According to the USDA’s Economic Research Service, food waste is estimated at between 30-40 percent of the food supply in the United States.  National Institute of Health (NIH) also reported that Americans today wasted 50% more food than they did in the 1970s. In 2010, the US Department of Agriculture found that every year approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion worth of food was lost or wasted in the U.S. alone. Food waste often arose from untimely harvesting, over production, poor storage, confusing expiration labels, unnecessary (“super”) large portions for the restaurant meals, etc. Due to its perishable nature, it is difficult for you to avoid spoilage and subsequent waste. Food waste not only pollutes our living environment, but also increases our grocery bills. Single people living in America are spending hundreds of dollars a month on food. The average cost of groceries each month for one American ranges between $165 and $345, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

To keep you from eating unhealthy or spoiled food and better control your monthly grocery bills, you should understand clearly how long your food last in either the refrigerator or the freezer. First of all, you must correctly decipher what the product expiration label indicates.

• Sell by: Tells the store how long it can display the product in the shelf. Although food may be still good after the purchase, its purchase before the expiration date is recommended.
• Best if used by & Best before: The purchase by or before the designated date is recommended to maintain best flavor or quality.
• Use by: The last date recommended by the manufacturer for use of the product while at peak quality.
• Closed or Coded dates: Packing numbers for use by the manufacturer. These dates are rarely seen.

The following is a list of food with its typical freshness life span when it was refrigerated or frozen.

Food	Refrigerated	Frozen
Eggs	3-5 weeks	Not to be frozen
Poultry (fresh)	3-4 days	12 months
Beef (fresh)	3-5 days	3-4 months
Pork (fresh)	3-5 days	4-6 months
Ham (whole or cooked)	7 days	1-2 months
Roasted beef, lambs, or pork	3-5 days	6-12 months
Steaks: Beef, lamb, pork	2-3 days	6-12 months
Bacon (fresh)	7 days	1-2 months
Sausage (fresh)	1-2 days	1-2 months
Lunch meat	one week when opened, 2 weeks if unopened	1-2 months
Hot dogs	one week when opened, 2 weeks if unopened	1-2 months
Meat, poultry casseroles	3-4 days	2-4 months
Fresh seafood	1-2 days	3 months
Lean fish (cod, trout, perch)	1-2 days	6 months
Fatty fish (e.g., salmon, tuna)	1-2 days	2-3 months
Salads with egg, macaroni, tuna	3-5 days	Not intended to be frozen
Broccoli	7-14 days	8-12 months
Carrots	1-2 weeks	8-12 months
Cucumbers	1 week	8-12 months
Green beans	1 week	8-12 months
Margarine	4-6 months	12 months
Bread (fresh baked)	1-2 weeks	2-3 months
Mayonnaise	2 months, if opened	Not to be frozen
Soups and stews (vegetable or meat added)	3-4 days	2-3 months
Pizza (Leftover)	3-4 days	1-2 months

Sources: USDA, foodsafety.gov (https://www.foodsafety.gov/food-safety-charts/cold-food-storage-charts)

To figure out how long leftovers will last and when to throw them out, please check https://www.statefoodsafety.com/Resources/Resources/when-to-throw-it-out-leftovers.