looks from the photo, like a top-loader fridge. only like 25000% smarter than standard door fridges (what u get when the guys selling fridges also sell the elcitricity, thank you Mr. Edison!) .....even if Frank did want to still stare at his food with a top loader, he wont be losing much cold when the door's open!

I'm not sure if it's a top-loader or if the photo is misleading, we'd have to ask Frank, but in any case, it's one of those "duh" tips that if done on a large scale could save many megawatts I'm sure...

Wouldn't it be a better idea to write a list of what's missing from the fridge, rather than an enormous list of what's in it? That way you can just copy the grocery list onto a bit of paper and take it to the shop. Like people have been doing for fifty years.

James,

Heh. The point here is to avoid always looking inside the fridge to see what *is* in it to decide what to eat. A grocery list doesn't quite have the same role, although it surely depends how many people are in your household, how many shop for food and how good a memory you have.

Some people who live alone probably know exactly what is in their fridge, while some couples and families are probably spending tons of time with the door open just browsing what's left and what has been bought by others.

I'm graphically oriented - so I'd take a photo and post that. Also I think a pic would be faster, than open-close-write-write, open-close-write-write, etc.

I like this :)
The bit about the grocery list brings to mind how I have yet to see a recipe program go all out with their idea of the "pantry" portion of the software. Why not allow the user to input ALL of the food they have in their home into the program so you can then have it tell you what recipes you can make with what you have on hand? That alone could save trips to the store (and fuel or sweat) just to buy what you're missing from the recipe.

If you want to go with the "smart house" concept you could even use some of those cool electronic inks or newer lcd's on the door of the fridge and always have a running list of both what's in it and what you need to buy. I would be very happy with the comprehensive pantry idea in recipe software, though. Save me from buying duplicate spices or foods, too.

Okay all you programmers, get to work! :)

This "solution" is butt ugly. Unless you're a calligrapher, it would look as bad as the example shown.

This is one of those silly ideas that would take 2 hours to do the initial inventory and design of the chart. Another hour to explain to your kids and spouse while they rolled eyes. A week of complaining that you are the only one updating the chart... total life expectancy about 1 week.

Patrick,

It definitely won't work for everybody, but a variant where you just write the main dishes in the fridge could work.

ie. pizza / soup / salad / pasta

No need to write every last little thing in the fridge..

But hey! We're just making suggestions, and if 2 people out there think it's a good idea and it works for them, it's at least something!

Mike, thanks for posting, and all, thanks for the comments. This idea is meant to help me plan meals and to prevent food loss due to either forgetting what's in the fridge or not being able to see it. I hate throwing out [or composting] food I paid for.

One thing I learned as a bachelor was the underrated skill of making a meal out of what's on hand. That, ultimately, is one of the biggest energy saving skills because it overrides trips to buy one or two things. Some of my meals may never appear on a restaurant menu, but they're healthy and non-wasteful.

This system also helps discipline food buying habits, because what looks like a good idea at the store doesn't seem so appealing in your home.

As for the saving energy with the fridge, it's a moot point for me as I live in a rented space. And they're going condo in a couple months so there will be no enlightened negotiating on why they should buy a more frugal unit.

As for "butt ugly" -- guilty!

*Chuckle*
Nice to know that my partner and I are not the only ones who do this. We've been keeping a whiteboard on the fridge for a couple of years now. It takes some work to establish the habit of keeping it updated, but it has done alot to prevent food spoilage/wastage, and helps reduce the amount of time spent rummaging with the door open.

I find this post just a little ironic in light of the recent post about BIC pens. However, it raises an interesting point: do we judge the value of something like a pen based on its perceived waste or its perceived usefulness? What if this solution had instead used a BIC pen with a pad of paper? Are there any green alternatives to disposable pens and markers?

Dave,

Well, everything we do has an impact. I mean, you are writing this on a computer, aren't you?

I can get very hard to know what to do once you start analyzing lifecycles.. But in this case, you can write on the back of a recycled piece of scrap paper with a pencil, and if it makes you open the door of the fridge less often, waste less food and do less trips to the grocery store in a car, then maybe it'll been worth it. For some people, it won't be worth it.

Its an o.k idea but i cant imagine many people being bothered to use it. How about doing something a bit more radical and get rid of the fridge altogether! answers on a postcard!