Waste Not, Want Not!

There are lots of lessons to be learned here in this new and exciting culture. One of the ones that has impressed me the most is nothing goes to waste. Someone told me a statistic recently that one third of the stuff we buy at the supermarket ends up in the bin. Astounding isn't it? When Quyen flits in the door at 0930 she has clutched in her had what she needs for the day and that is it. If she is making me a salad she will buy one tomato and one small onion. If she is doing a prawn dish for dinner she will buy 15 prawns, enough for the dish and no more. I LOVE this concept. We buy stuff by the kilo just because it is easier to say than can I have 15 of something AND we then proceed to over eat because we don't want to "waste" it. If you look in the fridge (past all of the alcohol) you will see it is practically empty. We have a cupboard full of the staples like flour, sauces and herbs and spice and that it it. No crisper drawer overflowing with rapidly moulding vegetables. She has reminded me that in Aus we are living in a world of excess. We buy so much because we can. I hope after a few years of living here I leave having grasped the concept of only buying what I need. Good for the budget AND the waistline!