Many a television show or movie involves some man and woman combining two large families into what we now call “blended families.” Whether you are talking about families or toilet paper, the fact is that buying things in bulk can save you money.
This rush to bulkiness has led to warehouse stores where customers can load up on everything from paper towels to Cheetos in pallet-sized crates at a discount.
We do not belong to such mega stores but that small detail, however, has not kept us from stocking up in warehouse size proportions on everything from fruits to nuts.
Miss Trixie -- ever her Momma’s daughter -- is a master at bargain hunting and so we have enough supplies to cross the prairies with the pioneers of old with plenty to spare.
But even though we have a plethora of food and goods that doesn’t mean that anything is wasted. No siree. Tupperware of every shape and dimension jam packs our cupboards just waiting for that diminutive spoonful of leftover pudding, rice, olive or potatoes which are then packed into the fridge at an alarming rate. This is so that when Ol’ Dutch opens the door they fall on the floor meaning I can then throw them out.
Never wasteful, just the other day Miss Trixie shoved a grape in my mouth and after I chewed on it for a minute she calmly asked, “Are they okay to serve our guests or are they spoiled?” Leftovers.
Okay, so I will admit that it is cheaper to buy things in bulk supply if you have room for it but doing so leads to problems in distribution of products.
There are few families that require rolls of toilet paper or a pallet of typing paper but other items such as meat does seem to make sense to purchase when on sale.
The problem is that in this day and age many people have no idea what to do with it once they get it home. They somehow missed the life lesson on repackaging and freezing it. Here’s a test for you. Ask a younger person of your acquaintance if they can cut up a whole chicken. I’ve done this and can tell you the look of shock is priceless. I guess they always believed chickens just came in boned out dimensions.
Now, you’ve heard that “two can eat as cheap as one.” Just the other day, I heard some women talking about how hard it is to cook for just two people. Ol’ Dutch has been known to cook a little along the way. And, I always thought it was common sense to package my meals into single portions upon returning from the store. This led to easy meal preparation later in the week and so I thought I would share this great knowledge with these women who are part of a two party line.
The total look of shock and awe was apparent as I tried to educate them on how to manage such an endeavor and it became apparent that I was becoming “the enemy” the longer I talked.
Now Ol’ Dutch wasn’t born yesterday but it took me awhile to figure out the real purpose of this conversation. They had somehow convinced their men of the expense and wasted food of just cooking for two and that it was cheaper for the two of them to eat out. That way, you know, there’s no bread to go moldy or fruit to go soft. And that meant the two ladies were headed to “eat out” which is exactly what they wanted all along.
Well, never to be outdone, just last evening following a hot date to the moving picture show, Miss Trixie herself somehow horn swoggled Ol’ Dutch out of a prime rib dinner with some lame excuse about not having meat thawed and that eating out would be just as cheap. Let me assure those of you yet to be initiated, two cannot eat cheaper than one. And, my wallet can bear witness.

Kevin Kirkpatrick and his Yorkie, Cooper, fish, hunt, ATV or hike daily. His email is [email protected]. Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com or on Twitter at TroutRepublic.