Dear Maxine,
What’s the optimal amount of Tupperware a normal family should have?
Hypothetically speaking, if our whole fridge could be filled with leftovers, it would probably take 10-15 containers. Right now our lazy-susan is holding well over 30 with 50 percent of the lids not matching.
I understand it’s important to be prepared in case of a food emergency, but like the thousands of plastic bags we are hoarding, they seem to magically replace themselves.
Plus, Tupperware is only good for storing leftovers that never get eaten anyway.
How do I convince my wife we need much less Tupperware and much more lazy-susan space for other important things like my oreo stash?
Sincerely,
Moldy Leftovers
Dear Moldy Leftovers,
Unless you are a regular in the kitchen, I would suggest to not bring this up to your wife at all.
Now, if you are an involved staple in the kitchen, planning meals, cooking meals, cleaning up, etc., then you do have a say in the matter.
Don’t just go tossing all the Tupperware out though, without collaborating with your spouse first.
She’s probably keeping specific tupperware for specific reasons.
The leftover baked beans will go perfect in the oval shaped set she inherited from Grandma; the leftover corn on the cob will fit nicely in the deep rectangle shaped dish she received from her wedding; the leftover ham slices will do well in the shallow oblong Tupperware from her mother-in-law and the leftover Zuppa Toscana soup will pour smoothly into the large bowl shaped piece that she has no idea where it came from.
You could start by dividing out the Tupperware and setting aside the ones that don’t have lids and ask if she has specific uses for those before taking them out to the trash.
As far as leftovers that never get eaten … remember you are a fortunate soul to even have food in the first place, even more so to have EXTRA food! Don’t you dare waste that good home cooked food!
Keep it simple, keep it consistent.
Sincerely,
Maxine
Everybody has issues from time to time. What’s yours?
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