Is there any resource in my house that doesn't get wasted????

[NorwegianBlue]

Sheesh, I get home tonight and nobody is home. You wouldn't know it because both the Front and Back Doors are WIDE OPEN! Our poor Air conditioner is struggling to keep up.
It was the kids, I know it, I also saw throughout the house a variety of foods sitting out that (when not in use) belong in the refrigerator. so much for the bag of carrots, ranch dressing, and milk...for the love of God the MILK!@!!

The Milk is my Wife, I just know in my gut it was her. Not out of Absaent mindedness...but stubborn ignorance. Milk, as anyone who buys it knows, has a "Sell by" date. This is the last date the Store is allowed to sell it. NOT THE DATE IT GOES BAD.
Here are a few links that refer to the implications of "sell By" dates for you doubters.

http://www.courier-journal.com/features/health/2004/06/G2-qanda0603-4003.html

http://www.heb.com/mealtime/FS-sellByDates.jsp

As explained in the links above, as long as products are properly stored, they are expected to last beyond the "Sell by" Date.

My Wife on the other hand seems to think that no matter how well it is stored that it will magically turn into poop on the date printed on the carton.

There are certain things I can live with. Sure I'm annoyed when my 5yr old daughter squirts an entire tube of toothpaste on the bathroom counter, and it does bug me a little when someone gets a soft drink out of the fridge because they lost the one they just had, which eventually results in about a half dozen cans of soda sitting around the house with only a few sips out of each. However, we are a family that is barely getting by from one paycheck to the next, and certain people need a serious lesson in reducing waste.

[GaWd]

Word. You tell'em pops. Oh, and I feel you on that whole expiration date thing. My wife seems to think most foods turn into fucking Kryptonite if not thrown out after the sell by.

Sam

[TeaElle]

I don't know what to say about your wife and her sell by date weirdness (show her the links, maybe?) but the kids clearly need a particular brand of discipline.

When my sister and I wasted things in our childhood, or left something sitting out of the refrigerator so that it went bad (though I question how long carrots and commercial dressing would have to be out of the fridge to go bad, more than overnight, I'd think) we lost the privilege to make our own snacks. The kitchen was off limits. When we left doors open, we were confined to the house for the rest of the afternoon/weekend/whatever.

Even worse, when the family electric bill started to skyrocket because we were constantly leaving lights, TVs and radios on, we weren't allowed to flip a single switch without expressly asking permission and justifying ourselves. (And that got old, "Mom, can I turn on my lamp?" "Why?" "I need to do my homework." "Okay.") Slowly but surely, we got the picture.

We were also just scraping by in my childhood, and once my parents illustrated the waste and made it difficult for us to indulge our wasteful ways unchecked, things got better for all involved.

[Cinnamon Girl]

As I'm on my dinner break, I don't have time to respond to all the topics brought up by my darling husband, whom I am thankful to have around to keep us all in line. God knows, we need it! :)

However. About the milk, dear. I direct you to consumeraffairs.com wherein the sell-by date is indicated to the, uh...drum roll please...expiration date (http://www.consumeraffairs.com/nutrition/expiration_dates.htm). In my book, that means don't use it. They could have put a "best if used by" date, but then that would mean they guarantee its quality by that date. I can't at the moment confirm why they wouldn't want to guarantee its quality, but, hey, it's milk. It's only good for a short period of time to begin with.

But I'm pretty flexible and we've had this conversation before. Seeing as how we should be trying to get the most out of our money, I note the date and before I make the decision, I smell it. That's what seals the deal right there. If it don't smell good, it gets tossed. Especially when there's a fresh gallon right behind it and its only about two cups of not-so-fresh milk. Capeesh?

[monstro]

This may reflect on the strictness (not a word, I know) of my parents, but my siblings and I weren't allowed to take anything out of the refrigerator or out of the cabinets without their permission growing up. At least not until we got into high school.

This wasn't good policy all the time, because it almost required us to be sneaky if we wanted forbidden foods (like the prepackaged foods reserved for lunches). But it sure kept my parents informed about what was being consumed in their household. Implicit was that it was their food and we were just borrowing it.

As far as wasting stuff like electricity, I recommend yelling at them about it. I remember one summer day when school was out, my father came home to find my sister and I lounging around with all the lights on, in the middle of the day. His anger was quite apparent. After that, we were diligent about not leaving the lights on. I don't think we would have had the same conservation ethic if he had given us a simple talking-to.

[Hilarity N. Suze]

Wow. Air conditioning.

My kid just went out in the back yard and . . . the heat came on

[Spectre of Pithecanthropus]

This is the last date the Store is allowed to sell it. NOT THE DATE IT GOES BAD.
.

I have to disagree here. I've always found that right around the sell by date, the milk begins to get a little sour. Maybe the OP doesn't notice the sourness at that point, but many folks do.

It takes us about a week to go through a gallon, so I'm always careful to check the sell-by date when purchasing.

[Cinnamon Girl]

I have to disagree here. I've always found that right around the sell by date, the milk begins to get a little sour. Maybe the OP doesn't notice the sourness at that point, but many folks do.
Thank you, Spectre. You are a reasonable person. I might mention here that dearly beloved doesn't even drink milk. And failed to point out that I do drink my skim milk days past the expiration date but draw the line for the whole milk we have for the kids. It's the fat that spoils the milk and whole milk tastes/smells funny sooner than skim. Besides, it's my kids, for cryin' out loud. I ain't givin' them no spoiled milk already!

[Black Train Song]

I try to explain it to my kids in terms of "keep all the lights on and we never get to go out to dinner or buy you CDs"
It's starting to strike a chord with them (because I was being honest) and it will really make an impact if I have to downgrade the cable tv to just basic.

My wife's another story. I try to explain it in terms of "if you buy that THING YOU DONT NEED, you'll actually work four hours (before taxes) to pay for it. Have fun with it (doesn't work).

To be fair, she'd rather let me spend money than see me go without but we're not talking about that here, are we!

[jastu]

I try to explain it to my kids in terms of "keep all the lights on and we never get to go out to dinner or buy you CDs"
It's starting to strike a chord with them (because I was being honest) and it will really make an impact if I have to downgrade the cable tv to just basic.

This is an excellent idea but I'd even go one step further. Hold a family meeting, have a household budget already prepared so you can show them the areas which are causing problems. Explain how if we can cut x down, we can do/buy/have y once a week/fortnight. When the kids can actually see where the money is going, and be involved in the solution with a possible reward for their effort, they will be more receptive to the changes. I've used this method with my kids and it worked well. Going around mumbling and complaining is a waste of time, they need to see the figures for it to have significance.

[Kalhoun]

Thank you, Spectre. You are a reasonable person. I might mention here that dearly beloved doesn't even drink milk. And failed to point out that I do drink my skim milk days past the expiration date but draw the line for the whole milk we have for the kids. It's the fat that spoils the milk and whole milk tastes/smells funny sooner than skim. Besides, it's my kids, for cryin' out loud. I ain't givin' them no spoiled milk already!
I agree with you on the milk thing. The solution (so you and Mr. Crabby Pants can maintain a marriage that doesn't involve bloodshed) is to buy 1/2 gallons. It's working at my house. I no longer have kids around, but trust me...1/2 gallons work better.

[P_T_]

Aren't kids wonderful. The milk situation isn't a problem, cause if there was ever a gallon that stayed in my house longer than a week I'd think my entire family had disappeared. The doors and the light switches are a problem though. The kids will have the ceiling light on in a room, yet still feel the need to turn every lamp on in the room as well, during the day. Apparently it is far easier to turn all the lights on than to go over to the window and open the blinds. It also seems that those little fingers are only able to work a switch to get it to the 'on' position. Apparently the dexterity isn't there yet to return that switch to the 'off' position when leaving the room. I do believe it is time for yet another installment of Cory School, where we learn the basics all over again, from 'How to change a roll of toilet paper' to 'How to find my glass so I don't have to dirty another one'

[Kalhoun]

Well, I'm a light-leaver-on-er because our house is very dark. Like, almost subterranean. However, we have a very low electric bill, so I know it's not making that big a difference.

One other helpful hint: This was employed by my dad when we'd get pissed off and slam a door, but it will work with doors left open as well.

Make the offending kid open and close the door properly 100 times. If they manage to slam it out of frustration or deep, seething hatred for you, the clock starts back at zero again. It worked quite well. I only had to do it about 500 times before I caught on.

[Rick]

When my daughter was growing up she seem to think that nothing electrical in the house would work unless her bathroom light was in the on position.
If I wanted to know if she was home, all I had to do was check the kids bathroom, if the light was on, she was home. :)

[Dead Badger]

Word. You tell'em pops. Oh, and I feel you on that whole expiration date thing. My wife seems to think most foods turn into fucking Kryptonite if not thrown out after the sell by.
Annoying, but trust me; this is infinitely preferable to living with people who refuse to throw anything out until it has either liquefied (did you know pitta breads could literally dissolve in mould?) or has at least doubled in size with fur. We've had milk so far gone I shook it and it went *clunk*, and lettuce that I had to pour down the sink. Today, I found two opened "chinese-style grillsteaks" on the floor under our kitchen table, oozing on to the lino. Oh, to have housemates who were excessively picky about hygiene.

[Stuffy]

Make the offending kid open and close the door properly 100 times. If they manage to slam it out of frustration or deep, seething hatred for you, the clock starts back at zero again. It worked quite well. I only had to do it about 500 times before I caught on.


I've used this on my boys. Ladies, the above method is also very for toilet seat lids* and non flushers.














This statement hasn't been evaluated with men over the age of 18, your mileage may vary.

[Cinnamon Girl]

Oh, to have housemates who were excessively picky about hygiene.Nearly peed my pants reading this! No doubt Norwegian Blue will get a kick outta that, too. We have a few tupperwares full of mysterious former food items in the fridge. I only do a full fridge clean-out maybe once a year. We also usually have several sippy cups left around the house by our beautiful five-year-old that have milk curds in them. We're quite familiar with the *clunk* of doom.

I feel for ya, man. Rotting food under the table...sheesh. Hey, wait a minute, I don't believe I've mentioned the pumpkin story. :smack:

Oh, as to the buying half-gallons, I do and it so happened to be a half-gallon with very little milk in the bottom that is the subject of this pitting. It's hard to predict milk consumption throughout the week. Sometimes it's a gallon, sometimes a half-gallon. Usually somewhere just shy of whatever amount I've bought. *sigh*

[Basandre]

Maybe I buy weird milk, but the whole milk we drink absolutely is not bad on the sell-by date. I always figured it was sell-by as in you can buy it on this date and still have time to use most of it before it goes bad. A week or so, I guess.

[Zsofia]

Uh.... if the house was wide open with nobody home, wouldn't you throw a shit-fit about security instead or (or with, I guess) the electricty? I mean, good lord, anybody could walk in.

[Gatopescado]

Wow. Air conditioning.

My kid just went out in the back yard and . . . the heat came on

Around my house, the wife has it set up so the two fight each other! I came home one day, the cooler was raging, the sliding door was open and the heat was on.

She is also world famous for the "Even dozen open bottles of Snapple around the house sitting on the edge" trick.

Heres the produce lifecycle around my house: I buy it. It sits in the fridge for 3 weeks. I throw it away.

Sigh.

[whiterabbit]

I was never awful about leaving doors open and lights on, I don't think -- especially the door thing, since most of my childhood was spent in Texas. You can't air condition the whole state no matter how hard you try!

But what really cured me of leaving extra things on was paying my own power bill. My parents were vastly amused when, after I'd had my own place for awhile, I went to visit them, and was turning off lights and stuff left and right. (I still have to turn off their TVs fairly often. For some reason they'll go off and leave TVs running all day sometimes if I don't do something about it!) "Sounds like someone who is paying her own power bill," I was told.

Yep, sure was.

But when I pay my own bills, I will also pay out the wazoo for air conditioning, because I like meat locker temps. You better believe I don't have open doors and windows then, because I've spent enough on AC as it is!

[congodwarf]

I have to disagree here. I've always found that right around the sell by date, the milk begins to get a little sour. Maybe the OP doesn't notice the sourness at that point, but many folks do.

It takes us about a week to go through a gallon, so I'm always careful to check the sell-by date when purchasing.

I have to add to this one. My fiance will drink milk until it's obviously turning sour. It doesn't bother him at all. I am lactose intolerant. I've noticed that right around the sell by date, the reactions I have to the milk are stronger. Once the milk smells slightly off, I can't drink it. Even if it tastes fine to me, I regret drinking it later. Also, I can smell differances in the milk that my fiance can't. It might be a female thing. My mother and sisters can also tell the difference before their husbands can.

[NorwegianBlue]

Around my house, the wife has it set up so the two fight each other! I came home one day, the cooler was raging, the sliding door was open and the heat was on.

She is also world famous for the "Even dozen open bottles of Snapple around the house sitting on the edge" trick.

Heres the produce lifecycle around my house: I buy it. It sits in the fridge for 3 weeks. I throw it away.

Sigh.

I feel your pain. As I read the "Produce Lifecycle" I was thinking of the Broccoli in my crisper that has actually gone past three weeks.

I do actually have some minor breakthroughs though. On the unfinished beverage issue, my Wife is very considerate. she's good for about three sips of beer, so instead of wasting 3 sips short of a bottle, she takes a sip ( or 3) of mine.


Uh.... if the house was wide open with nobody home, wouldn't you throw a shit-fit about security instead or (or with, I guess) the electricty? I mean, good lord, anybody could walk in.
I've thrown that fit numerous times, nowadays my evening is one shit fit after another. I have to throw my shit fits in moderation. One might say I "pick my battles" but really, I am trying to avoid a continuous stream of shit fits where yelling is all I do in my spare time. I have other hobbies I actually enjoy.

I feel for ya, man. Rotting food under the table...sheesh. Hey, wait a minute, I don't believe I've mentioned the pumpkin story.

Well, that was sort of on the table and below it at the same time. *ick

[Zoe]

No more shit fits. Give each kid a week's supply of Snapple when you shop. If the kid runs out, tough. (Of course, each kid had better keep it under lock and key!) They can always put it on ice if they want it cold.

If a kid forgets to turn off the lights in her or his room and you find it truly abandoned that way, what this cherub is really expressing is a deep seated desire to do a spit and polish cleaning on that particular room. (You can always put a white glove over the light switch as a reminder.)

This works well only if rooms are not shared.

[Zoe]

Another possibility is to remove their light bulbs for 24 hours. It's a hassle for your for a while, but in the long run it will pay off. (I haven't checked to see the ages of your children.)