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 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”?