I'm befuddled by pre-trip marketing every time, starting about two weeks out.

If I cut back too soon on fresh items, the fridge is bare days before we leave.
IF I leave cutoff too late, fresh items age during out absence.. never have found that sweet spot.

The only trick I have learned is to have a "buy on return" shopping list, to remind myself that I need garlic, Romaine, whatever, when we're back home.
Seriously, of course this is a small expense in the greater scheme of things, but I'm interested in how others handle it.
Thank you.

Seriously this is not rocket science. Begin cutting back on amount of fresh items you buy about 2 weeks before any trip. The closer to departure date you get the less fresh stuff you buy even if it means you throw out items that might spoil while you are away and/or you have to eat out for your last couple of meals.

I give my neighbors any perishables I have left when I leave.

The last couple of days I basically graze out of my staples and whats left that's fresh and what's in my freezer. Makes for some unusual meals sometimes But I never starve. Like kja, I give any perishables to my next door neighbor (who is also my tenant and pet sitter)

Have never given it a second thought really.

Never found it a particular problem. Of course, I do shop more than once a week. If I have extra salad veggies I throw them out, if I have extra cheese I give it to the friends who drive me to the airport.

I just use frozen foods closer to the trip. Or get food to-go from a neighborhood restaurant.

Then I go shopping the day after I get home.

I appreciate the common-sense replies posted = thank you.

And with all due respect to RoamsAround, please note I posed my question under "Budget Travel," not "Rocket Science."

As long as I leave a bottle of white wine in the frig for my return evening, I'm good. Have that and open a can of soup or something.

Good one, VonVan.

For me, there's nothing worse than waking up that first morning after a long trip back home to having no cream in the fridge for coffee. We'll at the very least stop at a store to buy that on the way home from the airport.

Boots