Frugality

Frugality has become popular again, only now it is called "sustainability" and it is by no means widespread or everybody's cup of tea. When I was in college in the 60s it was considered anal and it is often associated with being cheap and/or neurotic. Plus if we were all frugal, it would put much of the US economy out of business: less retail, less marketing, less commerce, fewer innovations to get us to spend more money. Frugality also often entails more time and work, something that Americans feel they cannot give.
I grew up in the 1950s and remember my grandmother saving waxed paper. My mother washed her aluminum foil and plastic bags for reuse and still does to some extent. Recently (within the past week) I've decided that I can easily wash and reuse zipper/onezip plastic bags for my lunches. I've seldom used the ziploc bags because they seemed rather expensive but if I reuse them, then they are actually more sustainable than the regular plastic storage bags.
We've never used many prepared and packaged foods. My mother used lots of frozen vegetables, in fact that was her norm even though we lived in southern California. I find I do too but now primarily in the winter since I can get fresh corn and beans at the farmers market. Now that Fernando is letting me compost my vegetable peelings again I feel much holier. And the shredder means that we are no longer putting all our yard wastes in the landfill but recycling everything here in our garden. In the summer, we used to have 2-3 barrels a week of garden clippings: grass clippings, weeds, branches, leaves, etc. and now we have none. This winter we barely have half a can of regular trash since I am trying to recycle everything: newspaper, mail, paper, magazines at the Abitibi recycling bin a the junior high. Corrugated and other cardboard at Construction junction. Plastic bags at giant eagle. Metal cans, glass and plastic in the biweekly recyclables collection. Fresh vegetable and fruit trimmings go into the compost, coffee grounds go directly on the soil, and softer stuff goes in my worm bin. That just leaves meat and dairy leftovers, dirty plastic, and miscellaneous items for the trash that goes in the landfill. Usable items like clothes and appliances go to the Vietnam Vets or to the Goodwill.