When I eat out I hardly ever use all the napkins or utensils that come in my food back, so I tuck them away in a drawer at my home or work desk to use at a later time. What is something you always save for later when you receive it?
I save the napkins, salt and pepper packets along with the sugar and cream that you get when you have been at a hotel that has the coffee pots in the rooms.
My parents are huge hoarders, so they save everything that has a use from jars, calendar sheets (linings for drawers), envelopes, plastic cutlery, napkins and condiments if they are out. They keep the plastic containers mushrooms come in and use them to store things like onions and kitchen sponges. Basically there are very few things they throw away.
Whenever I am in a hotel, or eating somewhere, I will pick up a couple of sauce packets and take them home with me. I heard that staff aren't supposed to put them back in the box once they've been out on a table, so I figure that I might as well take them home with me and make the most of them, rather than just let them be put in the bin. I use sauce so rarely at home that I don't tend to bother buying my own at all now, because the few that I pick up when out and about is more than enough, most of the time.
You know those bags that you get when you go grocery shop and you put your fruits and veggies in? The plastic ones? Yeah I save those; I do dog-walking so I bring those with me and re-use them. Or if I'm bringing cookies to my friends sometimes I'll wrap the cookies in paper towel and put it in the plastic bag.
I save on everything that I view as unnecessary. In restaurants I will immediately return any kind of unexpected extras that I don't want. Even when I stay at hotels or motels, I don't unnecessarily waste anything at all. I won't open any of their shampoo bottles or soaps, if I don't need them. In fact, I won't even disturb any made up towels that I won't be using.
I am a hoarder and this may be too much for others. The plastic cutlery the restaurants give out for take out, I don't throw them away. I collect and put them inside a Ziploc. I also keep table napkins, ketchup and other condiments. Also, I ask for extra packs of sugar and creamer in coffee shops. These can be useful for picnics and other family get-together. When my family checks-in in a fancy hotel, I do not use the toiletries, laundry bags and slippers and bring them with me. These can be useful when we're staying in ordinary motels.
You know, growing up in the country, we "recycled" almost everything before it became fashionable to do so. As such, I still tend to re-use a lot of stuff. My daughter gets really frustrated with me for keeping plastic containers. I love the ones that sandwich meats come in, and I stack them neatly in our cabinet, but she considers it hoarding. I hate the thought of hoarding, but I use the containers for leftovers and such, so I just think it's a practical alternative to buying expensive storage bowls. LOL
Sauce! Any time I eat at a fast food restaurant (albeit, rare), i make sure to grab extra sauce. I like having individual packets in my work desk for an extra oomph to my lunch time meals or at home as a backup supply in case I run out of ketchup or sweet n sour sauce.
This may sound funny but I normally do not use the chopsticks in the Chinese or Japanese restaurant. Although we seldom eat in Japanese restaurants, that's where we had lunch the other weekend. I had requested for the traditional fork and spoon and what happens to the chopstick? Naturally I would keep it and bring it home. Would you believe that I already have more than 100 chopsticks in my collection?
Besides, napkins, sugar and sauce packets, and plastic bags, I find myself mostly saving plastic containers from stores and restaurants. I have so many it's ridiculous. Haha! Not only do I use them to store food, I also use them to store personal items such as my hair supplies, my small electronics, and my business files.
I save unused straws, plastic forks, knives, and spoons. I'll also put the unused napkins in the car for when you need to wipe up a spill or need a kleenex. I save the extra soy sauces packages that comes with Chinese take out too.
I save large plastic milk bottles. I pour fat from the grill or used frying oil into them for disposal. I'll admit to having a few plastic mushroom boxes hanging around too, they are the perfect size to keep all my spices together in the cupboards. I'll also save napkins and plastic cutlery.
I have been saving corks. I have seen some really unique projects made from corks. There are a number of things you can use corks for, everything from bath mats to bulletin boards. I am not sure if I will ever actually get around to making something with them as, you have to have some basic materials to make the items as well as the corks, and corks very hard to cut. I may start small with a coaster, and see how that goes.
I save bags and clean boxes because I plan to move soon. However, I'm most proud of my latest discovery. Chick fil A has this honey roasted bbq sauce that is simply awesome. One store used to have them available for anyone to grab like mayo and mustard but it's only available with purchase. If I could buy it by the bottle, I would.
I always keep ice cream containers, they can be used to store all sorts of things. I also keep napkins and extra condiments.
I also save free stuff in food establishments like napkins, condiments, utensils, straws, etc. I store them in a container in our kitchen. When I am at the supermarket or mall, there also free stuff like food samples or office supplies which I also save for a later time. When I am offered free stuff I don’t reject the offer even though I won’t be using the product right away because I can use it for a later time at home or outside. I think this very resourceful and a great way to save money, so that we don’t have to buy new stuff anymore and make use of the free stuff we acquired.
I save almost everything extra I get from fast food because they are always very well packed so I know they will last a long time. I always get extra sauces and ketchup packets and I tend to save those for another time when I may have run out of ketchup or sauces and all I have are the emergency packets I've saved up. Also, I tend to save all the utensils and napkins as well since I always get a few extra and it's convenient for me to have something to grab whenever I don't feel like washing dishes and utensils.
The only thing I really save are the plastic shopping bags from stores. But even then, once I've accumulated enough of them, I start throwing any more of them out as I get them. I mainly keep them on hand if I am giving family/friends some leftover food to take home with them, and I don't want the plastic containers leaking all over their cars on the way home. Similarly I use them as well if I am bringing some food over someone's house, in case I have to stop abruptly or do anything which might cause the food to spill over. My folks have always been terrible though about hoarding condiments, napkins, sugars, creamers and other stuff from restaurants. The worst part is, they barely even use any of this crap - they still buy all this stuff at the grocery stores any how. These restaurant condiments just start piling up, both at home, and in just about every compartment in their cars. If there is a pocket, a slot, or any storage space in their cars, they've got them packed with napkins, ketchups, sugars, etc... In fact, a couple of years ago, when I was straightening up some of the cupboards in their kitchen, I found a bunch of the old McDonald's "coke spoon" coffee stirrers which they stopped offering back in like the *80's*. I was almost tempted to put them on eBay (they're considered collectibles among drug users), but I didn't want to incriminate myself, lol.
