Scratchy Napkins

Scratchy napkins. 

Several years ago I came up with the saying, "Life's too short to use scratchy napkins."

In an attempt to stretch the food budget I had found myself looking for the lowest prices I could find. When it came to napkins I would always purchase the large hundred pack of paper-thin, scratchy  ones. I thought I was doing a good thing buying the cheaper napkins, but once on a whim I bought a package of the more premium ones. They were regular dinner napkins, and not those ultra fancy Thanksgiving Day feast ones. 

I couldn't believe the difference. I know it was just a small thing, but it got me to thinking about what other things I might be cheating myself out of all in the name of frugality? It was then that my thoughts about not using  scratchy napkins became my motto. 

It's interesting how sometimes we assume that store brands are inferior to name brands. Basically a can of black beans is a can of black no matter whose name is on the label. My daughter was the one who opened my eyes to store brands when she did her own shopping during college, and I found myself following suit. 

If you save a few cents on things that don't really matter, then you can spend a little extra on the things that do. Thus premium napkins became our new normal. As time went by, though, I found myself buying less and less processed foods. I had become a fan of 100 Days of Real Food, and slowly made the transfer over to eating in a more healthy manner.  

What I discovered was that the less you spend on junk allows you to spend more on quality. I spend a whole lot more on eggs and bread now, but it doesn't really affect my grocery budget. I buy more nuts, raw honey, and real maple syrup with the money that used to be spent on Cheetos, and Oreos.

I also brew my own tea, make Chuck oatmeal packets to take to work, and pop my own popcorn kernels in a brown bag in the microwave. Just taking the few extra minutes to make it myself allows me not to have to spend money on so-called convience packaging that often results in a less tasty product. 

There is nothing wrong with allowing yourself a few luxuries along the way even if you are careful with the budget. Life really is short, and its enjoyment can often times be enhanced by the simple things.