I needed a can of green beans while cooking, so I asked my neighbor if he had any, and he sent me this saying it was all he had…

In response, consumers are looking for smart solutions that are easy on their wallets.

One of the smartest ways to maximize your grocery budget is to understand how to decode these often misunderstood food labels.

It’s a way to avoid prematurely throwing out food that hasn’t expired. A 2011 study by the Institute of Food Marketers (FMI) found that many Americans would rather play it safe than risk their health when deciding whether their purchased food is still safe to eat. The study found that 91 percent of participants said they “at least occasionally” threw out food past its “sell-by” date out of concern for safety; 25 percent said they did so “all the time.”

These attitudes may explain why an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the nation’s food supply goes to waste each year, according to a study published by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 2014.

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