Conservationism is the new Frugality
So, when I was a single woman, on a budget, I used to make my own jello… individual serving sizes. No kidding. I had tiny little Tupperware containers and made the jello as the directions called for, and instead of pouring it all into one big container, I poured it into little single serving containers, and let them harden in my fridge and packed them for my lunch, which by the way, I took to work every day in a cooler-type lunch box. I also used aluminum foil to wrap my sandwiches, although I never really liked sandwiches, so I would take things like graham crackers and peanut butter, cheese and crackers, that sort of thing. So this is what I did, and no one said anything to me about how conscientious I was about the environment or anything like that, because well, I guess it wasn’t a big deal to anyone at that time, and in fact, I wasn’t really doing it to be environmental or anything… I just don’t like to be wasteful.
And now, I am the mother of three, still the same person who was so careful to make her own individual servings of jello in reusable containers, and I walk into my eight year old daughter’s room… she’s a pack rat, by the way, and I’m not really sure what to do about that, but that’s a different story. On her desk she has a nice neat stack of clean (thank God!) yogurt containers. I said, what are you doing with these? And she said she’s going to reuse them. She gets all high and mighty to me and says how we need to reuse things, and I say to her, that’s great and all, but I don’t like seeing trash stacked up on your desk. What are you going to use them for? And she doesn’t know, and herein lies part of the problem of her pack-rattedness (yes, I probably made that up, but you know what I mean, right?)
So, obviously, my daughter doesn’t think I reuse enough stuff, which I absolutely find humorous, because the fact of the matter is, she is so used to seeing diaper boxes as storage containers and coffee cans as flower pots that she doesn’t even realize that our house is full of reused items. I’m all for reusing, especially if it saves me money, because that’s what I’m really all for.
Not long after we have the yogurt container discussion, which I let her keep the containers, by the way, I offer her a sticker book I bought at Half-Price Books (yes, I save where ever I can!) This book was brand new, and I had bought one for her and one for her six year old sister. I didn’t really look through it at the store, but it turned out to be a little too easy, or as she put it, “babyish” for her. Guess what she wanted to do with it! Throw it away.
I said to her… you want to save empty yogurt containers on top of your desk, but you want to throw away this perfectly good, brand new book? And she said yes!
Apparently, whatever they are teaching them in school about environmentalism is sort of missing the point, at least when it comes to my daughter.
Just in case you were wondering, I did not allow her to throw away the book. I’m sure we can find a use for it somehow.
Do you have a point of view to share? Are you in your 30’s? Check out our “We’re Hiring” page and leave a comment, or better yet, email us now.
About Jamie
my 2-year-old, henri, is really getting into composting. whenever he throws food on the floor(boredom or pure malice? we may never know…), i make him pick it up and put it in the compost bucket. my husband says that’s not enough of a deterrent, but i figure it’s a win-win situation.