Mike Carruthers

Welcome to Something You Should Know.

The average American household wastes hundreds of pounds of food every year.

According to the U.S.

Department of Agriculture, a family of four loses about $1,500 per year on food that never gets eaten.

Groceries that sat too long in the fridge or got shoved to the back of the shelf or were tossed out because of confusing expiration dates.

And it's not just leftovers.

Across the U.S., about 30 to 40 percent of the food supply, the entire food supply, goes uneaten.

It's the result of loss and waste from the farm to the table.

It's interesting that we're pretty careful at the grocery store, at the checkout line, about how much we're paying for food.

But once that food gets home, these small losses really add up.

A wilted bunch of lettuce here, forgotten leftovers there, and all those dollars go straight in the trash.

The good news is being aware of this problem and making some obvious small changes in how you shop, store, and plan your meals can dramatically cut waste and quietly put cash back in your pocket.

And that is something you should know.

What you believe.

Your beliefs quietly run your life.

What you believe about yourself, what you're capable of, what you deserve, what's possible, all shape the choices you make and the risks you're willing to take.

The problem is that many of us treat our beliefs like facts, but they're not.

If you believe you're bad with money, you avoid investing.

If you believe you're not leadership material, you don't apply for that job.

If you believe something is impossible for you, you never even try.