Smart, Frugal, or just plain Cheap?

[wdw_girl_18]

Just plain cheap and stupid.

I agree!

Tupperware sells sandwich containers. Why not buy one of those instead of risking getting sick by putting a sandwich into the same used bag every day for a week

 

[C.Ann]

Can't say I would personally do it with lunch meat sandwiches, but my brother always made peanut butter & jelly sandwiches for work and used the same baggie for a week (washing it out each night).. He's in his 60's now and retired, so obviously it didn't kill him.. LOL..

For him it was a matter of being frugal - and doing his part to keep more trash out of the landfills.. He probably could have purchased some kind of reusable container (Rubbermaid or something of that sort), but he hates to shop and may not have even known it was an option..

My late DH grew up in a very large - and very poor family - who suffered through the depression.. He was a great one for re-using aluminum foil - but only if there weren't any food particles (or grease) left on it..

As long as the person in question isn't harming anyone else, I fail to see the issue.. His lunch - his choice..

 

[aprilgail2]

I'd think nothing about it at all I reuse my grocery bags as bedroom & bathroom garbage bags because it's better for the landfills so I'd assume he was doing the same thing. I can't say I've ever done it but whatever, if it works for the guy so be it.

I reuse grocery bags for garbage too---the difference is that I am not eating out of those bags unlike reusing sandwich ones !

 

[Hannathy]

we have a lot less usable water in this world than space for trash. It also takes a lot of energy and resources to clean all that water that is being wasted washing out sandwich bags.

It would be even better if we burned those bags for energy but that is another thread for another day.

 

[sunnyday123]

When we were saving for a house, I made my ex-h bring home his baggies ( he had a tupperware container for sandwiches ) and I washed them out. We also didn't eat out, and we ate a lot of spaghetti! We also drove beat down cars and I am pretty sure didn't go out at all. But we saved $20k in one year and bought a really great house.

 

[Becky2005]

I guess it depends. I know that was a suggestion in the Tightwad Gazette (I have no idea if that's the correct title of the book) -- basically it had a lot of here are ways to save a few pennies that add up over time.

I do know she talks about washing out the baggies.

Now, I would think if it was really messy stuff it wouldn't be worth it but really if it's just cheerios or something, really I see that as a good thing for re-using them.

 

[NHdisneylover]

we have a lot less usable water in this world than space for trash. It also takes a lot of energy and resources to clean all that water that is being wasted washing out sandwich bags.

It would be even better if we burned those bags for energy but that is another thread for another day.

Quite a bit of water is wasted in the production process too. If he is washing them out it may be an equal environmental drain--but unless he is using tons of water to do it I would wager it is still better to reused them.

As long as he does it safely (putting them in the fridge like Bicker said perhaps)--I really can't see any issues with it

 

[BUTTERHEAD1]

Another vote for cheap

 

[bicker]

I reuse grocery bags for garbage too---the difference is that I am not eating out of those bags unlike reusing sandwich ones !

However, if you store the lunch meat in a bag in your refrigerator at home, you are effectively reusing that bag every day, until all the lunch meat is gone. Without knowing how someone stores the sandwich bags they're reusing (i.e., keep chilled all the time, versus only keep chilled while there is a sandwich inside), you can't say that the comparison LuvOrlando presented isn't appropriate.

 

[Klismania]

Frugal is not buying plastic sandwich bags in the first place. Frugal is reusing newspaper or bread-wrappers or investing in washable plastic-wear that will last for years (with care) for lunches.

I'd probably put him in the fanatical cheapskate column.

 

[kwitcherkicken99]

Why doesn't he just invest in Tupperware containers. Sure, it's a greater expense up front, but he wouldn't have to replenish his stock.

I vote CHEAP!

 

[allison443]

I guess it depends. I know that was a suggestion in the Tightwad Gazette (I have no idea if that's the correct title of the book) -- basically it had a lot of here are ways to save a few pennies that add up over time.

I do know she talks about washing out the baggies.

Now, I would think if it was really messy stuff it wouldn't be worth it but really if it's just cheerios or something, really I see that as a good thing for re-using them.

The Tightwad Gazette was the first thing I thought of! The author reused baggies and aluminum foil.That book had a lot of "interesting" ideas.

 

[FINFAN]

I would say he was just plain GROSS!

I was going to say lazy....

 

[luvmy3]

I assume he is washing so I wouldn't call it gross, unless you call re-using your own dishes gross.
I say he's frugal, which to me means he's smart

 

[Mrs.Toad]

I agree!

Tupperware sells sandwich containers. Why not buy one of those instead of risking getting sick by putting a sandwich into the same used bag every day for a week

What's the difference? As long as he's washing out the bag/container (or not), wouldn't the risks be the same?

We use sandwich containers, because dd doesn't like her sandwich to get squished in her lunchbox. But I'll reuse a zipper bag that only had chips in it, to put the same kind of chips back in the next day. I do it to reduce our household trash, not to save money.

 

[mrodgers]

How much water does it take to wash out already-used baggies...wonder if that's environmentally sound (or not)?

agnes!

I never understood the save water thing.

In my case, the water comes out of the ground, through my pipes, out the faucet, down the drain, and back into the ground.

In the case of city water, the water comes from the city, through the pipes, out the faucet, down the drain, and back to the city.

Where is the waste?

 

[MELSMICE]

I'd say cheap.

If he was smart, he'd buy a Rubbermaid sandwich container which is meant to be reused.

He'd incur a one time relatively inexpensive cost and would be much more enviromentally friendly.

This is what I was going to say.

 

[bicker]

I never understood the save water thing. In my case, the water comes out of the ground, through my pipes, out the faucet, down the drain, and back into the ground.

Relatively few people get their water from the ground (wells). Most get it from pipes, and beyond that, from municipal water systems. Indeed, an apartment dweller has no way of even considering sinking a well.

Municipal water systems provide water, but their capacity to do so is limited, by any number of factors, starting with the availability of usable water from the natural resources of the areas from which the municipality can draw water. Another consideration is the energy necessary to draw water from the water resources, and to process it. There are others.