Waste not. Want not.
I just put my little brick away. The one I use to squish every last dib-dab of toothpaste out of its tube. I’m following the old adage: “Waste not; want not.”When it comes to things in jars, jugs, tubes or bottles, I WILL get that last drop out.Those vessels get watered-down, shaken-up, q-tipped, turned upside-down, drained and swathed to a fare-thee-well. Waste not; want not.I cut face cleaners in half; I don’t get dirty enough to merit a whole one each night. I’ve kept every gift bag that’s ever come in our door. Little scraps of paper get stapled together to make note-pads. Wrapping paper and ribbons get ironed and reused. Waste not; want not.But, having said that, I own more than one pair of shoes that have never met the floor. I’ve bought sweaters that were worn once, maybe, and I’ve purchased other things I knew I’d never use just because I felt like it.Things die in the refrigerator and not always by accident. Pantry items go past their use-by date all the time.So the adage doesn’t apply to everything and all the time, at least for me.I wonder why that is and, frankly, I have no idea.Ah, sweet mystery of life.