Earlier this week, I was reminded that sometimes it's a good thing to run low on supplies of a consumable. We were close to out of laundry detergent, and I was reluctant to jump into the car to go to the store just for more detergent.
Good things can come from running short.
it serves as a reminder that supplies are finite, and not to be wasteful
I've noticed that when we first open a new box of detergent, bottle of ketchup, or package of tissues, we all use that item in luxurious quantities. We let the detergent overfill the measuring cup. We grab a couple of tissues at a time. And we squeeze that ketchup bottle like there's no tomorrow. We need a reminder every now and then that these items can and do run out.
it forces us to use up all other supplies of the same substance
Sometimes there's a container that's almost empty, but not quite -- the salad dressing bottle with an ounce left at the bottom (and sometimes there are several almost empty bottles of dressing), the almost empty shampoo bottle, neglected for a brand new, easier-to-squeeze-out bottle, or, the pickle jar with 2 lonely pickles slices at the bottom, shoved to the back of the fridge.
So if we're almost out of all salad dressing, all shampoo, or all pickles, running low will force our hand to rinse containers clean, and use up every last bit.
it slows our consumption temporarily
With the laundry detergent, I knew I had either enough for the regular amount for 2 loads of wash, or I could really stretch it and get 4 or 5 loads done. While I wouldn't want to do all my laundry with this little detergent, it was good enough for us this one time.
I find that when I'm about out of sheets of scratch paper, I make sure I use every last inch on the page, until I can obtain more. And when almost out of ground coffee, I'll make the next couple of pots with just a tad less than usual.
it makes us think outside the box to find something that will stand in
Creativity is at its best when we don't have what we think we need.
Not only did I use less detergent per load this weekend, but I brainstormed how best to get the wash clean, under the circumstances. I loaded the washer, added the small amount of detergent. Let the washer run for a couple of minutes, then shut it off, and allowed the clothing to soak for a couple of hours in the barely soapy water, before restarting the machine. This gave the little detergent that was there a chance to fully dissolve, and penetrate the fabric, hopefully getting the clothes as clean as if using a larger quantity of detergent.
If I'm almost out of ketchup, I may try to stretch the ketchup that's remaining, with some tomato paste combined with water, a bit of vinegar and some honey.
If I'm almost out of wheat flour and I'm baking some cookies or muffins, then I might run some oats through the coffee grinder or blender and make oat flour to mix with my remaining wheat flour for baking.
Frugal folks are some of the most resourceful and creative people around. They find ways to do things in completely unorthodox fashion. Some of them have never even been inside the box.
While running low on laundry detergent was good exercise for my frugal muscles, I did stop in at Dollar Tree to pick up 2 more boxes on Monday. And laundry will proceed as normal this next weekend.
