Frugal shopper reveals the surprising reason they’ve bonded with their neighbors while saving money: ‘We call it the dishes parade’
Food waste … in this economy?
Instead of throwing out leftover food, one generous Redditor is sharing extra helpings with their neighbors.
In a viral post, the user says they send plates of extra food to their neighbors. Their neighbors return the favor when they are entertaining or cook too much, creating a friendly neighborhood food swap.
“Often it’s cheaper to buy a whole bag of potatoes, onions, apples, etc. than to buy only what my family can eat before spoiling,” the Reddit user writes. “So half goes across the street to their house. We’ve all cut down on food waste, it’s been a great experience.”
Last year, grocery food prices increased by about 12%. Some items, like eggs, have seen even worse spikes — with prices increasing by 38%.
Buying in bulk can often be more cost-effective, but families may be unable to consume these products before they expire.
Food waste is also harmful to the environment, not just your wallet. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that food waste produces 187 million tons of harmful carbon pollution. That’s equivalent to the pollution created by 42 coal-fueled power plants.
This Redditor has seemingly found the perfect solution. Sharing food helps households save money by buying in bulk, while also reducing food waste and helping people connect with their neighbors.
Reddit users applauded this food exchange and shared their methods for reducing food waste in the comments.
“Sounds like a great way to also get to try food that’s not the norm for you,” one user says.
Another user responds, “This! I grew up next store to an awesome old Filipino woman, and she would share so much food with my family! Really opened our eyes to authentic Filipino food.”
“My neighbors and us do the same thing. We call it the ‘dishes parade’ because our china is going back and forth across the fence,” another shares.
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