‘Free’ Things South Dakotan’s Are Guilty Of Not Throwing Away

I am so guilty of this! How many of these “Free” things do you toss in your junk drawer or pantry cupboard?

I read the list of Unnecessary 'Free' Things People Refuse To Throw Away Because They Might Be Useful Someday on Your Tango. And I thought this is so very “South Dakotan”!

We South Dakotans are practical people. That Midwestern mentality of "waste not, want not" means our junk drawers are bursting with "free" items we swear we'll use someday.

Fast Food Napkins...pile up in glove compartments and kitchen drawers. You grabbed a handful at Taco John's "just in case," and now you have enough to supply a family reunion.

Condiment Packets...are perhaps our biggest weakness. Ketchup from Culver's, hot sauce from Taco Bell, and those mysterious soy sauce packets they migrate from takeout bags to a dedicated drawer where they'll live indefinitely.

Hotel Toiletries...from that Deadwood getaway or Sioux Falls business trip seem too good to waste. Those tiny shampoo bottles crowd bathroom cabinets, waiting for a camping trip that may never come.

Plastic Grocery Bags...deserve their own category. We use them for everything like trash can liners, dog poo pickup, and packing material. The bag full of bags under the kitchen sink is a South Dakota staple.

Twist Ties and Rubber Bands...rom bread bags and produce accumulate because "you never know when you'll need one." Spoiler: you never do.

Old Chargers for Phones...we replaced three upgrades ago sit tangled in drawers. We can't remember what they charged, but throwing them away feels wrong.

The truth? We're resourceful, frugal, and a little bit sentimental about free stuff.

Our cluttered drawers are basically badges of honor proving we're ready for anything, even if we're really just hoarding napkins.