marbel Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 How do you deal with this: Someone almost but not quite finishes some food or drink in the fridge or cabinet; it's not enough for someone else to have a decent serving but it's too much to throw away. Some recent real examples: 1 fluid ounce of orange juice left in the pitcher 1 tablespoon of ice cream left in the container I have always told my family not to take or eat more food than they want. I don't want to encourage overeating. But, I also think it's rude to leave a container with a smidgen of food left in it. It's disappointing to open the ice cream carton and see this little smear on the bottom of it, right? I don't think anyone would consider an extra tablespoon of ice cream to be overeating, but maybe some would. I will allow that it may or may not be laziness, of someone not wanting to have to deal with the empty box/carton/whatever. But when I ask, the answer is "I didn't want any more." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I decide if I want it taking up space or not and then either use it in something I'm cooking (like the o.j.) or just toss it. It doesn't bother me enough to "deal with it". 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 (edited) If it's not large enough to be a side dish or a satisfying dessert, it gets thrown away. (However, the random things that I find in the grocery store that sound really interesting....those never get thrown away, regardless of the expiration date :huh: ETA: I lived my grandmother who grew up in the Depression and she would ALWAYS harp on me to finish every.single.thing on my plate and not waste anything. I really don't want to do that to DS. I don't care how much he leaves; if he doesn't think he can eat it, then I will trust him to know his wants/needs. Edited December 23, 2015 by WendyAndMilo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 The next person who wants item x finishes the rest before opening the new package/box/bottle. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abba12 Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 uh.... I can honestly say no one in my house growing up ever did that, if we went to get juice and there was a little over a glassfull left we would take a sip from the glass then pour the last of it in. Usually when people got ice cream it was more than one person at a time so the remainder got split between the people as 'just a little extra' (who says no to more ice cream?) I have no idea how we developed the habit, but even as an adult, If I'm cooking and there's only a small portion of something left I just toss it in, like a teaspoon and a half of herbs instead of just a teaspoon. I don't think encouraging him to take the last tablespoon of ice cream or last sip of juice is going to set him on a path of overeating, personally. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
school17777 Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I haven't found a good way to deal with this. I am guessing it is due to laziness of not wanting to throw the container away or not wanting to be the one who finished up the last of the cereal or ate all the peanuts so just like you said, a tablespoon or so is left. It is very frustrating to find the basically empty containers in the fridge and pantry. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Things like this aren't worth getting upset over in our house. We have much bigger fish to fry. Sure, one teaspoon of ice cream may be disappointing when I'm expecting to get a bowl full, but any ice cream is a good thing! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 I haven't found a good way to deal with this. I am guessing it is due to laziness of not wanting to throw the container away or not wanting to be the one who finished up the last of the cereal or ate all the peanuts so just like you said, a tablespoon or so is left. It is very frustrating to find the basically empty containers in the fridge and pantry. Yes,it's just the frustration of finding a box with, say, 3 cheezits and a bunch of dust in it. I would certainly not consider that overeating if the person would just finish the box and throw it away! It is not a huge problem but because of stocking up on food for the holidays it just sort of hit me, kwim? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolt. Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I do the chicken dance anytime anyone completely empties a box/container of something (if requested). It's surprisingly motivational. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slache Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 DH: I'm hungry. Me: Come here. Eat this and this and this and this. Now do the dishes. It's his fault anyway. It's only fair. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tsuga Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 How do you deal with this: Someone almost but not quite finishes some food or drink in the fridge or cabinet; it's not enough for someone else to have a decent serving but it's too much to throw away. Some recent real examples: 1 fluid ounce of orange juice left in the pitcher 1 tablespoon of ice cream left in the container I have always told my family not to take or eat more food than they want. I don't want to encourage overeating. But, I also think it's rude to leave a container with a smidgen of food left in it. It's disappointing to open the ice cream carton and see this little smear on the bottom of it, right? I don't think anyone would consider an extra tablespoon of ice cream to be overeating, but maybe some would. I will allow that it may or may not be laziness, of someone not wanting to have to deal with the empty box/carton/whatever. But when I ask, the answer is "I didn't want any more." I don't deal with it. I just toss it. If I see a child taking just part of the leftover and only leaving a bite, I will say, "you can compost the last bit--it won't last much longer anyway." They know not to take the very last piece of pie without asking and I think they also tend to leave a bit "for the next person" in the fridge. It is not a big deal to me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 The amounts you listed are small enough for me to toss them. If it is milk or butter, then I would keep it, because I can use it, but a tablespoon of ice cream or an ounce of juice? Please, we're all better off in this house if I just toss it. No one needs the sugar. And I would probably tell an older person (not a kid that I know can't really make that sort of decision) that there wasn't enough left in the container to keep and I would have appreciated it if he or she just tossed it, or offered 'last bites' to someone else in the house. that much ice cream isn't really a serving and it is frustrating to think there is some only to find an empty container. I think it is also thoughtless, to put it back because 'I am done' but not to think about the next person who might want juice...or the person running to the store who thinks that juice container is full, only to find out it is not. I will offer last bits to someone. I was making a lunch and had two and a half apple slices left. I didn't want them, so I put peanut butter on them and gave them to oldest boy, who I know loves that. If he had not been home, and younger boy didn't want them, I would have tossed it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 I see I am not the only one with this problem! Didn't think I would be! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I think the last bit should get offered in the moment then tossed if there's no takers. We rarely have this issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DawnM Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 (edited) I yell, "Hey, anyone want this last bite before I throw it out?" and then I toss. The one that irritates me the most is leaving 1/4 cup of cereal in the bottom on the cereal box! Edited December 23, 2015 by DawnM 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I just eat it, so I can throw out the container. I never realized it was an issue to be concerned about. I'm thinking I might overeat a bit when I clean things out on trash day ;-) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I've called my family out on this soooo many times. My biggest issue with it is that if they do that I won't know to replace said item from the grocery. So now we just announce that we are leaving only 3 crackers or whatever. As long as I know, I don't care. It's become kind of a joke because it happens so frequently. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 (edited) I have at least one of those in my house. It drives me crazy to see a box of crackers (let's say) with 2 crackers left. I want the person who left the 2 crackers to let me know there are only 2 crackers left so that I can buy a new box of crackers. Same with the laundry - I want my kids to say "mom I will run out of underwear tomorrow" not "mom! I have no underwear to wear today!" :lol: Edited December 23, 2015 by Pink and Green Mom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted December 23, 2015 Author Share Posted December 23, 2015 (edited) I've called my family out on this soooo many times. My biggest issue with it is that if they do that I won't know to replace said item from the grocery. So now we just announce that we are leaving only 3 crackers or whatever. As long as I know, I don't care. It's become kind of a joke because it happens so frequently. This is it exactly (or part of it anyway). I think we have whatever item, and we really don't. Edited December 23, 2015 by marbel 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 It generally means that the item doesn't get added to the grocery list. When I check the pantry and refrigerator/freezer I look to see what is missing. If the container is there, we still have some. I only check the contents of staples - milk, eggs, and the like. Otherwise, if an empty container was stored, and I don't buy more, my response is oh, well, you'll have to snack on something else. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amira Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 I kind of like it when that happens at our house because then I get the satisifaction of getting rid of an empty container. It's probably just me, but I love to clear out space in the fridge or pantry. I usually eat the last bit of food or cook with it, or sometimes I throw it away- it doesn't matter, because I just want to find a way to be able to toss the container. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Same with the laundry - I want my kids to say "mom I will run out of underwear tomorrow" not "mom! I have no underwear to wear today!" :lol: That issue tends to take care of itself pretty quickly when they have to do their own laundry. ;) (For that matter, in regards to the almost running out of something, I've been clear that all other family members are perfectly capable of getting themselves to the grocery store, thank you very much. So far they haven't taken me up on it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted December 23, 2015 Share Posted December 23, 2015 Tsuga made a good point up thread. Little bits like that tend to go in the compost. Or if it is safe for them, we give it to one of the animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IsabelC Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 My beef is when I find a 100% totally completely empty container in the freezer/fridge/pantry. Cos, yanno, the recycle bin was full and if the kid had thrown out the empty container she would have had to take the recycling 10 whole metres to the outside bin. Small amounts, our rule is simply if you eat enough to EITHER finish it OR not leave sufficient for another serving, you put it on the shopping list. So if nobody wants the tiny bit, it goes with the first serving out of the new box/jar/packet. (Unless it's something the dog likes as a treat, such as licking out the last scraping of peanut butter). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 I usually eat it so I can get rid of the container. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fdrinca Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 Things like this aren't worth getting upset over in our house. We have much bigger fish to fry. Sure, one teaspoon of ice cream may be disappointing when I'm expecting to get a bowl full, but any ice cream is a good thing! I'm remembering when my oldest son was still an infant, and DH was travelling cross-country for business. Do you remember how being a single parent to an infant felt like the most difficult challenge, ever? Anyway, there was a pint of some decadent Ben and Jerry's ice cream in my freezer, a fact which I held in my brain like a carrot to get me through the day. AND THEN I opened it up, after baby had gone to bed and I was off the clock. There were two bites left. TWO!! And I couldn't go get more, because that would mean waking up the baby and what kind of madness was that? But I'd been thinking about the ice cream all day... We still talk about that one. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted December 24, 2015 Share Posted December 24, 2015 They're being lazy - it's easier to put the box back rather than recycle it or throw it away. Make a new rule that such small amounts don't have to be eaten, but must be dealt with: composted or thrown away. If they pretend to not understand how small of an amount is 'too small,' give them the Mom Glare of Death, and say that they can't leave the house on their own if they don't have any more sense than that. Works every time. The next person who wants item x finishes the rest before opening the new package/box/bottle. As much as I'd like to, I don't always have a backup container of ice cream in the house, lol. And someone is going to be in a world of sorry if I pull out a container of Rocky Road with one tablespoon remaining. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.