In an attempt to save money, I have come to the border between frugal and cheap, as I am sure many people do. Maybe I am quibbling over semantics here, but I have always thought there to be a very distinct line between frugal and cheap. My basic view is that frugal is a positive and long sighted version of cheap – value over price. For example, a cheap bottle of wine and a 40 of St. Ides will get me equally as buzzed and leave me equally as hung over. While the bottom-shelf wine may cost an extra $3, at least it has a shot at tasting decent. Therefore, the wine has clearly assumed the position of the frugal choice with its value added ticket to flavor country. Seems like an easy decision to me.
The real frugal choice would be going with a tall glass of tap water, staying home, and reading a book (via library, borrowed or stolen* to up the frugality), but that would throw off the example. I will also add an exception regarding most men’s early college careers. This is right around the time when the badassness that comes along with polishing off the luke-warm ass of a Steel Reserve 40 has the ability to offset the mild enjoyment that comes along with drinking 750mL of Sutter Home merlot straight from the bottle.
*Please don’t steal stuff.
December 4, 2009
Not long ago, I headed to the wine and spirits store from some vodka. I have never been much of a vodka guy, but it is an essential part of the liquor cabinet and we were running low. I was most likely headed for a bottle of something cheap and boring, like Smirnoff. If I had more money to burn, I would be headed for something expensive and exciting like Crystal Head Vodka, which Dan Aykroyd (!) is somehow involved in. Upon stepping through the door, I was greeted with quite a surprise. A friendly young chap was handing out free samples of vodka. This would totally not fly in my native Michigan, but Pennsylvania, who makes you go to separate stores for beer and liquor, somehow let occasional free booze slip through the cracks. So I stopped by for a sip and to my surprise, this vodka was sippable.
Sold! I grabbed a bottle and made a U-turn back for the checkout counter.
And what is this magic vodka you ask? It is called Ed Phillips and Sons Prairie Organic Vodka. It’s made out of corn. And its organic. You know my thoughts about how ubiquitous corn is these days, but as it turns out, lots of vodka is made out of corn. At least they are up front about it. The organic thing is kind of strange. Vodka mixes with most things, but health consciousness was never something that I thought to throw in the shaker. Anyways, the taste test was all it took. So, next time you are looking for a new vodka to scope out, reach for a bottle of Prairie.
October 20, 2009
