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Things lots of people buy and I don't understand


Fat Guy

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To the "I'd never buy bottled water" crowd. One of my sons is on the track team at high school. He takes bottled water in liter bottles with him to their meets. Many times the water fountains are broken or dirty and he doesn't like Gatorade. All of the schools here have recycling bins so I'm not understanding the problem. I'd rather he was hydrated when he's running several miles in 80-90 degree heat.

Why not refill the water bottle from the tap at home or another trusted source?

What's the difference if the container is ultimately placed in the recycle bin?

The difference is the number of times you use it before placing it there, which reduces the number of bottles that have to be recycled.

Nathan sports bottles are great--easy to clean, with a removable straw & mouthpiece. No weird stuff growing in a hard to clean reusable bottle. http://nathansports.com/our-products/hydrationnutrition/stainless-steel-and-tritan-bottles

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Ditto. Well water here, too. No power=no water. And, yes, we also have a generator but that isn't used unless we have many, many hours without power. And, yes, if I think the power is going to go out, I fill many containers, including the bath tub, with water.

:laugh: Just trying to recall the last time we knew that the power was going to go off. Just one of the extra benefits of living in the middle of nowhere...you don't count either. Now storms are another issue... :raz:

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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Ditto. Well water here, too. No power=no water. And, yes, we also have a generator but that isn't used unless we have many, many hours without power. And, yes, if I think the power is going to go out, I fill many containers, including the bath tub, with water.

:laugh: Just trying to recall the last time we knew that the power was going to go off. Just one of the extra benefits of living in the middle of nowhere...you don't count either. Now storms are another issue... :raz:

:laugh:

That's what I was meaning...storms, high winds--which in Kansas means anything over 70 mph....oh and the always entertaining ice storms.

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Why not refill the water bottle from the tap at home or another trusted source?

What's the difference if the container is ultimately placed in the recycle bin?

By reusing the containers, you ultimately use less of them, thereby reducing recycling and waste.

Edited by Shel_B (log)

 ... Shel


 

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Why not refill the water bottle from the tap at home or another trusted source?

What's the difference if the container is ultimately placed in the recycle bin?

By reusing the containers, you ultimately use less of them, thereby reducing recycling and waste.

Well, if your sports water bottles looked anything like mine, you wouldn't want to use it again. :laugh:

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Single serve coffee makers.

Cons...Makes an expensive cup of coffee. Lots of waste in used containers. Have to wait for each cup to brew.

Pros...you can get some disgusting sweet hazelnut maple-raspberry flavors that don't taste anything like coffee.

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I always salt, but am on again off again about fat. I like basmati for pilaf, but by itself? It's a snore.

I'm almost always making it to go with something saucy - usually Indian or a stir-fry. If I am doing it as a side for roast chicken or something, that is when I add a bit of butter, S&P

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Frozen, pre-browned ground beef. My wife bought it once. Once.

-drew

www.drewvogel.com

"Now I'll tell you what, there's never been a baby born, at least never one come into the Firehouse, who won't stop fussing if you stick a cherry in its face." -- Jack McDavid, Jack's Firehouse restaurant

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Why not refill the water bottle from the tap at home or another trusted source?

What's the difference if the container is ultimately placed in the recycle bin?

By reusing the containers, you ultimately use less of them, thereby reducing recycling and waste.

Well, if your sports water bottles looked anything like mine, you wouldn't want to use it again. :laugh:

:laugh: Sounds like my sports bottle. I actually grew out some agar plates with swabs from refilled water bottles a few years ago. Forget it.

I also fill lots of big jugs with water like Shelby and Darienne since we have lost our power for up to 12 days before. No power, no pump. I buy gallons of distilled water for myself and to use in the steam iron all year round.

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Canned mushrooms.

When I lived in Ontario, I used to buy a PC organic brand of canned mushrooms that were made in the USA. I really liked them on my homemade pizza. Then, my store stopped carrying them, and the only canned mushrooms they had were made in China. I wouldnt buy them in that case.

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Water: I filter my own at home.

Bisquick: I can make better tasting food from better ingredients more cheaply.

Salad Dressings: Again, I can make better and cheaper dressings from scratch.

Powdered Sauce Packets: Really? You need a reason? None of these sauces is that hard to make for real.

Many Canned Vegetables: Fresh or frozen vegetables generally taste better. (I do like canned tomatoes.)

Canned Soup: Once again, scratch tastes better and is cheaper.

Dinner Assembly Kits: I can pull all of the dry parts out of my pantry more cheaply, and a fresh sauce is better.

Supermarket Baked Goods: They're frightfully bad.

Baking Mixes: Saving a tiny amount of time isn't worth sacrificing flavor.

Spice Blends: I can mix my own, thank you.

Frozen Toast

Frozen PB&J

Frozen Garlic Bread

Frozen Waffles & Pancakes

Cocktail Mixers

Agree on every item listed except bloody Mary mix. For some reason we buy this

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Canned Soup: Once again, scratch tastes better and is cheaper.

You probably never put lot of time and trouble into making soup from scratch only to have your Mother say "This is almost as good as what comes out of a can".

"A fool", he said, "would have swallowed it". Samuel Johnson

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You probably never put lot of time and trouble into making soup from scratch only to have your Mother say "This is almost as good as what comes out of a can".

I once had my mother-in-law call me to ask how to make a beef stew that tasted like Dinty Moore. Seems she could never quite get hers to the exact right flavor of salt & artificial meat flavor, and she wanted the dry, chewy texture of the meat that came out of a can over the unctuous texture of real beef chuck.

I told her to just go buy Dinty Moore.

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Pre-minced garlic. But not because it's easy to do on your own, since for some it's not. But rather because the product tastes really bad. Same for Lemon juice in the little yellow squeeze bottles. Convenience is great but not at that much of a sacrifice.

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Single serve coffee makers.

Cons...Makes an expensive cup of coffee. Lots of waste in used containers. Have to wait for each cup to brew.

Pros...you can get some disgusting sweet hazelnut maple-raspberry flavors that don't taste anything like coffee.

I'm a teacher, and have a Keurig in my classroom. I agree with all your cons, but will add a big pro: it doesn't require any cleanup. That's huge if you don't have access to a kitchen.

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I'm a teacher, and have a Keurig in my classroom. I agree with all your cons, but will add a big pro: it doesn't require any cleanup. That's huge if you don't have access to a kitchen.

I was going to make the exact same comment. My husband gave me one last summer for my birthday for my classroom. It sat unopened at home, but I brought it to school and use it every day. I buy a big jug of water to keep under the table. No muss, no fuss, and no cleanup. Perfect for the classroom.

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I have a glass cutting board I use for shaping bread so they aren't useless, should call it a bread shaping board.

I bought it for cutting before I knew better thinking it would be easy to keep disinfected after cutting up raw chicken which is probably true. If your knife standard is cheap knives and a quick slide through sharpener that hones the crap out of them then it probably wouldn't make much difference what you cut on.

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I'm a teacher, and have a Keurig in my classroom. I agree with all your cons, but will add a big pro: it doesn't require any cleanup. That's huge if you don't have access to a kitchen.

I was going to make the exact same comment. My husband gave me one last summer for my birthday for my classroom. It sat unopened at home, but I brought it to school and use it every day. I buy a big jug of water to keep under the table. No muss, no fuss, and no cleanup. Perfect for the classroom.

And I gave one to my elderly father (85 at the time) who was living alone. He really likes coffee, and is restricted to only one cup a day. He'd never brew up a pot for just that one cup, so he was just having a cup of instant coffee that he heated in the microwave.

I bought him a Keurig and he loves it. I keep him supplied with the refills because they're expensive enough that he would feel wasteful and extravagant buying them himself, so he wouldn't. He uses that Keurig every single morning and often has a cup of hot chocolate in the evenings.

There are not too many things that are not useful given the right situation.

Even that crap white bread (that I didn't know existed until I was about ten and had it at a friend's house because it wasn't allowed in our house). Somebody must buy it because the stores are full of it.

However, I did discover after moving to Texas that even that crap white bread is not only useful, but necessary, with Texas-style BBQ brisket.

So there you go.

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I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

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And I gave one to my elderly father (85 at the time) who was living alone. He really likes coffee, and is restricted to only one cup a day. He'd never brew up a pot for just that one cup, so he was just having a cup of instant coffee that he heated in the microwave.

I bought him a Keurig and he loves it. I keep him supplied with the refills because they're expensive enough that he would feel wasteful and extravagant buying them himself, so he wouldn't. He uses that Keurig every single morning and often has a cup of hot chocolate in the evenings.

You are a good daughter. :wub:

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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I've had Senseo pod brewers since I was given one in 2004. Sadly, the company seems to have discontinued selling them in the U.S. but I'm fortunate in that I bought a backup in case the current one fails. Also, I have a pod maker so I can make my own.

I've also got a cute little pod type espresso brewer (15 bar) that I enjoy and generally use in the evenings.

Then there are the glass cutting boards. I have several but have never used a knife on one. I found that the largest fit exactly into the wire shelves of the utility shelving units of which I have a bunch. Having a level surface keeps bottles from tipping, keeps appliances with feet from getting stuck &etc. I also put one (has rubber feet) on the stone counters under pottery or stoneware cookware. I learned to my chagrin that some have rough bottoms that will score or scratch granite or marble counters - not pretty and expensive to refinish.

So they do have their uses, just not for which they were originally intended.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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At the local produce store today I noticed a bottle of imported Greek tzatziki. It was $4.57 for a 3.5 ounce bottle. I asked the produce lady, if this was a joke, and she said no, sometimes people will buy 2 04 3 bottles at a time, and they sell about 17 bottles week. She said people don't cook anymore. So out of curiosity as I continued shopping I noted down the prices of ingredients you'd need if you wanted to make your own tzatziki. Generous sized cucumbers were 69 cents each. Fage 2% Greek yoghurt was $1.99 for a 7 oz container. Lemons were 3 for $1.19, Garlic was $2.99 a lb, and wine vinegar and olive oil were available at several different prices. Fresh dill and parsley were $1.99 a bunch.

Why would anyone pay $4.57 for 3.5 ounces of tzatziki? If they didn't want to make their own? there are a lot of grocery stores, and supermarkets where you can buy it, and several Greek restaurants in the area will sell you their own freshly made tzatziki at what I considered an exorbitant price until this morning.

"A fool", he said, "would have swallowed it". Samuel Johnson

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