I just baked some cookies, and as I cleaned up -- by which I mean, I crumpled up the parchment paper I'd lined the cookie sheet with, put it in the trash, and put the cookie sheet away -- it occurred to me that using parchment paper to bake cookies with may be the least frugal thing I do on a regular basis. You don't need it -- you could just, you know, put the cookie dough on the tray, bake the cookies, then wash the tray -- and it costs a few dollars a roll, and I go through maybe $10 or $15 worth of it in a year. (I bake a lot of cookies, and also use it to line cake pans sometimes.)
It doesn't really bug me that much, but I notice it as something I spend money on that is definitely a convenience and not a "need." Do you have something similar in your life?
Yes to parchment paper. My cookies always turn out better with it. My convenience is I pay to have my car washed. This makes sense during our Minneapolis winters, but even in the warmer weather, I pay to have it washed. My car is paid for, and this is one little "luxury" I spring for. They vacuum it too. Now, I don't overdo this, but I love taking it to a car wash!
ReplyDeleteI paid to have my car washed last year during the hideous winter, and I'll probably do it again this winter too. I wanted badly to do it this summer but I was doubling down on debt repayment and decided it could go. NEXT summer, though...it needs to be vaccumed soooooo badly.
DeleteParchment paper is awesome. I don't know how much it helps the cookies, but the ease of cleanup is amazing for me.
Even though we try to be careful, we still have tons of conveniences and non-need purchases in our house. I would say the vast majority of what we buy is a want and not a need. I'm not saying it's bad, but it is what it is. I think I may be putting a pretty strict definition on need though.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it would make an interesting exercise to sit down one month and look at every single penny and ask, want, need, or something in between. Maybe I'll do that in January (the next "normal" month for me that won't involve lots of weird travel for work or holidays.)
DeleteUm. Basically everything. Really.
ReplyDeleteLOL. Good thing you make lawyer money and not humanities postdoc money :)
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