Sometimes I’m really, embarrassingly cheap. What brings me to this conclusion? This week we made a sale on half.com, and I need to mail the book this morning [someone else wants to curse themselves with the boring law school class of “Complicity”]. I pulled out an old bubble envelope, and have been picking off the “priority” sticker from the previous mailing for over ten minutes. It’s a stubborn beast. But I refuse to send the book via priority mail (which would cost at least another dollar) or buy a new envelope (probably a whopping 50 cents) when I have this perfectly almost good one at my disposal…if I could only get this darn tag off… I know exactly where I got this thriftiness from. My parents are legendary for their penny pinching. My mom could feed a family on a dime. And my dad will drive a mile to find a gas station that’s three cents cheaper than the one down the street. I grew up thinking that luxury items included muffin tin liners (a shocking 75 cent purchase, I’ve realized), ziploc bags, and even cooking spray (How many years did we save our margarine wrappers to grease the pan?).
Now that I’m the head of my own household, I’m often impressed by, and proud of, my parents’ money-saving skills. The bad thing is, I find I can’t keep up. I don’t really like to mix my own salad dressing from a packet, and I have failed to be hard core in my post-marriage powdered milk consumption. Have I yielded to worldliness because last month I took my car to Walmart to get the oil changed, patronized a vending machine and threw out most of my used Ziplocs instead of rewashing them?
It’s just that the world keeps heralding the virtue of convenience. And sometimes convenience is a very persuasive argument. A few of the “conveniences” that I guiltily dream of include the following: pharmacies with drive-up windows, the entire frozen meals aisle at Sam’s Club, using paper plates every night, and gym memberships that include babysitting.
And yet, on the other hand, I really enjoy making my own bread, planting a garden and mowing the lawn. I try to minimize my purchases of character-related food items (to the unhappiness of my girls). We try to replace most restaurant cravings with drive-bys at the places with a $1 menu. And as soon as I’m done with this post, it’s back to picking off that confounded “priority” sticker on my recycled envelope. I guess I haven’t failed my parents’ legacy totally. The good thing is that I know that I could live on much less if I needed to. It’s in my blood, and it’s in my experience. And that one time I did buy muffin tin liners, I hid them in the bottom of my cart.
10 comments:
Oh Janel, stop picking and just cover it up by taping some paper on top of it- use it as an address label. I'm all about re-using by covering up or coloring over those things. :) But I've never washed out and reused a ziplock and I wouldn't dream of making muffins or cupcakes without liners. You're way better than me!
How'd the bar go? I know that's a horrible question, because Richard was convinced he failed for the first month or so after taking it, and then stopped worrying about it, and then found out he passed! Well, the important thing is it's over. And I'm sure he passed. By the way- was he taking the UT bar? And, did you celebrate last night or today?
I have a whole stash of used but serviceable envelopes, if you ever need any. However, I was more than happy to get rid of the washing out bags tradition (so far). I HATE washing out plastic bags. I guess we've both yielded to worldliness (in certain areas). When you feel like indulging, let's go to Sam's together and try everything on that whole tasty frozen aisle.
I also have dispensed with the washing out ziploc bags, but I have to confess, I do still save bread bags in an empty paper-towel tube. Mom's legacy lives on!
I too dream of gym memberships that include babysitting. (And we usually do wash out the ziploc bags, but occassionally I'll throw one out just because I'm proud).
JANEL!! I can't believe I found your blog! It's Whitney (Grover). I have my blog set to private, but I would like an email so I can send you a little invite. That way I can maybe talk to ya!! Your family is so cute! Its so nice to see you! whitbastian@yahoo.com Please write me!
Hey, you didn't mention re-using vacuum bags! --Love, Mom P.S.--There's a drive-thru pharmacy to the side of Central Utah Clinic...and, true to form, I have some $2 off prescriptions there. :)
Wow! Those are all great ideas. My idea of pinching pennies is throwing dimes in wishing wells rather than half dollars. I have much to learn from you.
K so you may of may not even notice this comment, as it is on an older post, but I LOVED this post. I was almost crying, and I'm totally serious about that! I actually thought it was a very touching tribute to your parents. And it was hilarious too, I was dying at the margarine wrappers part...grew up with the same!
This post made me laugh! You know we had similar childhoods in many ways. I must confess I throw away almost ALL plastic bags...because I'm paranoid the germs will stay in the cracks, or that something strange will grow in the corners while drying. Equal strangeness, I know. By the way, I'm coming to visit next week. Want to get together?
I know all about those muffin tins you hid in your basket you naughty girl! You are definitley the most resourceful neighbor I have ever had, and in a crisis, I'm calling your mom!
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