I wondered how common this was, so I looked to the internet. There were a few posts about it, mentioning it briefly as something a friend does, and there was a long Twitter thread about saving ketchup in the junk drawer. If you search for images you get one or two that resemble Frankie’s drawer (pictured above) but really, the “packet drawer” doesn’t have the cult following I’m starting to think it deserves.
And if you can keep it organized and keep it stocked, making food at home can be just a little bit cheaper.
This seemed like a game changer to me — not only are you only using what you need (eliminating the need for a whole container of something) but with the variety offered by different cafeterias around campus, I was already beginning to realize just how easy it would be to assemble my own packet drawer.
Let me be clear: The most important part of this is that you buy something from the place you are obtaining the packets. Besides being perhaps a little immoral if you don’t, I think it’s a bit creepy to shovel ketchup packets into your backpack when you think nobody is looking.
It’s also important to note that if you start going out to eat a lot more to try and reap some packet reward, all that money you’re spending on extra take-out is going to totally wash out the value of the extra flavor you’re depositing into your “packet drawer.” The key here is to be more vigilant when you do eat out to get the most of your money.
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