According to the National Retail Federation, parents are a bunch of wasters. The group maintains that the average American family wastes nearly 15% of its purchases, from food to household supplies, gifts to apparel.
Guilty as charged.
I just trashed a half-empty container of hummus because it expired before my family could finish it.
I despise wasting food, and would have downed the remaining chickpea spread myself had it not smelled like sweaty feet. I’ve eaten expired food items in the past, but didn’t want to chance it with the hummus, since the container was compromised. Apparently, it had slid to the back of the fridge and was wedged between some Tupperware containers that forced open the lid.
Plus, it smelled like old socks, so I dumped it.
Then, I felt guilty about it for the next two hours.
Despite what the National Retail Federation numbers reveal, I am certain that most parents don’t take pleasure in wasting food, clothing or any item they fork over their hard earned cash to purchase. It’s just that most of us don’t take the time to see how we can reduce our propensity for wasting.
An easy way to cut down on the amount of food your family wastes is to eat leftovers for lunch. Most dinner recipes result in at least a small amount of leftover food that might not seem worth saving for another family supper, but is the perfect size to pack in your child’s or spouse’s lunch the following day.
When it comes to clothing, think before you trash. Before you toss that too tight t-shirt, consider donating it to a charity or taking it to a thrift or consignment store. If you decide to do the latter, you can stretch your dollar even more by using the money you earn from selling your used clothing at the consignment store and purchasing other items there for far less than you would pay at a department store.
Another way to save on kids’ clothing is to visit thredUp.com. The site is designed so that you can swap a box of your child’s outgrown clothing for a box of clothes in the size that you need. The large database sorts clothing by size, gender, and keyword and also includes children’s toys and books. Each box features a description of its contents, so you know exactly what you are getting. ThredUP is free to join, but you need to pay shipping if you wish to exchange a box of clothing.
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