Confessions of a Closet Thrift Queen

Purchasing a new bottle of lotion the other day got me thinking about thrift. I don’t know about you but I’m the person that will unscrew the pump top off the shampoo, cut the top of the tube off the toothpaste and disassemble any dispenser made by man to get to the last drop of product before I throw it away. It is kind of weird because I also get a strong feeling of satisfaction from throwing away an empty bottle and having the backup in the pantry to put in its place. The cycle of renewal and rebirth or just the victory of “being on top of it”?

 I kind of get the thrift side of it. Growing up with parents who didn’t make a lot of money and being the kids of depression era babies it is understandable. I mean my dad’s parents were “Okie” migrant farm workers and cowboys; the whole Grapes of Wrath thing going on. My mom’s parents were both put in a San Francisco orphanage during the depression so they would get fed; although I’m pretty sure there is a whole other story behind that story.

I don’t need to scrimp and pinch pennies like my mom did. My husband and I both work and gratefully have a comfortable life and everything that goes with that. In true American fashion I know that I waste. I throw away money and resources everyday in food and energy yet still I insist that the Spaghetti sauce jar can’t go into the trash until I put a bit of water in it, put the cap back on and swill it around to get out the last bit of sauce.  In fact if I think about it I have spent money in my quest to mine the remains. I bought a lip brush, not for the perfect lip line, but so I could get that entire product out of the bottom of the tube after I can no longer apply it directly. I even have a system. A new tube goes into my purse for use during the day and then once I need the lip brush it goes into the makeup box in the bathroom to be applied in the morning.  

Is this nature or nuture? Is it in my genes or learned behavior from my thrifty mom? Should I seek help or be proud? Does anybody else stand in front of their bathroom mirror triumphantly digging into the bottom of the tube with a Q-tip saying “see, three more days of foundation if you just have the right tools”?