Carrie M. Durward, PhD, RD

Nobody would just throw money in the garbage, but that is essentially what we do every time we waste food. It is something we all do! Recent research showed that the average American consumer wastes about one pound of food every day! That adds up to over $1,300 per year on food that goes in the garbage. That’s a lot of money! Food waste may seem inevitable, but you can significantly reduce this amount by simply changing a few of your habits. To learn how you can stop wasting food and start saving money, visit USU Extension Food Waste Series.  You can also join us on Facebook at USU Extension Nutrition where we will be highlighting ways to reduce food waste all month. 

April is National Food Waste Awareness month, and USU Extension Nutrition has developed a series outlining best practices and research-based solutions to help you prevent food waste. This series will help you learn how to meal plan, grocery shop, preserve fruits and vegetables, and use up leftovers in your home. They’ve provided various resources to make saving money and decreasing food waste in your home a breeze!  


Carrie M. Durward, PhD, RD, is a USU Extension Nutrition Specialist and Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences.

References: Conrad, Z. (2020). Daily cost of consumer food wasted, inedible, and consumed in the United States, 2001–2016. Nutrition Journal,19(1).

Welcome to Financial Literacy Month 2021!
The Utah Money Moms team is excited to bring you personal finance content that can help you stay on track with financial goals, make smart money decisions and enjoy financial freedom.

Here's what's coming your way this month: 

1. FREE WEBINARS: Every Monday in April at 1pm & 7pm we're diving into financial topics like: financial organization tricks, how to eliminate your debt fast, how to clean up your credit, and how to clean up your budget. REGISTER HERE!
2. SOCIAL MEDIA: Join us every week for Money Monday on Instagram stories. We'll share our favorite personal finance book reviews on IGTV, share tips and tricks via Facebook Live, and more!
3. BLOG POSTS: We're curating content all month right here at Utah Money Moms. 
4. GIVEAWAY: We'll announce an exciting give-a-way opportunity towards the end of the month.

To start off, let's revisit the topic of financial health, what it means, and why it's critical for financial freedom. Check out What is Financial Health to get started, then see Your Financial Wellness Wheel and download the free printable. Finally, check out Financial Fitness: How to Take Action. 

GUEST BLOGGER: ANDREA SCHMUTZ, USU EXTENSION ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

​“Look what I found! Can you make something with it?”  When my kids were growing up, this was a common greeting as they walked in the door from school. Sometimes they had found a real treasure that held great potential for upcycling. The gold star days were when they opened up their lunch boxes and pulled out multiple empty juice pouches (i.e. CapriSun) they had collected from their friends. We would wash them out and plot all of the many projects we could make with the “trash”.
 
From the time they were young, I tried to instill in my children their role in protecting the earth and being good stewards of the resources around them. Before they were old enough to understand things like “carbon footprint”, I focused on helping them understand simple concepts like waste and trash. What I didn’t realize at the time was that I was also teaching them some simple money management skills while fostering creativity that would pay off when the budget was tight.
 
Have you ever stopped and thought about the connection between being a steward of the earth and a guardian of your budget? When we breathe new life into a discarded object, we save money and we help save the earth one small step at a time. Here are four common household materials that can be upcycled into useful projects or gifts:

GUEST BLOGGER: KATHY RIGGS, USU EXTENSION PROFESSOR

​When was the last time you evaluated your finances? Are you making ends meet? Are you able to make your housing and utility payments each month and on time? Are you adding to a savings account regularly?
 
Hopefully you are able to answer “yes” to each of those questions. However, many of us are able to pay off regular debts yet struggle to save for that “rainy day” or even retirement. Here are three suggestions for giving your savings account a bit of a push from America Saves.

Welcome to Financial Literacy Month 2020! Woot Woot! The Utah Money Moms team is excited to bring you personal finance content that can help you stay on track with financial goals, make smart money decisions and enjoy financial freedom.  Here's what's coming your way this month: 

1. GIVEAWAY: We'll announce an exciting give-a-way opportunity towards the end of the month.
2. BLOG POSTS: We're curating content every Monday and Thursday to keep you up to date on current COVID-19 financial issues as well as topics like teaching your kids about money. 
3. FB/IG LIVE: Every Friday we'll go live from our virtual classroom to share best-practices, tips and hacks to make managing your personal finances as stream lined as possible.

To start off, let's revisit the topic of financial health, what it means, and why it's critical for financial freedom. Check out What is Financial Health to get started, then see Your Financial Wellness Wheel and download the free printable. Finally, check out Financial Fitness: How to Take Action. 
Can't wait to hear your suggestions for financial health! Join us on the Utah Money Moms Facebook page to share!