Tag Archives: Waste

waste not, want not

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Who can even remember when they first heard this. Who can remember what it really even means. Basically if you don’t waste, you’ll have enough for later.

But looking over this, I’ve come up with a new cliche. Take note folks you’re seeing it here first. At least I didn’t find this on a quick search.

Ready?

Want not, waste not.

Seriously. That’s it.

Missy Elliott said it, “..flip it and reverse it.”

So I did.

I like my version better. If you want not then you won’t waste. Not exactly the same but you get the idea.

Americans and probably most “developed” countries throw away quite a lot of food each day. Not “so bad gonna make you sick” food but “one day past expiration” or “slightly discolored” bad or “ewwwww i just don’t want it”. The food that many other people would be happy to eat, even in the USA, if they would just have it.

I was astonished at the numbers (which I can’t reproduce off the top of my head) on the amount of food wasted. But I’m curious if the data also tells what types of food and maybe even why it was thrown away. I wonder about the numbers from other countries and how we stack up. Could this data be used as a marker for “growth”? The emerging country showing an increase in the amount that is wasted?

As these thoughts were rolling around I had more thoughts. Crazy I know. Can you link these numbers to portion size? If you have a larger plate and portion there is simply more to throw away. Right? It seems simple as an idea. Smaller plates, less to throw. Smaller appetites, less to put on the plate. The idea that it’s ok not to feel full. It’s ok to feel a little hungry. Perhaps I will take the time at some point and see what the web has to offer if I search for answers.

I just talked about food here but really, this can apply to anything you choose to buy.

-Santa’s Fallen Angel

 

cost and effect, part 2

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Return of the Money Pit

Value has its own place as a general concept but it’s hard sometimes to see why people do what they do or choose what they choose.

As a general idea/concept I can understand why we buy/obtain more than we need. I get it. You see or hear about something nice or cool and you just want it. But the part that I have trouble with is why ‘we’ buy/obtain things that we can’t afford. In same cases that is literal. You live paycheck to paycheck yet you upgrade your phone every chance you get. I am not advocating or saying that you can’t spend the money how you please but I think I don’t want to hear anymore that something else, probably more important and vital in my perception can’t be had because the money isn’t there.

Do you really need to spend $90/month on internet/cable? How about upwards of $200+/month on internet/cable/phone?

A new car every few years? The fancy car getting 15mpg when you could be driving one for half the cost and twice the mpg? Another coach/gucci purse because well because.

This also applies to eating out a lot, though sometimes one could argue you could save money by eating out instead of ‘wasting’ food at home (just throw non-meat things into the garden/compost).

I feel bad for those people on the home makeover shows or those who win a raffle for something expensive not realizing that they might be stuck with some massive tax bills that they have to pay. They couldn’t afford their current living style and now they might actually lose what little home they did have because of new bills. I don’t know if shows or raffles explains these things or not.

Dad taught that a check or credit card were essentially the same in concept. You don’t write a check if they money isn’t already in the bank and you don’t charge something unless you have the money or it really will be there when the bill needs to be paid. And it isn’t the minimum balance that needs to be paid, but the whole bill.

I’ve seen someone’s credit card statement (shown to me), the amount they still owe, and the time to pay it off with the minimums. That’s a long time and a lot of money.

I don’t know what it will take or even if ‘we’ will ever become more responsible for our own actions. I’m not talking business/corporate as they seem to be immune to many of their mistakes but as individuals honor seems to be missing more often.

Time to get back to cleaning and to increasing the things in the donation pile. Less sometimes is more.

-Santa’s Fallen Angel