Stay Frugal With Food Buying Clubs -- Savings Experiment

No one likes to throw food away. It's wasteful, and essentially like tossing money in the garbage. Here's how you can ensure that you're using exactly what you're buying.

According to recent statistics, 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. gets thrown out. That's about 20 pounds per person, per month. What's the solution? Join a food buying club.

In food buying clubs, small groups of friends and neighbors buy higher quality, healthful groceries in bulk from wholesalers or local producers. The work of distributing and obtaining the food is divided as equally as possible between the members, and time and effort are traded for lower prices.

You'll likely have to plan your meals and shop ahead of time, but this can help prevent unnecessary spending since you're only getting what you really need. In other words, your meals -- and money -- won't end up going to waste.

To help you find a food club near you, check out LocalHarvest.org. This site will help you find the best organic food grown in your area. Just type "Buying Clubs" in the search engine, put in your zip code, and you're ready to go.

How much will food buying clubs save you? According to ABC News, smaller families reported saving up to $200 per month on food, while larger families reported saving as much as $500. Overall, participants estimate that they saved around 20-25 percent of their grocery bills through their buying clubs.

So, start 2014 off by checking out food buying clubs and saving yourself some money. It's a healthy resolution that won't go to waste.