While you are preparing for a move, you already have a lot on your plate. You have to go through everything you own and pack it away in boxes while trying not to create too many boxes to move or take too long packing. With this huge amount of stress, it is understandable that some items or areas of your home may be forgotten about until the last minute.
One area that we have found many people forget about is the food in your fridge and pantry. You may not know what to do with this food while moving because you realize it is not safe to pack it away because it could go bad, make a mess, or cause an infestation of rodents. Here are some tips on how to get rid of your food while moving, courtesy of Tru Solutions Moving Utah.
How to get rid of food while moving
Take inventory of what you have
This tip is a real gamechanger for people that already have plenty of food in their fridge. You should create a list of all of your food so that you do not have to buy more in the few weeks before you move out. A good tip for this process would be to separate your food into categories including perishables, canned foods, non-perishables, frozen goods, and baking/cooking supplies. You can even use a spreadsheet to keep track of these items.
Use as much food as possible
Most households have way more food than they know what to do with and that is a fact. If you are asking how to get rid of food while moving, have no fear because we have a solution! What better way to use some of this food than by cooking it in the weeks leading up to your move? This will help you save money and use the food that you originally planned on eating! We suggest cooking food for your moving day as you will likely get hungry several times. You can also offer food to your family, friends, and movers that are helping you.
Share your remaining food
No matter how hard you try, you may not be able to eat all of your food before you move. Depending on how much food you have, you could cook for weeks and still not go through all of it. Another way to get rid of this food is by asking your friends and family if they would like some of it. You could invite your family and friends over for a packing party and offer the food to them then. It is possible that they could really appreciate it, so be sure to offer!
Donate it to food banks
If you still have extra food leftover after you eat some and share with your friends and family, another option is donating it to food banks or nonprofits. Move For Hunger estimates that the average family throws away more than $1,500 worth of food per year, so now is a great time to change that. While donating, remember that food banks and other donation sites mostly accept non-perishable items including canned goods, pasta, rice, and similar products. By donating the food that you do not want to take with you, you will be making a positive effect on the lives of people who are in need.
