So, this happened today:
Beautiful newly organized glass jar pantry.
Over the last month or so, I’ve saved 17 glass jars.
Inspired by 100 Days of Real Food blog, I decided to start saving jars, because Lisa Leake recommends freezing food in glass containers instead of plastic. I made an effort to save an Adam’s Natural Peanut Butter jar, or marinara sauce jar here and there. Or so I thought.
I noticed that empty glass jars were starting to line empty spaces of my cabinets. Fearing I was becoming a hoarder, I decided to put these pretty little jars to use. I love the look of the jars in my pantry.
I am on the furthest end of the spectrum away from being a hoarder. I hate having anything extra. I even think people who are “innocent” pack-rats are actually harboring latent hoarding tendencies. The show “Hoarders” is my worst nightmare scenario, second to sinkholes.
So why this sudden preoccupation with saving jars?
1. Pinterest has elevated the already present DIY-sensibilities of millennials to a fine art. Just search “mason jars” on Pinterest.
2. Many millennials are enthusiasts of clean eating which requires storage containers. Rice, quinoa, beans, lentils, spices: I love it all. DIY cooking is especially the way to go, because the Recession & underemployment is making millennials are eating out less.
3. “Recycle – reduce – reuse & close the loop” Remember this song? I do. Of course most millennials would never litter, but the notion of re-using is gaining momentum as millennials grow up, IMO.
4. For millennials, the Great Recession may be fueling a mindset regarding “stuff” similar to the Great-Depression era. I remember chuckling when my Grandma would rinse out and save ziploc bags. Now, I think she was actually onto something. Now I think “Why would anyone ever throw out a perfectly good glass jar?”
So with this list of good reasons to support my newly formed jar collecting habit, I’m confident that I’m not in danger of becoming a hoarder.
I’m just a millennial.
For future pretty and/or useful jar projects.
So-Called Millennial 
That’s hilarious that you wrote about this because I’m starting a money saving tip series on my blog tomorrow and *spoiler alert* saving jars is part of my first tip tomorrow! With your permission I would love to link to you post.
How funny! It’s a great tip, the possibilities are endless w/ mason jars. Sure a link to my post would be great!
I absolutely love mason jars! Thanks for letting me reference your post! 🙂
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Reblogged this on The Narcissistic Anthropologist and commented:
Are Millennials prone to a “waste not, want not” mentality? Kind of like our (by our, I mean Gen X-ers) grandparents who went through the Great Depression? Does that mean my hoarder-like collection of jars might actually have some value?
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