Originally Posted by
cubbie
Re (1): My parents were most definitely children of the Depression, raised in an error of scarcity and fear of disaster. Those of their generation, and their children, like me, were raised to abhor wasting food -- or clothes or paper or anything else. Even 10 cents' worth of vegetables were worth putting in the refrigerator to add to tomorrow's dinner.
My grandmother, whom I mentioned above as the woman who'd scoop up butter and jelly packets at the diner, would not just save 10 cents of food. She'd save the container it came in. She never bought a piece of Tupperware in her life. Instead, she'd wash and reuse the tubs that margarine and Cool-Whip came in. She never bought Ziplock bags, either. She'd save the bag her Wonder Bread came in, along with the twist-tie wrap, and use it at least one more time.
I can only guess that class perceptions (as someone mentioned above) play a role in the UK, and perhaps some other European countries, that they do not play in the US. If so, then taking home leftovers, which in the US is respected for being frugal, seems to be disrespected in some other countries for the same reason.
Whether or not it's respected for being frugal in the US depends on how far you take it. It seems that most people here agree with me in being mildly scornful at my grandma for scooping up butter and jelly packets at restaurants and dropping them into her purse. Ultimately it is a class issue. Among the working class my grandma's habits may be acceptable. Among the well heeled asking for a take-home box for the last 3 bites of a good steak would seem déclassé.