Do You Save Condiment Packets?
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Frugalites get hassled a lot. Those of us who want to be good stewards of our resources might be mocked for some of our frugal ways. Ah, such is life, when you go against the stream.
That’s not to say that some people go to pretty far extremes when it comes to saving a dime. And there are some frugal practices that might be considered dangerous to one’s health or even illegal. Each of us needs to find our comfort and health level when it comes to frugality and be wise.
One benign and often mocked frugal practice is to save condiment packages.
I’m not talking about “going shopping” at McDonalds when you run out of ketchup. That is unethical at best, illegal at worst.
But, do you save the condiments that you receive at a restaurant or do you toss the unused packets?
We have a small box in our pantry that holds the extras that we receive from takeout restaurants. Those in the know can tell that our eating out is almost exclusively from Costco’s food court, Panda Express and DelTaco.
To me, it seems wasteful to throw away perfectly good condiments just because I’m “above” saving them. When I know that we have a supply at home, I decline more when we’re at the restaurant. And we use them up. Occasionally, I bag up what we have and donate them.
Miserliness or good stewardship?
This isn’t necessarily a way that I “save money,” but rather a way I save resources and avoid waste. Somewhere along the line, that saves somebody money, even if it’s not me. And I think that’s a good thing.
What do YOU do to save money?
Share your favorite money-saving ideas today. Leave a link to a post that shares some frugal wisdom. (Please no giveaways or deals posts. Teach us how to fish!)
I was just going through my packets that we keep from takeout. I have an abundance of soy, duck sauce and Chinese mustard. I’ll sometimes use the packets to make dipping sauces for summer rolls, egg rolls, and other Asian dishes. Mux soy sauce with peanut butter and hoisin with garlic.. Arby sauce I’ll mix with mayo and use for sandwiches. I have mayo and sandwich sauce for lunches.. And tons of ketchup packets I’ll use instead of tomato paste in spaghetti or sloppy joe sauce.
It’s really a great way to add flavor for free, don’t you think?
We save them as well. Sometimes restaurants, like Chinese, give you more than you need. Ketchup is always a big one. Arby’s sauce is as well. We try not to go overboard, because there is only so much you can use. However, the packets of mustard or mayo we get, as well as salt and pepper, are invaluable when traveling and for packed lunches. My fiance and I love to go on spontaneous picnics, and we don’t like to put the condiments on the sandwiches until we get there. It just helps out.
I used to save the packets, but I realized that I never actually used them so I quit. I rarely need a single serving of soy sauce or ketchup (and I plain forget about the parmesan and red pepper flakes), I’m usually measuring into a recipe.
Kudos to you for donating your surplus! I found myself with a similar collection, though mine quickly grew out of hand and I had to start writing a cookbook to whittle it down. 🙂
I save the Packets as well! Now I mail them over seas to the soldiers!! I even posted on Craigslist to see if others would send them my way as well lol. Who would’ve thought I would go from Too many to not enough? Lol.
Yes, I save them for later use. For instance, when I drive through Del Taco alone and say I’d like some mild sauce with my order, the person at the window often puts a handful in my bag. I don’t understand why the manager lets them do that.
I registered voters at a fair earlier this year, and a women’s club member I worked with said that soldiers request hot sauce packets in their care packages. It makes the bland military food taste better. The women’s club collected condiments to send to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Absolutely! We save them at home and at my office! Like some of the other commenters, I find them really useful for lunches or picnics, but I also find myself using them if I’ve run out of something and haven’t made it to the grocery store yet. Oh, and they’re great for camping, too!
Yes I do. Who would not save condiment packages except people who can afford to be,”food snobs”. They are great for picnics and kids love them. If you can’t afford everything organic, why not? I think stress and a negative mindset can cause more cancer than an occasional ketchup packet.
Oh yes we do! We always have a supply of Taco Bell mild sauce, you never know when they will forget to put some in your bag!
Thanks so much for providing this as a linky! I always learn so much through the other’s posts!
This week I have links to how I make my own laundry detergent, dish soap and cereal bars to save money!