Bookless Club: Frugal or wasteful — where do you stand?

According to market research, Canadians buy about 126 million candles a year. Of that $900 million candle market, the highest-grossing and biggest sector of the candle market is the container candle. Photo by Handout

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It’s funny how some things take up residence in your head.

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Years ago I saw a movie where a small boy, a refugee from an African country, is being given a bath upon his arrival. He panics when the water from his bath goes down the drain. Where’s he coming from, that would never happen. Water was too valuable a resource to be squandered.

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Waste provokes strong reactions. Some people are oblivious. Others keep a watchful eye for unnecessary losses. Some people’s concern is limited to their own personal utility bill. Others pay heed to the bigger picture.

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I have tartan blood. My people wince at the thought of wastefulness. It’s not only genetic, it’s lived experience.

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My parents were born in the aftermath of the Great Depression. Those lessons never die. Lest those hardships arise again, imparting that wisdom to subsequent generations was considered an obligation. If nothing else, that type of thinking cultivates resourcefulness. Resourcefulness — quick and clever ways to overcome difficulties — is a hallmark of success, regardless of the circumstances.

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Maybe it’s the stage 3 water restrictions, but I’ve been on a frugality binge of late. Year-round, I have a large jug next to the sink for “run-up” water, as well as a bucket in the shower to catch waste water, but I’ve been inspired to take my thrifty ways to the next level.

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First up: candles.

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We have become a nation of candle-burners. Gone are the days of a few tapers in candlesticks on the dining room table. Instead, we now burn vats of wax on coffee tables, bathroom vanities and on kitchen counters.

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According to market research, Canadians buy about 126 million candles a year. Of that $900 million candle market, the highest-grossing and biggest sector of the candle market is the container candle. And we like fragrance. Scented candles make up 72 per cent of the candles sold in Canada. Heads up, match makers; market forecasters anticipate the Canadian candle market to grow by almost seven per cent between now and 2033.

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That said, what do you do with candles that have burned deep wells into those troughs of wax? Knowing what wax costs at craft stores, I put my container candles in the freezer, popped out the frozen wax and melted it down in coffee cans in order to make new candles. A variety of wicks are readily obtainable at craft stores. If you insist on fragrance, that’s easily added once the wax has cooled, and if you’re looking to deter mosquitoes, you can turn your candles into citronella candles by adding a teaspoon of that in liquid form.

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Next up was remnants of red wine. I’d saved all the leftovers from various bottles of red wine in a Mason jar and, when I had enough, made wine jelly and wine jelly candies. Most of the recipes feature the word “ridiculous,” so I can assure you that it couldn’t be easier. The cost inputs are contained to pectin, sugar, and maybe some lemon juice or cinnamon, but that’s it.

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Speaking of easy, a few years ago I made sea salt. That recipe involves a bucket, a tray, the sun, and a row boat. Collect the water far away from the beach, pour it in the tray, let the sun evaporate it all, then scrape up the resulting salt.