Though prices have risen on staples in our lives the past 5-6 years, there are still good deals. These are the forgotten items we seldom consider because they serve you in life consistently and with little fanfare.
Take the bar of soap, for example. How great is it?
Been around for centuries. Easy to make. Cheap. Lasts forever.
Not only can you bathe with it, but in a pinch you use a bar of soap can wash your hair, do your laundry, clean your dishes (okay, your food or drinks may bet a bit soapy taste, but what the heck, you have to sacrifice somewhere).
What does one cost? Well, if you purchase in bulk, you can easily get a bar for less than 50 cents. And that gets you more than a month’s worth of body cleaning. Well worth it. A bargain.
In 1982, when I bicycled across North America, I brought one bar of Ivory Soap. Bathed with it, washed my clothes with it, shampooed my hair with it. What a deal. I forget how long it lasted that summer, but it sure earned its keep.
How about white undershirts, the classic tee? If you buy a package, you probably get each individual shirt for under a buck. That’s a steal.
You can work in the yard in that white tee shirt. Wear it under your dress shirt. After it’s become ragged, turn it into a cloth rag for washing your car. You can lift weights or run a marathon in the white tee.
As its whiteness deteriorates, it takes on great flavor to impress your friends with how you’ve lived the past four years. “That’s where I spilled my Bloody Mary during the Bears game at Lambeau Field. That spot first appeared two-and-a-half years ago when I splashed coffee while we were vacationing in Uba Tuba. Those grass stains come from our annual Thanksgiving football game down at the local high school.” And, so on.
The white tee shirt tells a story. It explains how you’ve lived.
How about radishes? They are a steal.
Inexpensive, tasty, great fiber. Perfect to munch on before dinner, you can get a large package for under two dollars. They can help lower blood sugar and are a source of antioxidants that might help protect against cancer and lower inflammation. Radishes are also a rich source of magnesium, potassium and vitamin c. Give me five right now.
I’ll end this value list with hooded sweatshirts. Not only does the hooded sweatshirt provide multiple functions and serve you well through fall, winter and spring in Wisconsin, but you can have fun and funny logos on it, like “Cycleologist,” which puzzles people and initiates conversation.
On those in-between temperature days, who cares if you forgot gloves because you can slide your hands into the front pocket. Similarly, it doesn’t matter if you forgot your hat when it’s 40 degrees out because you have the hoodie whenever you need it. All those functions and years of use for $50.
These are all good deals. If only you could live with a bar of soap, radishes, white tee shirts and a sweatshirt. It would be a simple and sweet life.
Take the bar of soap, for example. How great is it?
Been around for centuries. Easy to make. Cheap. Lasts forever.
Not only can you bathe with it, but in a pinch you use a bar of soap can wash your hair, do your laundry, clean your dishes (okay, your food or drinks may bet a bit soapy taste, but what the heck, you have to sacrifice somewhere).
What does one cost? Well, if you purchase in bulk, you can easily get a bar for less than 50 cents. And that gets you more than a month’s worth of body cleaning. Well worth it. A bargain.
In 1982, when I bicycled across North America, I brought one bar of Ivory Soap. Bathed with it, washed my clothes with it, shampooed my hair with it. What a deal. I forget how long it lasted that summer, but it sure earned its keep.
How about white undershirts, the classic tee? If you buy a package, you probably get each individual shirt for under a buck. That’s a steal.
You can work in the yard in that white tee shirt. Wear it under your dress shirt. After it’s become ragged, turn it into a cloth rag for washing your car. You can lift weights or run a marathon in the white tee.
As its whiteness deteriorates, it takes on great flavor to impress your friends with how you’ve lived the past four years. “That’s where I spilled my Bloody Mary during the Bears game at Lambeau Field. That spot first appeared two-and-a-half years ago when I splashed coffee while we were vacationing in Uba Tuba. Those grass stains come from our annual Thanksgiving football game down at the local high school.” And, so on.
The white tee shirt tells a story. It explains how you’ve lived.
How about radishes? They are a steal.
Inexpensive, tasty, great fiber. Perfect to munch on before dinner, you can get a large package for under two dollars. They can help lower blood sugar and are a source of antioxidants that might help protect against cancer and lower inflammation. Radishes are also a rich source of magnesium, potassium and vitamin c. Give me five right now.
I’ll end this value list with hooded sweatshirts. Not only does the hooded sweatshirt provide multiple functions and serve you well through fall, winter and spring in Wisconsin, but you can have fun and funny logos on it, like “Cycleologist,” which puzzles people and initiates conversation.
On those in-between temperature days, who cares if you forgot gloves because you can slide your hands into the front pocket. Similarly, it doesn’t matter if you forgot your hat when it’s 40 degrees out because you have the hoodie whenever you need it. All those functions and years of use for $50.
These are all good deals. If only you could live with a bar of soap, radishes, white tee shirts and a sweatshirt. It would be a simple and sweet life.