The sum of the parts is equal to the whole. That sounds all good and well except when you are thinking about something like trail mix or a snack mix. If you like those for a quick energy boost or eat trail mix as part of a healthy breakfast, do you always like what is in the mix?

I have seen mixed nuts in a container at parties and invariably the almonds are left. I personally like almonds, but in trail mix, I don’t like raisins or Brazil Nuts (filberts).

A way to get around this is to buy the nuts I like and then blend them together for my own mix. This way there is no waste. This also allows me to control the amount of sodium, and proportion of my favorite or less favorite nuts.

Even if you are buying a box of assorted items, make sure that you like all of them, otherwise you will be wasting money. Unless this is such a great deal that it is less expensive to buy the assorted package and you will foist the undesirable parts off on someone else or it is for a party where there is a variety of people who will partake in the mix.

For yourself – buy what you like, even if you have to spend a little more but you now you will eat all of it… this saves you money. The part that you waste, even if it was cheaper, is still wasted.