Are you a "user up" or a "thrower out"

Anyone else's D.H. put empty jars and packets back in the cupboard? I went to get a paracetamol the other day and there was a packet but it was empty. Makes shopping difficult because you never know what has run out.

I am a bit of both too, I use up any thing that is covered with or mildly associated with chocolate not that it could be even remotely close to a sell by date!!!! But everything else gets thrown out past its sell by date except things like horseradish ,apple and tartar sauce which often say use within a week of opening,unless you have huge family its impossible so ignore that'.

A word of warning re tins: A colleague of mine picked up a tin which was over its sell by date whilst tidying up a couple of years ago, intending to chuck it out. It exploded, seriously lacerating her hand - she was off work for nearly 6 months.

So when dealing with suspect tins these days, I put oven gloves on both hands, drop a towel over the tin, then put a carrier bag over the top, turn the lot over, so the tin, still wrapped in the towel, drops into the bag, then I take it out to the dustbin and drop it in, all the time holding it at arm's length. I think I've got rid of all the very old ones now and hope I won't have to call in the bomb squad any time soon.

My mother lived in a happily unhygienic mode until she fell at 95 and sadly broke her hip. She had no regard for "fussiness" and certainly didn't bother about sell-by dates. Not sure when sell-by warnings came in to being. Food was often left out and uncovered and this didn't bother her. She probably didn't know about food hygiene rules anyway and just did as she always had done. In the 40s, before people had refrigeration, we used to keep the milk in a basin of cold water, but it still went off and I can still remember the taste of turned milk. My brother and I were rarely bothered by tummy upsets.
I am fussy myself though, but as I said above I shop daily and am married to a wolf, so leftovers don't crop up too often, But I do have a morbid fear of being sick !

Blinko got to be honest it is DH who is the neat freak when it comes to the car boot. The trouble with our car is that when you open the back door everyone can see all your junk because it does not have a boot, also has to be rearranged to get the third row of seats up.

Just remembered once on a visit to Bro and Sis iL, both of whom were scientists by profession, so their house was always spotless, disinfected to the nines and all that. Their children were both down with gastro enteritis so we couldn't go in. Despite the episode with the salmon, no such events have ever troubled our family. Bit of a conundrum, that.

Like it, nanasam

Oops, the emoticon should be

Harrigran, I'm impressed re your car boot tidying regime. though I protest that the salmon must have slid out of a shopping bag at some stage..... No, not good enough, I know [embarrassed] Lol!

I'm a user upper too, and I really annoy myself when I just have to use up the last bit of, say, a yucky shower gel, when I have a gorgeous new one waiting for me! Have so many pots of creams with little bits left in them!
I have now taken to making myself throw things away on the day the bin men come so I can't change my mind!

I'm definitely a user upper. Probably comes from bring part of a big family, and also the post-war generation. I didn't have a ration book, but dh did. I'm making a "use up" meal tonight. Few random cherry tomatoes, courgette, part of a pepper, part of pkt of soft cheese, with pasta and a bit of gammon left from the weekend.

Definitely a user upper! The best test of anything is your NOSE and EYES. My mother is galloping towards 96 years and must be completely immune to every known...and unknown, bug in the Universe...her mantra is if it's not green, it's OK!

I'm a user-upper. Last night I used the last of the sherry, gin, Archers, Malibou, Bacardi and port. The Ouzo took some finishing, though!

War-baby that i was, I got used to ironing wrapping paper and saving bits of string. As for left over food, be imaginative.
The chicken carcase of 3 weeks ago made a delicious mulligatawny soup. The remains of that were frozen and will be mixed with the remains of last night's curry for lunch.
Stock pot on the go making sure it is simmered for at least 20 minutes daily.
Find my eyes, nose and finger tips far more useful in assessing what we can eat with safety or not, irrespective of sell-by date.
By the way, did anyone see the programme on television about someone using up spices that were ? 20 years old. No-one seemed to be able to pick out the meals made with the ancient ones.
It annoys me that with a reduced level of sugar in jams , there is the suggestion that they be kept in the fridge once opened.
Anyway ,my family has flourished under this regime for more than 50 years now and no food-poisoning. Eating out has proved problematical only once

I try to use up food as much as possible. Saw this thing on TVs yesterday about a company that delivers just the right amount for a meal so looked into it. They wanted too much information when I just wanted to explore really. Reviews weren't too good either.

I'm definitely a user upper!! My DD throws so much fresh fruit and veg away it's criminal! When you think l am caring for the DGC1&2 so she can go to work and not pay out for Childcare. What a waste?

User upper. Again,not just food - those hanger/ribbons in clothes - get used in card making; ends of balls of wool - used to make blankets for Dogs' Trust or makes for the homeless - that's just to name a few areas where I use up.

My husband SAYS he's a user-upper, but in fact he collects odds and ends, saying that they might come in useful.

Do you have any ideas for his latest? - two of those lidded coin containers that were used by bus drivers.

Both, depending on what it is!

I used to be a user upper.

Then my daughter became dangerously ill ( along with 12 other people at the same wedding ) suffering for over a year, from eating something that was well past its sell by / use by date.

Now I am a lot more cautious.

i'm a bit of both. if there's something in the fridge we took out of the freezer to cook and haven't actually got around to it then it's thrown out [reluctantly i must admit]. and the leftovers from the childrens' meals are scraped into the bin - not worth keeping.
i don't take much notice of use by dates - especially tins and herbs - and if food looks and smells ok then it's usually ok to eat ........... never poisoned myself or my family yet!
but i've got clothes in my wardrobes which have been there for at least 15 years!! can't get into them as i put weight on but maybe one day i'll be able to get into them again - i don't keep track of fashion but, if i like a top then i'll wear it however old it is!
and i'm a hoarder - there's loads of stuff in my house which has been kept "just in case" - if it's broken then it's waiting to be repaired!!!

When I was young my mother was a nightmare for leaving things to go blue-mouldy in the fridge. Her hygiene was nonexistent and she would store cooked and uncooked meat together and open.

My sister's reaction to this is to 'buy and chuck' on the whole while mine is mixed. This morning, ahead of going away for a week, I sorted the fridge out. Things clearly 'gone' like salads my son bought which are now liquid in the bags went straight in the bin. However, I found various veg like peppers, cherry tomatoes, onions, peppers and mushrooms, and have roasted them for filo tarts and for freezing.

I will also keep things way past their sell-by if they smell and look fresh or even 'fresh enough'. I have never, ever thrown an egg away for being too old and I have never had a bad egg. I have a small bottle of beer that I bought when my son was born in the back of my cupboard. He is 27.

I'm so on your case! I hate throwing out food and fabric. My daughter and I have a saying for using up bits of food that needs to be dealt with - ready, steady, cook!!! I did come unstuck yesterday though - needed to use up some mushrooms and some milk so decided to make some soup. Milk smelt ok and was only a day out but when added to the mushrooms etc. It curdled!! I wasn't very happy as the whole lot had to be ditched.

I think I am a user upper but when it comes to food I usually end up throwing it away as I have saved it to use up for far too long - note to self - just throw it away!!

Definitely a user-upper-comes from being brought up by a family who lived through the war and,before that,in a small mining community where life was tough.
I always use food up and clothes are kept,re-modelled or given to charity shops.Old sheets become rags for cleaning though I draw the line at cutting and sewing them "edges to middle" as my gran did!
Re-cycling and thrift are second nature to me but I guess that makes me quite trendy!

Definitely a user up. Food is used never thrown out even if over date. Otherwise I freeze it. we have a quick sniff, cook it and eat it. Don't think many younger folk do the same, it's just thrown away if a day or two over. Apparently every family throws out £20 of food a week, well someone else Is taking my share.