Re: Are you a wasteful person?

RedTop · ‎09-01-2010

No, we are not wasteful with food, and I do not buy just to buy. I do stock a deep pantry, and my freezer is always full; a lot of the food in the pantry has my purchase date on it, so I always use the oldest food first. My family of 4 could definitely eat for 6+ months on the food already in this house.

I hate grocery shopping; the less time I spend in the store, the better. Right now I am shopping more frequently, as I am buying more easy to prepare food in preparation of my knee surgery next month. My goal is to come home from the hospital, relax, heal and not step inside a grocery store for at least 6-8 weeks. My husband can handle picking up a very short list of foods like bread, milk, eggs, etc., but he would not be interested in shopping with one of my lists.

scatcat · ‎03-15-2010

@hoosieroriginal wrote:
@scatcat wrote:
Not wasteful and our fridge/freezer/shelves are not packed. I have never said to myself - "I better stuff the freezer in case I can't get to the store". Sounds like OP's friend is a hoarder.
@scatcat - you hit that one right on the head - the rest of her house is so cluttered - every time an aunt or relative dies she's the first one to take everything home. Any clutter drives me crazy!

Addiction comes in many forms

SeaMaiden · ‎03-10-2010

I do not know if having a well stocked pantry is wasteful really. I think if you are throwing out spoiled food, then yes, that is wasteful. I buy only what I know I will use. I check dates on everything with a use by date.i throw away very little food,

MalteseMomma · ‎03-09-2010

I would not judge this person.............to each his own.............

hckynut · ‎03-10-2010

(thread title)

No. My mother taught me in my single digit age the value of working, and not wasting anything, especially money that we worked hard to earn. I have and will always connect my spending to my present income, regardless of living through many different economic times.

During my teens and up through my mid 30's, racing cars was my big thing, some say hobby, I say passion. After many years, when it would have taken working a lot of overtime, or a 2nd job, to financially continue it? I decided it was time to change my passion/hobby.

It was still "racing", but using only my legs/feet and physical fitness. Instead of thousands of $$$ to participate and/or compete, it was always less than $100 for the needed parts, SHOES.

For me I put practicality on the top of my spending list. Is this something I need, or something I want? Something I can and will use as opposed to something I wear or like for it's looks. Clothes and body ornaments(ladies prefer the word jewelry, I think), close to the very bottom of my list.

One of my good friends at worked loved to travel on vacation. He went to places around the world and just had to show me all his pictures. He also told me "you gotta travel and see the world", and don't be so cheap. My preference was to buy in-home exercise equipment.

He spent thousands of $$$ traveling, and while it was fun any eye opening to him, he was left with only his experiences/memories, and pictures. Me buying a treadmill for over $3,000? I still have that treadmill 35 years later, and at any time could have sold it for a return of $$ on my investment. I preferred/prefer my way, and I did all the traveling I wanted when racing cars, and during my 6 years in the US Army and Army Reserves.

When I retired and the economy went downhill, I cancelled things I did not need, and each downturn I cancelled more. I used to like eating out regularly and cut that down immensely. Now, I can't remember what year it was when I last ate out, unless we want to count hospital food. Lot's more stories of my friends calling me cheap and me countering them with, frugal. I think I answered this question and probably much more than my 2 letter very first word of this post.

hckynut(john)

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

@hoosieroriginal wrote:
@CelticCrafter wrote:
@hoosieroriginal wrote:
Do you buy things just to buy things? I was at a friend's house yesterday and she had told me the day before she bought 2 weeks worth of meals to prepare (although she goes out almost every night and buys fast food). Yesterday I saw her and she was bringing in bag after bag of groceries. I stood in her kitchen while she put them away. Her refrigerator is a side-by-side and she showed me the freezer side - jam packed - couldn't get another thing in it. The pantry was stocked for a war! She said she went out for 2 things and ended up buying 10 bags of groceries. My ex-husband was the same way- my daughter and her friends would shop from our panty - line after line of canned goods, cereal, pasta. I can't imagine she's going to use the food in her freezer before it goes bad - a lot of it was wrapped in aluminum foil.

I personally buy only what I need, that way I'm not throwing away food unnecessarily.
My husband is like that - I have to tell him it's time to stop because there is no place to put it - I purposefully keep the shelves in a bit of a disarray or pull things forward so he doesn't see that there is room for more stuff.
My daughter would come home from college and shop at Mom's Supermarket before she would go back.
I keep the freezer in the kitchen full so he thinks there is no room for anything else. I do have room in the small chest freezer but can't let him know that either!
@CelticCrafter wrote:
@hoosieroriginal wrote:
Do you buy things just to buy things? I was at a friend's house yesterday and she had told me the day before she bought 2 weeks worth of meals to prepare (although she goes out almost every night and buys fast food). Yesterday I saw her and she was bringing in bag after bag of groceries. I stood in her kitchen while she put them away. Her refrigerator is a side-by-side and she showed me the freezer side - jam packed - couldn't get another thing in it. The pantry was stocked for a war! She said she went out for 2 things and ended up buying 10 bags of groceries. My ex-husband was the same way- my daughter and her friends would shop from our panty - line after line of canned goods, cereal, pasta. I can't imagine she's going to use the food in her freezer before it goes bad - a lot of it was wrapped in aluminum foil.

I personally buy only what I need, that way I'm not throwing away food unnecessarily.
My husband is like that - I have to tell him it's time to stop because there is no place to put it - I purposefully keep the shelves in a bit of a disarray or pull things forward so he doesn't see that there is room for more stuff.
My daughter would come home from college and shop at Mom's Supermarket before she would go back.
I keep the freezer in the kitchen full so he thinks there is no room for anything else. I do have room in the small chest freezer but can't let him know that either!
@CelticCrafter What is up with that? I can only think my ex-husband did without food or something as a child and was always afraid to be without. He worked for the fire department and I swear we had enough food to feed the fire department every night if we had to. He would go to Sam's Club and spend hundreds of dollars every pay - it really bothered me a lot.

@hoosieroriginal - with mine I really think it's a form of PTSD. Started after him being in downtown NYC and seeing 9/11 happening.

Lucky Charm · ‎03-09-2010

No, most of what I purchase is organic so I catch it on sale and stock up.

Of course, fresh vegetables and fruits I don't want too much of, if they spoil, but I always use what I have.

I also don't waste energy, either. Today it's in the 70's, so I'll be cooking spaghetti on the stove for dinner.

Tomorrow, it's only going in the 60's so I'm defrosting a pork roast and a pork chops. I'll cook both of them tomorrow in the oven. I'll also make fries for his dinner.

I cook sometimes 3 different meats/meals in the oven at one time. Then I'll split them up, put them in glass dishes, freeze them and when I re-heat them for DH's dinner, I'll use the countertop oven. Less energy.

I only run the dishwasher when it's completely full, rarely ever let it go through the dry cycle.

I hang most laundry outside.

LyndaGee · ‎03-11-2010

no. I've read articles that claim Americans throw away 25 percent of the food they buy. I can honestly say we don't do that. I seldom have to toss anything - Maybe some bread that has become hard, but I give it to the birds and squirrels.

PurpleBunny · ‎03-09-2010

Yes, I buy things I don't need or have room for. I wish I could stop. 😖

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homedecor1 · ‎03-09-2010

not really in the sense of "wasteful". I like a well stocked pantry because I do cook. I buy fresh vegetables at farm stand usually on Saturdays.

I used to buy a lot of BOGO because I always like a stocked pantry.

I now do buy the BOGOs and donate 2nd one to our food bank box at the church. These donations are appreciated, they have food bank every other week.

And I like home decor I've started putting a box in my garage, if I bring something new I put in box & donate when it's full. (Which sometimes happens quickly lately as I'm finally getting rid of stuff other owner left when I bought house - she left beautiful things some Brand new from linens to kitchen to home decor - I was very lucky I liked her taste!)