Normal or Neurotic

As I am getting some cereal for breakfast I realize that I am the sacrificial eater. Cereal, for example. I don't just pick the box of the type of cereal I want to eat. No, I check the boxes for the little leftovers in each. The stuff that just doesn't quite make a bowl full. This has two purposes: 1) It empties the box and cleans out the cupboards, and 2) It's not getting wasted.


As I realized this, I realized that I'm the one that will eat the bread butts and eat the left overs in the fridge. Not because its my favorite, but because it seems necessary. No one else will do this or think anything of it.

I've never been able to walk into a grocery store and just buy what I want or need. It has to be on sale or at a price I deem reasonable. I thought I taught this thriftiness to my children, especially drilling it in the times they brought home the $3.00 loaf of bread and I about had a heart attack. I've never been able to relate to those that have a recipe in mind or have something they want to get and buy it all no matter what.

 My fifteen-year-old son with the job has totally been shocking me in this area. He buys designer drinks, $6.00 meats and cheeses from the deli, and pizza pockets. Even when I am along to guide his choices he goes with what he wants. What family did he come from? The day he bought all the ingredients and made Shrimp Fettuccini Alfredo was a good day though. I can't get him to spend money on a haircut though.

Not buying everything I need really came to my light once when my mother-in-law was visiting. She made us tacos and bought everything she needed for the meal. I had never seen such a wonderful taco spread. It had all the olives, tomatoes, lettuce, sauces.... everything you could think of for tacos. I was in awe. My dinners are usually missing the extras.... kind of bare bones. I would like to improve on this and try to buy an extra thing or two at each shopping trip but it is a work in progress. You just can't easily teach an old dog new tricks. I don't really want to change though. I like being thrifty. It doesn't take much to please me. I was just thinking maybe it would be fun to go out and get just what ever I want. But it would probably stress me out. When I was a kid and my Dad took me out for dinner, I would always order something that was less than his meal. When my husband came along, low and behold he ordered what ever he wanted! What freedom!

Atleast I'm not completely neurotic. I'm not a saver of all kinds of kitchen junk like plastic bags, sacks and containers. Just enough to get by. I did start saving jelly jars since our cups keep disappearing and I have so many jars. One day I saved three vegetable cans to make quick breads in a can like my mom used to. My seven-year-old son came to me with these and asked if maybe I was going a little too far with saving stuff to drink out of.

Well, its time to go make bread pudding with all the left over bread.