Maybe it's a generational thing. My Mom grew up in the Depression....enough said. When I was younger, her thriftiness drove me crazy. I'm now 59 and the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Hubby and I worked hard for our $$ and I do all I can to use up and not be wasteful of food. I also cook most everything from scratch. For every decade of folks born thereafter, the outlook changes. So many people don't know the slightest of cooking techniques or the ecomomics of cooking, sad to say. But, they can make dinner reservations perfectly.