As a non-practitioner of the concept of “leftovers”, I am probably perceived as wasteful. However, that is not necessarily true. Depending on the situation, I am either very considerate or I am very value-conscious. Those ideals may not seem to work together, but they do… for me.
As I’ve said, I don’t believe in leftovers. I eat one thing and I’m done with it, at least until the next time I want it, which could be the next day. Still, it’s a new meal. So, when I eat my meal, I make certain to eat the most expensive parts of my meal before giving up. If I have a pizza in front of me, I’m not going to eat the crusts. That’s filler, it’s just bread. If I’m still hungry after I eat the parts with cheese and pepperoni, awesome! I have breadsticks now! I’ve gotten my money’s worth by eating the highest-valued parts of my meal. In this way, I am value-conscious and do not consider myself wasteful in the least.
Now, if someone is contributing to the meal or providing the meal, my priorities change and courtesy comes first. With that same pizza, I will eat the crust, because the money is not mine and I would not waste another person’s money. That’s being considerate.
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