Benefits of Snobbery

B. has made me a snob.

She's very proud of that fact; my conversion to pickiness was much needed.


When I was single (and even dating her)  I wasn't just pinching pennies - I was steamrolling them.  I was the kid who would walk a mile out of his way on the other side of campus to save 60 cents on a gallon of milk.  Ramen was a regular part of my diet.  I rarely drove when walking would suffice (trips to B. not included).  I rented movies from the library.  I kept track of deals at varying grocery stores, planned drives to Wal-mart like Costco pilgramages, clipped coupons, and became a connoisseur of generic brands.  I even bought 2% milk and then watered it down a couple of times to "skim" it. (a technique I picked up from a movie about the Depression)

I know I sound overzealous in hindsight.  I kind of got into it, it became a way to challenge myself.  It wasn't the money was all that tight.  I just really wanted to make an impression on B.  So after my two weeks of ramen and generic bagels and bagged cereals, I had enough cash set aside to pay for gas for my four hours there and four hours back AND take her out two, sometimes three times to really nice restaurants through the weekend.

It's not like I starved myself for two weeks only to binge one weekend either.  I ate quite well at home, too.  Ramen wasn't a foundational part of my diet; I had tacos, I grilled chicken, I had pasta salad.  There were vegetables, there were fruits, I was healthy!  I was actually probably in better shape then than I am now (B. has converted me to sharing a pan of brownies and I usually consume the majority of the pan)  because with all those night being in a committed long-distance relationship, runs often replaced date nights.  My longest run yet happened when I was training for a half marathon during our courtship.

I wasn't racked with hunger pains so don't anyone start guilt tripping my sweet B.  She was not a financial burden.  She didn't do this to me, I just really wanted to impress this girl.  And by impress I mean give her the impression that I could make it rain every weekend.


And I'm the first to admit I got carried away with it.

...But she's a close second.


When our relationship was at last no longer a long distance and we not only shared a zip code but a roof and a bed, my penny-pinching ways began to shift.

In short, I drove B. crazy.

I would go into convulsions whenever we bought a name brand anything or even just a generic brand that wasn't the cheapest (and lowest quality) available.  Shopping was a series of seizures.

It took a long time for me to adjust to not only my own increases in pay but also now living in a dual income house.  No more four hour drives to see my love; that gas money can be put elsewhere.  And while we're not exactly rolling in it, it's not a ramen-noodles-over-a-candle era either.  We're still broke college students, but if we spend an extra 60 cents on milk rather than an extra half hour walking to the other end of campus to get a cheaper gallon, it's not the end of the world.

We won't go to hell for going on fancy dates every once in a while.

It's okay to splurge every once in a while, especially if we've done really well in something (or poorly - See "Shopping and Dropping")

She'll forgive me for getting Ovaltine instead of the cheap knock-off brand that tastes like evaporated milk gone bad.

But it's not just about adjusting my mindset, it's about learning to appreciate some of the finer things.

                        Two words:  Filet mignon.

                        Rather than rush through a log of Wal-Mart bagels before they all go
                        completely stale, we can stop by Einstein Bros. on our way to work.
                        And yes, I can get shmear!

                        Two more words: Hibachi steak. (*drool*)

I've been to the mountain top, I can't go back to my brown pastures.  I've tasted the sweet nectar of being picky, of surpassing generic brands and favoring quality instead.  Now I can't go back.  I'm a snob now.  It's irrevocable.


What are you snobby about?

What do you spoil yourself with?


S