If Pixar were to make characters out of Kailua's Rod and Fran Macalintal, they might call them "The WasteNots" — they can stretch a penny further than Mrs. Incredible, aka Elastigirl.

It takes forethought to live this way, with every purchase planned out in advance and items bought in bulk diligently portioned out for long-term use. But there are benefits to tamping down on one's inner spendthrift.

"We haven't had buyer's remorse," Rod Macalintal noted.

In these days of being good stewards of the 'aina, not generating waste is probably even more important for the environment than recycling the excess. According to the USDA, more than 25.9 tons of food (more than a quarter of what we eat) gets thrown in the garbage.

But not at the Macalintal's.

"My upbringing was, we weren't allowed to waste food," said Rod Macalintal, a self-proclaimed "navy brat" who spent much of his formative years in the Philippines.

Even now, in his job as an IT project manager, he's sent to Cambodia, India and the Philippines — places where a lot get by on a little.

"If you travel to other countries that don't have much, they take a lot of pleasure in what they have," he said. "... They're happier than a lot of Americans. They find happiness in the small things."

Small joys abound in this family's life. The family of five — besides the parents, there's Christopher, 8; Abigail, 5; and Julian, 2 — can often be found at Starbucks after a Saturday morning walk around Enchanted Lake. The five share two drinks and animatedly talk about the birds they saw in the canal, or marvel over colorful bugs along the route.

"When you walk, you have the opportunity to see things you didn't discover before," Rod Macalintal said.

When eating out, they'll order one dinner for mom and dad and another adult dinner for the three young ones. Kiddie plates left too much picked-over food.

Once, a waiter questioned their judgment when they ordered just one plate, divvied up three ways. It couldn't possibly feed three little mouths, could it?

"OK, if we need more, we'll order more," Rod Macalintal responded. And, like Goldilocks' chair, the amount was just right.

Another benefit, Fran Macalintal added: "They don't complain because they all get the same thing."

Dad, patting his stomach, joked that it also keeps him from becoming a human garbage disposal.

When cooking, if there are leftovers, they get reconstituted into another meal, like fried rice or Rod's veggie-laden soups, said Fran Macalintal.

Fran Macalintal said she had to work at living more frugally, but she found ways to adapt.

For one thing, the family makes do with basic cable, educational videos and cheap DVD rentals from Foodland or the library.

"We love the library," said Fran. "It's air-conditioned!"

Less TV, she said, also means less susceptibility to advertising.

The Macalintal children also learned where food comes from: At their home near Enchanted Lake, there's a garden out front, with an array of vegetables, including tomatoes, bell peppers and peas.

One room is the "homeschool" room, neatly stocked with school supplies.

The backyard has plenty of homemade play equipment. Christopher, the eldest, let out a rebel yell as he swung from a knotted rope tied to a bent palm tree, then climbed up the stairs to a tidy, white-painted, elevated playhouse his grandfather built out of wood that in any other hands might be destined for the scrap heap.

Both parents share the philosophy that needs can be met, but wants fall into a different category. Their children learn the values their parents want to instill, not what society or toy advertisers want them to have.

And all the while, it can be entertaining.

Rod Macalintal remembered the time they were moving rocks out so he could dig a trench for runoff rainwater. They unearthed an 8-inch-long centipede, which turned into a lesson about why centipede eggs could be found next to an anthill.

"It's like PBS in your backyard," said Rod Macalintal.