Tried making my own bread for 3 weeks to save money and got a surprise

I started baking my own sandwich bread about a month ago cause store loaves hit $5 each near me in Austin. I figured I'd save maybe $2 a week but I didn't count on how much less I'd waste. Turns out homemade bread goes stale way slower than the store stuff. I used to throw away half a loaf every week cause it got moldy. Now I just slice and freeze what I don't use right away. Has anyone else found that making stuff from scratch actually cuts down on food waste more than you thought?

4 comments

4 Comments

smith.elliot15d ago

My first loaf came out looking like a brick that lost a fight with a waffle iron, but hey, it still tasted fine. I've definitely noticed the waste thing too. I'm notorious for buying a bag of spinach and watching it turn into green sludge three days later, but homemade bread I actually finish before it goes bad. Maybe it's just me but there's something about the effort that makes me not want to throw it out.

harpercampbell15d ago

Hold up, you're telling me wasting a few bucks on a store loaf is worse than the flour, yeast, and electricity I sank into a brick I force myself to eat for a week? Sometimes throwing something out is cheaper than the sunk cost of making it.

ruby65915d agoMost Upvoted

Saw a study that said homemade bread gets wasted 60% less than store bought.

gavin_kim15d ago

I don't know man, I see this argument all the time and I just don't buy it. The effort thing doesn't do it for me - I'll spend two hours making a batch of cookies and still let half of them go stale in the jar. People act like putting in work automatically makes you value something more, but that's just not how my brain works. You know what I actually finish? Pre-sliced bread from the store that I can toast without thinking about it. That bag of spinach you mentioned? Yeah, I toss that too, but bread lasts longer because it's basically just flour and water, not because we 'care more' about it. And honestly, home baking creates waste in other ways - all those half-used bags of specialty flour, yeast packets that expire, and the energy to heat your oven for an hour. Store bread uses way less resources overall and I don't feel guilty about throwing out a half-eaten loaf I bought for two bucks.