I could be drummed out of the frugalista corps if this secret got around: I buy my salad ingredients already cut up.
Yes, I could save money if I bought heads of lettuce, washed, dried and cut them up myself. But I don’t save a thing if they sit in the refrigerator until they rot because I never get around to prepping them.
If you are really going to peel those carrots and slice that celery, give yourself a gold star. But if you’re not, admit it and pay the extra for ready-to-eat veggies.
When you read money-saving tips, mentally add another one to the top of the list: Know yourself. The best ideas don’t work if they don’t fit your life.
Sure, you can save money if you make your own detergent or calculate the total number of squares of toilet paper per package. But are you really going to save enough money to make it worth your time?
Which brings us to a second tip: Don’t forget that your time is worth money, too.
If I were feeding salad to a large family, I would buy individual heads of lettuce and other ingredients and cut them up myself, or get the kids to do it. (Those mythical kids we never had always gladly help with chores.) The savings would be worth it. Feeding just one person, the convenience of bagged salad is worth the money, especially if it means I eat more salad.
No, you cannot use this rationale to eat a lot of fast food rather than cook at home. Sorry. We can only stretch the rules of frugality so far.
