Middle class people in India are very creative and they always have a jugaad to use something other than its primary usage. They try their best to save money even on small things such as using empty bottles for other purposes instead of throwing it every time and buying a container, getting an over-sized uniform and use an old cloth or dress until it itself starts crying to have mercy on it!
Here is a list of 11 things that most of the middle class people in India do!
1. Squeeze toothpaste until its last drop comes out
This is a very common sight in every middle class family and you too must have been doing it for years if you belong to middle class. By looking at the toothpaste, it seems that a road roller has run on it. You can’t dare to ask for a new tube of toothpaste until you squeeze the soul of the old one and use that last small drop. Nice exercise, isn’t it?
2. Cut cream or shampoo bottle to use every bit of it
We middle class people can’t see anything getting waste and that’s why even if a shampoo bottle gets empty or a cream or some other product gets finished, we make sure to use even the remaining tiny drop by cutting the bottle or filling water in it and then using that water.
3. A master bag that has all small and big plastic bags
Every middle class family has one big master bag in which all the small and big polythene bags, from the transparent to the glossy ones, are kept. There’s a fixed place for this bag and it’s mostly behind a door where guests can’t see it. Whenever required, you are asked to take one from that but you can’t afford to touch the one that looks good or is in the best condition, as it’s mostly kept for relatives to create a good impression.
4. Use old clothes as pocha (mop)
Typical Indian middle class families don’t have the tradition of buying a pocha or piece of cloth to mop the floor and the purpose is solved by using an old T-shirt, towel or any other piece that is of no use now. We just don’t waste, remember!
5. Soft drink bottles are emptied and filled with water
Even though soft drinks are costly in India, we middle class people make the most of our money by using the bottle after consuming cold-drink. We clean it properly and then fill water in it that can later be used in kitchen or kept in refrigerator in summers.
6. School uniforms are always one size bigger
LOL 😀 It may sound weird to rich people but it’s damn true for middle class families. Our moms bring uniforms, and if possible shoes too, one size bigger so that they can be used for one or two years extra and valuable money is saved.
7. Younger siblings hardly get new stuff
From uniforms to school bags and books, from party wear to formal clothes, the younger siblings in Indian middle class families are mostly expected to use the second-hand stuffs that their elder siblings don’t use anymore. This actually irritates a lot sometimes!
8. Old bottles are gold and never thrown away!
Just like we use every bit of toothpaste, cream or shampoo and reuse soft-drink bottles, we never throw an empty bottle of oil or shampoo if it’s in proper and reusable condition. Such bottles are washed and cleaned nicely, dried in sunshine to get rid of any kind of smell and then are refilled with some other stuff. If we don’t need them immediately, we stock them to use later.
9. Using rubber bands if socks get loose
No matter how weird it looks, we try to postpone buying a new pair of socks even if its elastic is completely damaged and keep on wearing the same pair by using rubber bands. What a jugaad!
10. We cover TV remote with plastic
That’s our mantra of keeping things new and safe! We don’t remove plastic that covers our new stuffs like sofa, chair or TV and for keeping the remote clean and protected, we cover it with a plastic sheet too. Yes, we are somewhere obsessed with plastic!
11. Life of a T-shirt is damn tough
When parents get a new T-shirt, it’s firstly worn by elder brother and when it doesn’t fit him anymore, it’s handed over to the younger sibling. When it’s dull and faded, it becomes night wear and at the day of Holi, it’s finally worn and given a vidai. But we don’t throw it even after that! It becomes pocha and serves the house till it gets pierced into pieces! Ah, life of a T-shirt in Indian middle-class family is damn tough!
Do you know about more such things that middle class people do? Add to the list.