IN THIS IMAGE: Side view of a man shopping in a supermarket while on a budget. We’d pile into a car for Memorial Day or the Fourth of July, drive eight hours from Langston, Okla., and spend the week reconnecting with my grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.
For the longest, I thought my grandparents were ornery old people, who just didn’t understand. Now I know exactly what they were doing. Over the past 20 months, I’ve cut back on my consumption and cut out mindless spending. I’ve embraced short but often difficult words, like, “no,” with others and when battling myself.
But I strive to be purposeful, not simply cheap. Matters of health and safety are worth paying more for. Certain things, like toiletries, go under that umbrella as well. And quality experiences will remain a priority. I also believe in buying quality products, rather than wasting money repeatedly purchasing a shoddy, lower-cost item.