Storage Wars

I have had a bad habit of hanging on to plastic storage containers.  They were always a jumbled mess, which I'd try to organize every couple of months. I'd buy cheap semi-disposable sets at Dollar Tree, save take-out containers, and re-use food containers too.  Open the door to the area it was all kept in, and a pile would come tumbling out.  Matching up lids was a challenge.  With the cheap pieces, even the lids that matched often wouldn't stay attached.  It was time to get real about the problem.  The first step was to find what did match and totally discard the rest (into the recycling bin, that is).  This cache was offered to our favorite college girl, who accepted about half.  The rest went into the recycling bin.

This cabinet held a bunch of stuff, including a "set" that had been complete a few years ago.  Not much was left of it.  The entire area was cleaned out and organized.  Only Tupperware was retained.  Low and behold...I found a cache of heartworm meds for the pup!  A lot of space was reclaimed for better storage products.

This box of Rubbermaid "Take-Aways" is a good low-end set of bendable pieces.  It was $4.99 at Price Rite.  After unpacking the box, extra plastic and wrapping material was discarded.  Everything was stacked back the way it came and the box is now on the bottom shelf of the cabinet shown above.   These pieces are to be used for food that is leaving the house.  A new rule has been put in place... if it goes out, it comes back the same day.  TBG would bring food to work and then come back with a bag of container a few weeks later.  That would encourage me to hoard because sometimes we were actually low on pieces.  Well, no more!  So far, he has been behaving.

Larger sets of Rubbermaid "Brilliance" containers came from Walmart, purchased on-line for twenty bucks a piece.  These are sturdier, hard plastic with locking lids.  These will be for home use only.  There are a selection of nine containers and nine lids, in a variety of sizes.  I purchased two packages so that we have more than enough and I won't be tempted to hoard.

Each box was unpacked and then repacked.  Any time a piece is washed and needs to be put away, it will be fully dried, and stacked back in place as close to the way it came as possible.

The two boxes stack nicely and now the drawer on the island can be slid open without there being a plastic avalanche.  I might buy a few cheap sets to keep that will be used when we send food home with guests.  Honestly, that doesn't really happen much.  If I am bringing a dish to an event, I buy a nice thrifted plate or bowl which I leave with the host.

While it was a bit of a splurge to spend $45 on food storage, I think it will make life more pleasant in the micro-kitchen.  I'll still probably try to score Tupperware and garage sales and thrift stores, but I have vowed to discard/recycle take-out containers and any cheap plastics that make their way into our house.

As for our periodic clashes over what to do with the crappy stuff, the war has ended.