And money down the drain.

what is ingredient overlap planning?

Here’s your new superpower: ingredient overlap planning. It’s the simple art of buying fewer ingredients and using them in more ways. Like:

• Buy one bag of spinach → use in a salad, a stir-fry, and an omelette.

• Roast one tray of sweet potatoes → add to bowls, wraps, and breakfast hash.

• Open a tub of ricotta → make pasta, toast, and bake it into pancakes.

Overlap planning doesn’t just stretch your budget. It reduces the odds of lonely leftovers going bad. And it makes shopping way easier.

Need help getting started? Here are some great ideas for meal planning that don’t require you to be a spreadsheet wizard.

ingredient MVPs for small households

Not all ingredients are created equal. Some are destined to sit unloved at the back of your fridge, while others can flex into anything. Here are a few overlap MVPs to keep around:

The goal? Stock a few flexible basics that you actually like eating and can use across multiple meals.

how oh, a potato! helps you spend less (and waste less)

Let’s say you have half a zucchini, three eggs, and some parsley left from last week’s inspiration spiral. That’s where OH, a potato!’s fridge scanner comes in. Just snap a photo, and the app turns your stragglers into dinner ideas.

Even better? The automated grocery list fills in the blanks. You only buy what you need to complete those meals, no guessing, no overbuying, no extra tubs of hummus "just in case."

This combo (scan what you have + plan what to buy) is the secret sauce for:

• Avoiding double-ups and forgotten foods

• Actually using what you already bought

• Spending less, eating better, and binning less

Pro tip: it also powers micro plans. That means you can plan 3 meals a week instead of seven and still feel on track. It’s part of what makes OH, a potato! the best app to meal plan when life is a little unpredictable.

the freezer: your tiny time machine

One of the biggest shifts in saving money and cutting waste? Learning to freeze like a pro. Your freezer isn’t just for forgotten ice cream. It’s a strategic tool. Here’s how to use it:

• Bread: Freeze slices individually or in pairs. Toast straight from frozen.

• Herbs: Chop and mix with olive oil or butter, freeze in ice cube trays.

• Cooked grains: Brown rice, quinoa, farro, freeze in flat bags for quick portions.

• Fruit: Overripe bananas? Freeze for smoothies or pancakes.

• Sauces and broths: Portion out leftovers to avoid the "soup again?" fatigue.

And remember: freeze early, not late. If something looks questionable, it’s already too late. Freeze fresh, eat flexibly.

quick wins: tips to save money on food shopping

Here’s a cheat sheet for small-household grocery wins:

1. shop your fridge first

Sounds obvious. But before you build a list, look inside your fridge. What’s still good? What needs using up? Use the fridge scan feature to make it fast.

2. pick ingredients with range

Look for items that can stretch across meals. Spinach, tortillas, feta, and yogurt are MVPs for overlap.

3. avoid impulse produce

Unless you already know what you’ll use them in, skip the cute baby eggplants. Especially if you’re not in a baba ganoush mood.

4. freeze early, not late

Your freezer is a time machine. Toss bread, cooked grains, or herbs in early to avoid sad discoveries later.

5. aim for 3-ingredient meals

They’re faster, cheaper, and less waste-prone. Our week meal planning guide shows how to make this work even if your week goes sideways.

6. make your list after planning, not before

This is where the app shines. Start with meals, not groceries. Then use the automated grocery list to stay focused. Here’s how to turn that plan into a smart meal planning shopping list.

bottom line: it’s not your fault, but it is your fridge

Food waste doesn’t mean you’re lazy or bad at adulting. It means the system wasn’t built for you. But with smart tools (like OH, a potato!) and some ingredient overlap magic, you can spend less, waste less, and actually enjoy cooking for one or two.

Your spinach deserves a better fate. So does your wallet.

Glossary

Ingredient overlap planning – A strategy where you buy a limited number of versatile ingredients and use them across multiple meals.

Micro plan – A flexible, small-scale meal plan (like planning only 3 dinners a week) that reduces pressure and still prevents waste.

Fridge scanner – A feature in the OH, a potato! app that lets you snap a pic of your fridge or pantry and identifies usable ingredients.

Automated grocery list – A smart shopping list generated based on the meals you’ve planned and the ingredients you already have.

MVP (Most Versatile Player) – In this context, ingredients that are flexible and appear in a wide range of meals (e.g., eggs, spinach).

Freeze early, not late – A tip for freezing food before it starts to spoil to preserve quality and avoid waste.