Household Items Lubbock Parents Refused to Throw Away

If your parents were anything like mine, then you learned one important lesson from them that has stuck with you forever: just because it looks like trash doesn't mean you're supposed to throw it away.

Some items that appeared to be completely useless to us kids were full of value to our elders and might even warrant a spanking when carelessly tossed. These everyday items survived moves, spring cleaning, garage sales, and several attempts at being chunked in the trash can.

The older I get, the more I understand what my parents were fussing over. I bet you do too. Take a look at some household items that nearly every Lubbock parent would only part with over their dead body.

Plastic Grocery Bags

Below the sink in every Lubbock home is a stash of plastic grocery bags. Nobody knows how they multiply so quickly. 3 somehow turns into 100 in a single day.

Why do they insist on saving them? Duh! Because you can use them for anything, and you will never not need a bag to carry something in.

Bread Ties and Rubber Bands

For some reason, those little twisty pieces of wire and stretchy bands are seen as valuable indefinitely. I don't think I need to get into the reasons.

Cool Whip Containers

That's free Tupperware, my friend, and it wasn't just Cool Whip containers. It was any container that had a lid and could be thrown through the dishwasher.

Coffee Cans

Coffee cans make perfect storage containers. Ours were usually used for screws and thumbtacks, but I've also seen people turn them into planters, tool organizers, and a million other things. If you can dream it up, you can probably use a coffee can for it.

Old Phone Books

This one is still kind of weird to me, but my parents and grandparents amassed a huge hoard of old phone books. They lived in our garage for years, even if they were out of date, because "you never know."

I'm almost scared someone will call the cops if I throw one out. My parents were serious about the pizza coupons...

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Random Cords and Chargers

We've all got a drawer full of these. Why? Because mom and dad did too. If you haven't found a reason to use them yet, don't worry. You will eventually...

I think...

Better throw another one in there just in case.

Coffee Mugs

How many coffee mugs does a family really need?

All of them.

Church events. Family reunions. Summer vacation. You name it, there's a coffee mug for it. They are hard to justify throwing away for some reason, so we all have a lifetime supply.

Jars

If you buy something that comes in a jar, like jelly or spaghetti sauce, you're also buying a new glass cup for your cabinet. We never threw away any glass, no matter how many coffee cups were crammed in the cabinet. There's always room for another jelly jar.

Takeout Condiments

Every household has a drawer full of condiment packets. You never know when you'll need 47 packets of ketchup. I actually got lucky and found some Chick-fil-A sauce the other day for a sandwich. That stuff is smackin'.

Towels

Apparently, you're supposed to replace your towels WAY more frequently than most people know. We have towels in the closet at my parents' house that were around when I was in preschool. Tattered, worn out, but still useful for cleaning up messes when you need them. Towels have an infinite shelf-life, and that's why most of our parents have 113 of them.

What everyday items did your family swear by keeping forever? Drop me a comment below this article, then keep scrolling for more Lubbock fun in the galleries below.