I guess being poor never leaves you

[wishesuponastar]

spinoff of how to fix pasta salad thread - I posted if I could rinse salad dressing off of pasta and then fix it with marinara sauce. I grew up poor so I didn't want to just throw away the pasta like a poster had suggested that the pasta was only $1. That $1 means alot to me. Take for example, this week I have to wait until Thursday for pay day and I only have $5 left and no boxes of pasta left in the house.

 

[Nancyg56]

I understand that you did not want to toss the pasta salad. I guess that I would have gone about saving it in an entirely different direction. Instead of rinsing off the pasta I would have attempted to figure out how I could make it taste good using the original dish and then adding something to it. I think that pasta salad is one of the easiest dishes to doctor up if it does not taste "right" the first time around.

My Mom grew up during the Depression and some of the things she did to conserve made us crazy. For instance, before the stores stayed open on Sunday she would hit the grocery store just before close on Saturday and buy a lot of bread and pastry and then freeze it. We ate frozen bread all week long. Just once I would have liked to have a soft peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead of one that was kind of dried up. But she could not help it. To this day I will not freeze bread.

 

[MagiKitty]

I can totally sympathize. My family went into some financial difficulties while I was in college. Things were really tight and that moment has never left me. I've been a cheapie, I love a good bargain, but I'm always well aware that while I"m comfortable at the moment, life happens and you just need to be careful and plan for that "just in case".

I would have tried to "doctor up" that pasta also and not waste it.

 

[ceecee]

I would have tried to fix it too. Don't worry about it!

 

[ilovemk76]

spinoff of how to fix pasta salad thread - I posted if I could rinse salad dressing off of pasta and then fix it with marinara sauce. I grew up poor so I didn't want to just throw away the pasta like a poster had suggested that the pasta was only $1. That $1 means alot to me. Take for example, this week I have to wait until Thursday for pay day and I only have $5 left and no boxes of pasta left in the house.

Rinsing offthe pasta is being cheap. A poor person would eat it any way. A rich person would chuck it.

I know many people who were or are poor. It manifests differently in each one. Some keep everything. Some treat themselves all the time. Most are in-between

 

[auntmeme7577]

I think " being poor never leaves you" shows wisdom
Any fool can make money, the real test is if you are wise enough to keep it. I am very comfortable financially, but I remember when it wasn't the case. It makes you appreciate what you have and not waste it.
I would have salvaged the pasta too!

 

[wishesuponastar]

I didn't like the idea of rinsing it off but that was the only thing that came into my mind until I read the posts to add pepperoni and cheese

 

[momof1princess]

no worries, OP. i grew up poor as well, and i would've done my best to find a way to salvage the pasta too.

 

[seashoreCM]

Rinsing offthe pasta is being cheap. A poor person would eat it any way. A rich person would chuck it.

I know many people who were or are poor. It manifests differently in each one. Some keep everything. Some treat themselves all the time. Most are in-between

Only a spoiled brat, rich or poor or in between would chuck it.

It is perfectly okay to rinse it off particularly if it is marinated with something you should not eat, for example with too much saturated fat.

I sometimes buy bread, especially specialty bread like raisin bread, on sale in bulk and freeze it.

 

[RitaE]

Only a spoiled brat, rich or poor or in between would chuck it.

It is perfectly okay to rinse it off particularly if it is marinated with something you should not eat, for example with too much saturated fat.

I sometimes buy bread, especially specialty bread like raisin bread, on sale in bulk and freeze it.

Well - I feel sorry for the OP in that the pasta salad didn't turn out great and money is tight.

I guess I'll admit to being a spoiled brat though because honestly, I'd throw it out if nobody was going to eat it. Actually I set it out for the backyard raccoons. They've eaten many a failed dish for me around here.

 

[krcit]

Only a spoiled brat, rich or poor or in between would chuck it.

It is perfectly okay to rinse it off particularly if it is marinated with something you should not eat, for example with too much saturated fat.

I sometimes buy bread, especially specialty bread like raisin bread, on sale in bulk and freeze it.

Really? I'm a spoiled brat because if I made a pasta salad that no one in my family would eat I would probably throw it out rather than rinse it off? I might try to add tuna to it or something but if we didn't like it, it would go in the garbage.

 

[happygirl]

no worries, OP. i grew up poor as well, and i would've done my best to find a way to salvage the pasta too.

 

[MagiKitty]

The OP said that money was already tight this week. I think trying to salvage something that didn't turn out well is admirable. If you were in a similar position, would you still throw the food out? I know I would try to make "lemonade out of lemons" and if I couldn't, then yes, I would toss it. But just throwing food out is wasteful and unappreciative.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

spinoff of how to fix pasta salad thread - I posted if I could rinse salad dressing off of pasta and then fix it with marinara sauce. I grew up poor so I didn't want to just throw away the pasta like a poster had suggested that the pasta was only $1. That $1 means alot to me. Take for example, this week I have to wait until Thursday for pay day and I only have $5 left and no boxes of pasta left in the house.

I don't see why you couldn't! Repurposing leftovers is not a bad thing. I wonder if it would be a little easier to put them in a boiling pot of water for a few seconds and then strain it and rinse it then. It might help dissolve the oils a little and "wash" better if that makes sense.

My Mom grew up during the Depression and some of the things she did to conserve made us crazy. For instance, before the stores stayed open on Sunday she would hit the grocery store just before close on Saturday and buy a lot of bread and pastry and then freeze it. We ate frozen bread all week long. Just once I would have liked to have a soft peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead of one that was kind of dried up. But she could not help it. To this day I will not freeze bread.

We freeze bread--but it wasn't necessarily for saving money. We don't pay attention and we are suddenly out of bread. But I do the dense breads so don't really taste a difference and the kiddos never complained.

 

[IUTBAM]

I think rinsing it off and adding marinara is a great idea!

We are financially comfortable, but I'd do the same thing. Wasting things is not in my nature. Last night, I decided I didn't want to eat the crudite and dip I had put on my plate with dinner. I rinsed the veggies off, put them back in the containers with the other veggies, and covered the dip (already in an individual dip cup) with tin foil so it could be used another day. I just don't believe in wasting things...it's not how I was brought up.

 

[Nancyg56]

We freeze bread--but it wasn't necessarily for saving money. We don't pay attention and we are suddenly out of bread. But I do the dense breads so don't really taste a difference and the kiddos never complained.

Back then the freezers were not as nice as they are today and the bread really did not keep as nicely as it does now. My Mom "double bagged" the loaves but after a while we got sick of them. My Mom knew how to budget though so we always had enough and more than a lot of folks. I should keep a loaf or two in the freezer because I seem to run out and have to dash to the store

 

[eliza61]

Really? I'm a spoiled brat because if I made a pasta salad that no one in my family would eat I would probably throw it out rather than rinse it off? I might try to add tuna to it or something but if we didn't like it, it would go in the garbage.

Amazing isn't it.

So I didn't grow up poor, so I don't know if that has any thing to do with it. In fact I grew up pretty well off but we were taught not to waste and to work hard.

I've thrown stuff out and I've tried to salvage some meals. I just posted a thread on making beans as a meal because when I was growing up, no one i knew made beans as a meal.

I think good habits can be learned any time

 

[MagiKitty]

I keep a loaf in the freezer for emergencies. Especially during the winter when you really can't just run out to the store in harsh weather. I really don't mind it too much, and its far better than no bread at all!

 

[GoofyIsMyHomeboy]

The OP said that money was already tight this week. I think trying to salvage something that didn't turn out well is admirable. If you were in a similar position, would you still throw the food out? I know I would try to make "lemonade out of lemons" and if I couldn't, then yes, I would toss it. But just throwing food out is wasteful and unappreciative.

In the first thread she mentioned throwing out the broccoli and the black olives and just trying to save the pasta. It seemed odd to save what was probably the cheapest part of the dish and throw away the rest of it.

I agree that trying to dress it up into something more palatable for your family is the best approach. I've been broke/poor in my life. If I only had five dollars until payday I'd eat the pasta salad whether I liked it or not. I certainly wouldn't be throwing away perfectly good broccoli and black olives, either.

OP, whatever you end up doing I hope it turns out well.

 

[MagiKitty]

I think that pasta's far easier to recycle than broccoli and black olives. Maybe a frittata perhaps...