topic Re: Waste Not in Community Chat

Waste Not

QVCkitty1 — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 16:00:29 GMT

One thing our current situation has taught me is to not waste anything. I mean I always knew you shouldn't waste food, but it never really bothered me to toss leftovers or so so produce. Now I do a regular inventory and find a way to use everything. I'm careful with paper towels too, I use to tear them off to use as napkins, now I just buy napkins, they are cheap and available. I hope I keep this up even when the supply chain is more reliable.

Re: Waste Not

LuvmyLab — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 16:06:54 GMT

@QVCkitty1 I totally understand. Before this virus hit, I use to use so much TP that my husband asked if I was writing a book! Now I only use exactly what I need. I realized how much I had been wasting all these years. I will definitely keep it up when this is all over. We also used to toss leftovers if there wasn't enough for two people but now we find a way to use them. You have to get creative!

Re: Waste Not

CAcableGirl2 — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 16:07:32 GMT

@QVCkitty1 I do the same thing. I bought some cloth napkins a while ago and use those instead of paper towels or napkins when eating. They are so much nicer and save me from purchasing and disposing of all that paper.

I also got some of the Campenelli towels a while ago and use some with my swiffer when cleaning the floors to avoid purchasing the swiffer towels too.

Re: Waste Not

I am still oxox — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 16:11:22 GMT

I have started using washable cloths instead of paper towls to clean my kitchen counter tops

Re: Waste Not

millieshops — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 16:24:13 GMT

@QVCkitty1I'm right with you. I wouldn't say I was ever deliberately wasteful, but I know that some of the habits I've been building during these last few weeks are likely to be with me for a long time.

I've read any number of times that it takes about 30 days to build a new habit. Here's one of mine. I used to stop into the supermarket every few days because I actually needed something but more likely because I'd changed my mind about dinner and wanted something.

Two things were then true - one is that something in the refrig might have looked old before I got back to it so that got tossed. Even more often, as long as I was in the store, I almost always picked up things that weren't on any list, not physically or even mentally. It was just see something, buy something.

Move to these last 30 days. I've been to the supermarket only 3 times. The first time I'm sure I bought too much, but fortunately not too much dairy, meat or produce, so no waste. The next 2 times, I went in fear, carried a list organized by the store layout, and bought no extras.

It's very possible I'm seeing my personal new normal. Certainly no more than once every 2 weeks will be my routine for the foreseeable future.

Re: Waste Not

CelticCrafter — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 16:26:50 GMT

If I see anyone using toilet paper for anything else other to wipe their butts they are going to be in trouble!

Re: Waste Not

godi — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 16:28:01 GMT

I also am using less paper products. I placed microfiber cloths at the sink for drying hands in blue and yellow for wiping up and cleaning. I was astounded that a roll of paper towel lasted me a week! Boy I was definitely a waster.

Re: Waste Not

golding76 — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 16:32:30 GMT

I, too, have become more mindful and do my best to conserve all stock that I have in every area of my life.

In addition, I've developed a finer understanding of my mother (who lived through the Depression) and her never-ending stockpiling of everything from meat (in her basement freezer) to batteries, canned goods, napkins, goodies, etc.

We always joked that no matter what you wanted, Mama had it available. Really, it was a running joke in our family.

Now I truly understand why she was the way she was.

Re: Waste Not

Still Raining — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 17:10:40 GMT

Never was a paper towel user, a roll lasts for more than 6 months. Also never have had paper napkins, just cloth. Easy to wash napkins and have a dedicated load for washing "rags".

Re: Waste Not

happycat — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 17:27:04 GMT

@QVCkitty1 wrote:
One thing our current situation has taught me is to not waste anything. I mean I always knew you shouldn't waste food, but it never really bothered me to toss leftovers or so so produce. Now I do a regular inventory and find a way to use everything. I'm careful with paper towels too, I use to tear them off to use as napkins, now I just buy napkins, they are cheap and available. I hope I keep this up even when the supply chain is more reliable.

Me too. I bought some microfiber cloths and terry towels to cut down on my paper towel usage. It seems like I'm always spilling stuffl.

And we are eating more leftovers and trying to make sure we don't waste food too. This has really been an eye opening experience.

Re: Waste Not

shoesnbags — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 17:36:10 GMT

I think that everyone who has lived through the current situation will have a lot in common with those who lived through the depression. And those who are too young to understand or remember this will shake their heads at our strange ways.

Re: Waste Not

deeva — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 17:40:48 GMT

I've used cloth napkins for years.

And I have several sets of Don Aslett's microfiber cloths.

I've tried cheaper microfiber cloths and they are vastly inferior.

Re: Waste Not

Twins Mom — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 17:49:05 GMT

I have for years been a huge microfiber cloth user, but with this more frequent cleaning I am washing them more often. I have been using them with mixture of bleach and water to wipe grocery. This probably not effective since wiping instead of dousing, but probably a s good as wipes.

Re: Waste Not

gloriajean — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 17:50:57 GMT

When we have apples getting old, sllice or quarter and fry with cinnamon on them. Can add raisins too. Delicious, don't need sugar. My husband is doing that now, I can't yet, being I broke my wrist, and recuperating from it.

Re: Waste Not

shoesnbags — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 17:54:07 GMT

@deeva wrote:
I've used cloth napkins for years.
And I have several sets of Don Aslett's microfiber cloths.
I've tried cheaper microfiber cloths and they are vastly inferior.

@deeva

Do you happen to know how the Don Anslett cloths compare to the Campenelli cloths? I want to add to my stock of microfiber cloths

Re: Waste Not

QVCkitty1 — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 19:22:06 GMT

@gloriajean wrote:
When we have apples getting old, sllice or quarter and fry with cinnamon on them. Can add raisins too. Delicious, don't need sugar. My husband is doing that now, I can't yet, being I broke my wrist, and recuperating from it.

Great idea. I had some taco meat left over, so I added a can of kidney beans and a can of Rotel, some extra chili powder, and I had a really good chili.

Re: Waste Not

denisemb — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 19:34:09 GMT

Have tried to adjust my thinking, but is difficult with DH.

He wants to throw out leftovers the next day. I'm not saying keep leftovers for 4+ days, but if it's promptly, properly refrigerated, it should be OK the next day!

Re: Waste Not

goldensrbest — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 19:44:57 GMT

I like e - cloths best for microfiber,also buff cloths on amazon,i do not care for either brands mentioned on here.Microfiber whole sale has many also, they make the buff ones.

Re: Waste Not

PA Mom-mom — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 20:32:29 GMT

@QVCkitty1 I've found myself salvaging even the smallest part of an onion. Sometimes I have everything for a recipe except for the onion, and I'd rather use onion instead of onion powder for the nutritional value. I've purchased a case of the multi-fold towels from Staples.com to use instead of roll paper towels. I use regular paper towels for scrubbing and the multi-fold for hands. Since we have two people in the house who go to work every day and come home for lunch, I'd prefer to use paper instead of cloth towels. We still don't have anywhere near the hardships they had during the Great Depression. My mom made clothing out of flour sacks and sanitary protection (if you know what I mean) from old cloth that she sewed together and rewashed.:

Re: Waste Not

golding76 — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 00:14:59 GMT

The same with me regarding the onions.

They are hard to get for some reason. I think twice before I throw out any part of an onion I'm chopping up.