Are you a wasteful person? - Page 2

151949 · ‎03-09-2010

One advantage of snowbirding is the fridge has to be totally cleaned out when we leave each place so we are careful not to buy too much, and for about 2 weeks before we leave we eat from the fridge & pantry only - so some odd combos.

Allegheny · ‎03-19-2010

Well to be honest, sometimes. If I catch a good sale on products we eat/use I will stock up. We toss very little.

Q4u · ‎03-17-2010

No, DH and I are not wasteful at all. I was raised to use something until you can't use it anymore, both sides of the paper, use the pencil until you can no longer hold it to write, etc. Donate those things so someone else can still use them.

I really don't over buy but we live outside of town where we can get snowed in on occasion, or the ice on the main road is just too trecherous so I do stock up on basics. Dry goods, canned meat and canned veggies, etc. and it's paid off. I have a pantry set up in the garage and rotate stuff. My freezers are filled and I've never had problems going through everything before it gets bad. (I have a small auxillary freezer next to the pantry) and a bottom drawer freezer to my fridgein the kitchen

I'm not a skinflint by any means, but I'm constantly aware of not being wasteful. My parents were Green way before Green became popular. Neither one was ever wasteful and didn't have much as they grew up and they learned to conserve, repair and use what they needed and that's the environment I grew up in. Hopefully we taught our boys the same things.....

*~"Never eat more than you can lift......" Miss Piggy~*

CAMOGIRL · ‎09-14-2010

I do try not to be. Does that always happen? - no.

-Texas Hill Country-

CelticCrafter · ‎03-09-2010

@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!

Pook · ‎03-20-2010

We are not wasteful but we could probably eat for at least 6 months or so on what we have in our freezer, canned goods, pastas and rice, etc. We eat out a good bit also. I find it odd that some only buy what they will use in a week or so and if something happened that they couldn't get to the store they wouldn't have much of anything. I know many who don't even have a can of soup in the cabinet and nothing in their freezer or refrigerator. The same with toilet paper, etc. I dont wait until I'm almost out or out to purchase. I always have plenty. I couldn't live like that and it's nice to know I don't have to go to the store if I'm not feeling well and want to eat. I like a variety of items to choose from also. I don't call it wasteful - just practical.

Perkup · ‎03-09-2010

We live in a hurricane prone area, so I keep a good supply of foods that can be eaten without cooking. The obvious ones. Also large supply of bottled water and a variety of drinks, including V8 and healthier products, vitamins, etc. Been here through several bad ones, including Katrina, and we learn more each time.

I grocery shop once a week with a list, made better and more accurate by using Alexa. I never realized how convenient it can be to speak into an electronic device instead of looking for a pen and paper. I rarely forget anything now. Huge help.

But after losing my precious husband last August, I am having to learn to shop for one. I once had 8 children, husband and me and shopping was very different then. Now I tend to make only things that are easy for a single serving. Not very interesting and often boring dinners. Big change! And treats for my Pup, of course.

If we're talking things other than food, I don't buy many clothes, because my lifestyle doesn't require then. I love tees and jeans in rare cold weather, tees and shorts most of the year. Two or three dresses, and at my age something appropriate for funerals. Never thought that would happen, but I've had two this week to attend. So sad. A few spring flowers and once in a while a new seasonal decoration for my home.

Otherwise I go by an old New England saying, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." Good one.

Sweet_Serenity · ‎01-22-2016

Eat fresh...no meat or dairy. Shop wisely for produce and prepare ahead for the coming week. Stay away from all processed foods. OT of Food- Not hoarder what I am not using goes. Last week staying at the Hilton Boco Ratan passed several articles of clothing to cleaning staff. Next day, Each continued thanking me. Pay it Forward.

StraytoStay · ‎07-18-2016

I grew up on a cattle ranch, it was about half an hour drive to get groceries, so we had to plan ahead. My mom planned recipes to do that week and bought accordingly & that stuck with me. However, you never wanted to go without toilet paper and other goods that wouldn't go bad because it was a long drive so we stocked up on dry goods and canned & frozen foods, too.

scatcat · ‎03-15-2010

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.