It's not one of life's biggest problems, but I'm curious how common this is. I didn't have this problem with my previous two domestic partners (13.5 years and 2.5 years), but it's taken years of begging and pleading with my husband to get him to check if there's already an open bottle (of mustard, ketchup, whatever) before opening a new bottle. I finally "trained" him, but what's got me curious is that it's been a problem with visitors as well, so I'm wondering what most people do. Both of our usual house-sitters have the same annoying habit of opening new bottles without checking. For example, we had a half-used one liter bottle of maple syrup in the fridge, and the house-sitter went into the pantry and opened a new bottle and stuck it into the fridge, right next to the half-used one. They both had the same "Best By" dates, since they were purchased at the same time in a buy-one-get-one-free situation. We also get our fridge full of two partially used bottles of various condiments. And a couple of weeks ago, I had a house guest who took bagels from a new bag, although there was another bag with two left. The bag with two left had a "Sell By" date in 3 days, and the new one's "Sell By" date was in 9 days--so both were perfectly fine. Both bags were in the same breadbox, so he couldn't have simply not noticed the partially-used bag. (Incidentally, he did the same with some bread buns)

Before I open a new can/bottle/bag of anything, I ask myself "Is there already one open?" and look. Is this an uncommon behavior?

 

1 hour ago, unicorn said:

It's not one of life's biggest problems, but I'm curious how common this is. I didn't have this problem with my previous two domestic partners (13.5 years and 2.5 years), but it's taken years of begging and pleading with my husband to get him to check if there's already an open bottle (of mustard, ketchup, whatever) before opening a new bottle. I finally "trained" him, but what's got me curious is that it's been a problem with visitors as well, so I'm wondering what most people do. Both of our usual house-sitters have the same annoying habit of opening new bottles without checking. For example, we had a half-used one liter bottle of maple syrup in the fridge, and the house-sitter went into the pantry and opened a new bottle and stuck it into the fridge, right next to the half-used one. They both had the same "Best By" dates, since they were purchased at the same time in a buy-one-get-one-free situation. We also get our fridge full of two partially used bottles of various condiments. And a couple of weeks ago, I had a house guest who took bagels from a new bag, although there was another bag with two left. The bag with two left had a "Sell By" date in 3 days, and the new one's "Sell By" date was in 9 days--so both were perfectly fine. Both bags were in the same breadbox, so he couldn't have simply not noticed the partially-used bag. (Incidentally, he did the same with some bread buns)

Before I open a new can/bottle/bag of anything, I ask myself "Is there already one open?" and look. Is this an uncommon behavior?

 

No, I'm with you!

1 hour ago, unicorn said:

It's not one of life's biggest problems, but I'm curious how common this is. I didn't have this problem with my previous two domestic partners (13.5 years and 2.5 years), but it's taken years of begging and pleading with my husband to get him to check if there's already an open bottle (of mustard, ketchup, whatever) before opening a new bottle. I finally "trained" him, but what's got me curious is that it's been a problem with visitors as well, so I'm wondering what most people do. Both of our usual house-sitters have the same annoying habit of opening new bottles without checking. For example, we had a half-used one liter bottle of maple syrup in the fridge, and the house-sitter went into the pantry and opened a new bottle and stuck it into the fridge, right next to the half-used one. They both had the same "Best By" dates, since they were purchased at the same time in a buy-one-get-one-free situation. We also get our fridge full of two partially used bottles of various condiments. And a couple of weeks ago, I had a house guest who took bagels from a new bag, although there was another bag with two left. The bag with two left had a "Sell By" date in 3 days, and the new one's "Sell By" date was in 9 days--so both were perfectly fine. Both bags were in the same breadbox, so he couldn't have simply not noticed the partially-used bag. (Incidentally, he did the same with some bread buns)

Before I open a new can/bottle/bag of anything, I ask myself "Is there already one open?" and look. Is this an uncommon behavior?

 

my impression from narrative above is : you are buying too much stuff, leading to described waste. Maple syrup in the fridge ? That's novelty for me

1 hour ago, vinapu said:

my impression from narrative above is : you are buying too much stuff, leading to described waste. Maple syrup in the fridge ? That's novelty for me

Well, the bottle specifically states (as do most condiments) "Refrigerate After Opening." Both bottles have "Best By" dates which are over a year from now, so it's pretty safe to say they'd be good for another year, though perhaps less after opening. When buying something at a 2 for 1 discount, and the "Best By" dates are well over a year into the future, what would be wasteful would be not to accept the free bottle. 

3 hours ago, unicorn said:

Well, the bottle specifically states (as do most condiments) "Refrigerate After Opening." Both bottles have "Best By" dates which are over a year from now, so it's pretty safe to say they'd be good for another year, though perhaps less after opening. When buying something at a 2 for 1 discount, and the "Best By" dates are well over a year into the future, what would be wasteful would be not to accept the free bottle. 

I agree. I take advantage  of these offers. If the goods contain vinegar, ketchup, etc they keep for many months, outside the fridge, even if opened. My Usual fault is that most plastic bottles of sauce, etc, are now designed  to stand on their cap, so to speak, and be stored upside down. I find it more difficult to empty these completely,  so sometimes wait till I have two, and empty them together!

2 hours ago, unicorn said:

I know, but I never refrigerate them, and they last for months.

I always check to see if I have a partially opened bottle of something before buying a new one or opening a new one.  That is just part of my normal routine and has been for years.  I refrigerate things like mayo, mustard, and salad dressings once they have been opened, but not syrup, ketchup, soy sauce, etc., even if the bottle says refrigerate after opening.  

20 hours ago, unicorn said:

I didn't have this problem with my previous two domestic partners (13.5 years and 2.5 years), but it's taken years of begging and pleading with my husband to get him to check if there's already an open bottle (of mustard, ketchup, whatever) before opening a new bottle. I finally "trained" him, but what's got me curious is that it's been a problem with visitors as well

I'm sure this is the reason of many divorces and break-ups.... I have 2 kitchens in my house, upstairs/downstairs... plus 2 more in the casitas out back (no gold faucets, yet) so it gets tough knowing/remembering where there's open bottles of whatever.

6 hours ago, floridarob said:

I'm sure this is the reason of many divorces and break-ups.... I have 2 kitchens in my house, upstairs/downstairs... plus 2 more in the casitas out back (no gold faucets, yet) so it gets tough knowing/remembering where there's open bottles of whatever.

Life is so hard!

2 hours ago, Keithambrose said:

Life is so hard!

If you only knew, I'm gone most of the year and keeping track of which ketchup (or catsup...a whole different topic) bottles are opened from the other side of the world is daunting 😳

3 hours ago, floridarob said:

If you only knew, I'm gone most of the year and keeping track of which ketchup (or catsup...a whole different topic) bottles are opened from the other side of the world is daunting 😳

Remote controlled cameras?

On 11/21/2025 at 1:21 PM, floridarob said:

If you only knew, I'm gone most of the year and keeping track of which ketchup (or catsup...a whole different topic) bottles are opened from the other side of the world is daunting 😳

My kitchen / front door CCTV keeps an eye on my Tommy Sauce, just incase some tealeaf (Cockney rhyming slang for thief) nicks it. 

I'm baffled. we keep our extras in a storage place outside of the kitchen. You'd have to walk there, grab a bottle of something and come back to the kitchen.  It never happens.

That said, some friends had to leave town suddenly for a funeral, and their kitchen was a mess, and their fridge had spoiled food so we cleaned it all up for them.  They didn't need to come home to that. 

I was shocked at how many double bottles of stuff there were in their fridge. 

Who does that? Why? Don't you have a place where you put these things so when you look for the open one you find it?

It probably helps that I have some ADHD, so if I'm not anal about where I put things, I lose track of them quickly.  A lesson I reteach myself regularly.