What makes people refuse to eat leftovers?

[IUTBAM]

And does that mean they aren't financially responsible?

I've been talking about this with my DD (she's in college, but lives at home) for the last few days because of something that happened between her and the guy she's dating...it's been bugging her, and I can definitely understand why, lol. The guy she's dating is a college student...they've been dating about a month and a half but aren't officially "in a relationship" yet (he wants it, but she's going slow). He lives in his own apartment (no roommate), drives a very nice truck, goes to school full-time, doesn't work, doesn't come from a wealthy family, and has said that he's "living on loans". He also recently mentioned to her that he needs to find a job because he's running out of money. Hmmm...okay.

Well, she feels sorry for him because he doesn't cook at all, and he eats out a lot (might explain why he has no money, lol) and doesn't get home-cooked meals. The other day I made a HUGE pot of really yummy soup. We had so much leftover, that she mentioned to him she had this incredible soup that her mom had made, and he responded back via text that it sounded fabulous. She then texted him and offered to put some in the freezer for him. His response? "Well, IDK because I don't eat leftovers!" WTHeck? She was pretty taken aback...I mean geez, the guy is a poor college student and turns down a home-cooked meal because it's leftovers? Everybody knows soup tastes better the next day anyway! She's a bit stubborn and wanted to know what his reasoning was, and he said that food usually doesn't taste good when frozen and/or reheated. BALONEY! This morning, more as a joke than anything else, I googled, "people who don't eat leftovers" and found this article:

http://www.savingadvice.com/articles/2008/03/14/102058_financially-secure-people-eat-leftovers.html

It makes a lot of sense (and it's definitely how we live). I showed it to her, and now she's thinking he's probably NOT all that financially responsible (considering the leftover issue, plus other things she's noticed)...and I have to agree.

 

[Christine]

The good news here is that he's still young. This was probably how his family was and that's all he knows.

When my husband and I met, he didn't eat sour cream on his baked potatoes nor had he ever eaten broccoli. That's all changed....

While the relationship is "new", if she wants to pursue it, it's probably not a deal breaker at this point but, I agree, it's odd.

 

[StephMK]

I wonder too because sometimes I see people write that. A lot of times I make more than necessary just so we get to have leftovers. It either becomes DH's lunch or someone's dinner the next night or two.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Some people are repulsed by "leftovers". I think it is a idiosyncrasy.

My youngest dd does not like leftovers. However my dh, other dd and I live on them. In fact we cook with a purpose for leftovers for the next day or two.

Maybe they had families that never cooked or something and did not grow up eating homecooked meals? Not sure.

 

[wdwmom2]

I love leftovers!!!! That's one less meal I need to cook

 

[Princess Dolly]

I don't really like most leftovers. There are a few I will eat lasagna, some casseroles, Thanksgiving stuff, but for the most part, no thanks. DH will take leftovers in his lunch though, so that is how we use them up. I know our eating habits and plan accordingly.

Now back in my poor college student days, I was not so picky. But I can remember even as a child feeling ewwww about leftovers. But if that is what was being served, I didn't really have much say in the matter.

 

[si-am]

I don't eat leftovers unless it's pizza. I really don't enjoy eating something twice in a row and the thought of freezing it and eating it months down the road just sounds unappealing to me.

I send leftovers with my husband for his lunches at work.

I'm not financially irresponsible. I can afford to eat a brand new meal every day, so that's what I do.

 

[LisaR]

I eat leftovers almost every day of the week. I tend to cook huge quantities so we always have stuff to grab out of the fridge during the week.

However, I rarely freeze meals. I have never been impressed with the quality once it is frozen, thawed, and reheated. I think soup is one of the worst once frozen. The vegetables always taste off to me. So while I love leftovers, if it isn't eaten that week (which is rarely a problem) it goes in the trash.

 

[eeyoremum]

Wasted food is a huge pet peeve of mine. We waste nothing, honest I even make the ends of the loaves of bread into bread crumbs. So I think a am way in left field with my no food waste obsession.

Leftovers are great. I don't eat sandwiches so I bring my leftovers for lunch.

 

[ols386]

I wonder too because sometimes I see people write that. A lot of times I make more than necessary just so we get to have leftovers. It either becomes DH's lunch or someone's dinner the next night or two.

I almost always deliberately cook enough so that we have left-overs. I like to take them to work the next day for lunch.

Some things like chili and spaghetti are more flavorful when heated up as left-overs.

 

[bianca]

It always cracks me up when I hear people say "I don't eat leftovers", as they are usually the same people that don't think twice about loading up their freezer with stuff from the grocery store like: Marie Callenders Pot Pie (which was made prior to landing at the grocery store), Mrs. Stouffers Lasagna (which was again made prior to landing at the grocery store), TGI Fridays appetizers, PF Chang chinese food or Red Baron Pizza .... you get the idea.

All of those foods are LEFTOVERS that have to be re-heated. Somebody else made them and usually quite some time ago. When that is explained to the "non-leftover eater", I always laugh at their reaction. Priceless.

And yes ...... I consider them financially irresponsible.

 

[diznygirl]

Who knows? Maybe his mom was such a good cook that they never had anything left over! Or maybe she was such a bad cook that he ate far too many growing up and he is done.

Not a deal-breaker in a relationship.

 

[MrsPete]

I had one relative who "didn't have to" eat leftovers. In his mind, people only do that because they're poor and "have to" eat old food. When he took home part of his steak from a restaurant, it really was a doggie bag -- that is, he really fed it to the dog. He could afford it, and he ate this way 'til the day he died.

I have another relative who (along with his wife) loves to cook, loves to try new things, watches the cooking channel constantly, just loves everything about food and fine dining. The two of them cooked or went out every single night and never ate leftovers. Really, they'd cook a turkey breast, eat one meal from it, and throw half of it away. BUT that was back before they had children. Once their time and money were subject to the realities of family life, they changed their ways. I expect one day (far in the future), they'll go back to their love affair with food, but for right now they've solidly put their children first. I call that realistic.

I personally don't subscribe to that theory: I love leftovers because -- as someone else said -- it's less effort. When I'm cooking something that I know warms well, I often purposefully cook extra so that I'll have plenty for later.

Back to the OP's question: If I were the girl in the budding relationship, this would be a red flag for me. He's spending rather freely, yet he's "living on loans", and he doesn't eat good, free food when it's offered to him. It would make me wonder whether the two of us would be financially compatible. I'd be watching him carefully to see whether he just didn't know how to manage his money (but was trainable) or whether he was going to go through life this way. I'd find out for sure before I'd officially "be in a relationship" with him.

 

[Jennasis]

Some people just don't do leftovers. It might be just a weird hang up. Some food does change (and not for the better) when reheated, taste and texture wise especially in the microwave. Some things get better.

 

[tar heel]

People who don't eat "leftovers" would have some hungry days at my house.

I put the word in quotes b/c I don't think of what I'm serving as leftovers. I almost always cook for double meals. We rarely have the same meal two days in a row, though -- I do different sides and rotate among the sides and entrees. There a few things that I reinvent -- pork tenderloin becomes pineapple fried rice, spaghetti sauce becomes baked spaghetti with a lot of cheese which tastes totally different, etc. I rarely freeze cooked food other than pounds of barbecue and once in a while a chicken pie.

 

[Princess Dolly]

It always cracks me up when I hear people say "I don't eat leftovers", as they are usually the same people that don't think twice about loading up their freezer with stuff from the grocery store like: Marie Callenders Pot Pie (which was made prior to landing at the grocery store), Mrs. Stouffers Lasagna (which was again made prior to landing at the grocery store), TGI Fridays appetizers, PF Chang chinese food or Red Baron Pizza .... you get the idea.

All of those foods are LEFTOVERS that have to be re-heated. Somebody else made them and usually quite some time ago. When that is explained to the "non-leftover eater", I always laugh at their reaction. Priceless.

And yes ...... I consider them financially irresponsible.

My meals are homemade from scratch (even after working all day). I don't like processed foods. I also happen to not like leftovers. I don't think reheating is cooking. I don't even own a microwave.

And I am quite financially responsible.

 

[SaraJayne]

I don't really like most leftovers. There are a few I will eat lasagna, some casseroles, Thanksgiving stuff, but for the most part, no thanks. DH will take leftovers in his lunch though, so that is how we use them up. I know our eating habits and plan accordingly.

Same here. And we're doing fine financially.

 

[Minnesota!]

While we do use the leftovers....we rarely use them as "the same food". If there is leftover soup, we turn it into a hot dish. If there is leftover spaghetti sauce, we use it as pizza sauce. If there is leftover roast, it becomes hash or beef for stroganoff. Leftover veggies get used in soups or quesadillas.

DH does take leftovers in their original form to work for lunch. But honestly, freezing them grosses me out, and eating the same thing 2 days in a row does, too.

It's how I grew up, though. Everything gets used....but very rarely in the same way.

 

[Jaime4004]

DH didn't eat leftovers when we met either. More because he's a bit of a hypochondriac and was worried about it making him sick. He had to get over it, however, because now his lunches are usually leftovers. He would starve otherwise. He still has a problem with take-out/restaurant leftovers though. But that's fine, more for me!

 

[IUTBAM]

Back to the OP's question: If I were the girl in the budding relationship, this would be a red flag for me. He's spending rather freely, yet he's "living on loans", and he doesn't eat good, free food when it's offered to him. It would make me wonder whether the two of us would be financially compatible. I'd be watching him carefully to see whether he just didn't know how to manage his money (but was trainable) or whether he was going to go through life this way. I'd find out for sure before I'd officially "be in a relationship" with him.

Exactly! And this is what I've told her. It just brought up a flag to me. I'm a thrifty person myself, but my daughter is even more thrifty than me (hard to believe, I know, especially considering her age...but she was brought up that way). She's having a hard time with this...because she also sees it as a sign.