If You Grew Up With Boomers, You Remember This Special Kitchen Drawer - Tasting Table

"Baby Boomers are the generation born between 1946 and 1964, meaning they were born to parents who had survived first the Great Depression and then World War II. The Great Depression was a period of immense economic scarcity, reflected in the odd foods people ate during the era that are still talked about today, from the meager two-ingredient sandwich to the infamous water pie."

"Boomers, however, see it as a collection of useful items they technically paid for and might someday need. The only problem is that every time they order takeout, they get new sauces, napkins, and the like - eliminating the need to use anything from the drawer and simultaneously contributing to the ever-growing collection of thingamabobs."

Baby Boomers commonly maintain kitchen drawers filled with accumulated takeout packets, napkins, and utensils despite rarely using them. This behavior stems from their parents' experiences during the Great Depression and World War II, when severe economic scarcity made waste unthinkable. Parents who survived these hardships instilled strong conservation values in their Boomer children, creating a lasting psychological resistance to discarding items. Younger generations like Gen X and Millennials view these collections as wasteful clutter, while Boomers perceive them as valuable resources they technically paid for and might eventually need. The cycle perpetuates as new takeout orders continuously replenish the drawer without depleting existing supplies.

Read at Tasting Table