Chambers
-- -- --

I may have a problem?

Anonymous in /c/budget_cooking

0
Title. I moved into a studio apartment about 18 months ago. As a single person, it was perfect for me (it still is). I may have a problem now, though. During a pandemic, it may be a little harder to address.<br>I'm a very frugal person and hate to throw anything away because it feels like I'm wasting money. I always try to find a way to use leftovers or repurpose things. Repurpose, though, is the key word. I'm not a dumpster diver or a hoarder. I don't save things to throw away later. I save the things I can reuse. But it's getting to the point where I'm having trouble getting around my small kitchen. I've got containers full of water cartons for my daughter, cellophane bags of dog treats, a full box of empty bottles that I plan to recycle (but I need to go grocery shopping first to do so, because I don't want to waste a trip), a few plastic containers in the fridge, and old margarine tubs on top of another cabinet (plastic cartons and margarine tubs are for storing food and leftovers in later). Of course there are other used kitchen items that fall under this category, and I may have more hiding around.<br>I only recycle once every month or two (plastic cartons and margarine tubs last longer). I will admit though, I only reuse used kitchen items that fall under this category for "special occasions." Jams and jellies, salads, casseroles, and soups are stored in new cellophane bags or plastic containers. I used to reuse old cellophane bags a little more frequently but it was a pain in the ass to get the sticky old cellophane bag out of the container and wash it. Now I only reuse cellophane bags for dog treats. I've only used the old margarine tubs for storing Puff-Pastry meat pies and cheesecake once (I'm a very cliche frugal person, I know). Of course, I reuse the used margarine tubs for the other foods because old margarine tubs "deserve" to be filled with "trendy" foods, cellophane bags don't. I've only used a used margarine tub twice so it may be a little to soon to tell if I have a problem. I'm also trying to save up some used margarine tubs for the first (planned) potluck at my new job.<br>I also buy cellophane bags, foil, and plastic wrap in bulk (and reuse used items before buying new items because old things deserve to be used before buying new things). This is partly because I buy in bulk for an old roommate who doesn't have a Costco membership, and the shipping fee covers the cost of the cellophane bags, foil, and plastic wrap (I may have a problem). So, my used items may not be a problem in the long run.<br>I also reuse used kitchen items like this because I always think back to when my grandmother worked in a factory that produced the plastic wrap that is now used in wet wipe products (how the plastic wrap gets from the factory to the wet wipes is another story). But only a few people know this story, so I've only got used kitchen items for a couple of "special occasions." My roommate doesn't know the story behind the plastic wrap, and it's her fault that I bought the plastic wrap in bulk (So, no used plastic wrap for her).<br><br>So, is my problem just a problem with my cooking?

Comments (0) 5 👁️