Pennies for Health
At my local grocery store, I can buy eight ounces of sharp cheddar cheese for $3.49. However, I instead opt to pay $3.99 for only seven ounces. I like to save pennies as much as the next person, but to me, spending that little bit extra is worth it. Cheese, especially really sharp cheese, is an addiction of mine. I will weigh and measure many other foods, but when I have my knife and a block of cheese, I come up with all sorts of creative ways to get out of measuring. I rationalize that it looks like the right amount, and tell myself I don’t really need to measure. In fact, I’m lying to myself, and looking for ways to cheat myself into overindulgence.
Instead, I buy “Cracker cuts.” These are individual slices of cheese, which is great because they keep me honest. A slice is a slice is a slice. I can’t slice thicker, thinner, or rationalize a chunk as a mere crumb. When I eat a certain number of slices, it’s a win/win. I feel good because I’ve made wise choices, my purchase lasts longer, and I think I actually enjoy it more.
Maybe cheese is not your Achilles heel. I have a friend who buys individual packets of jelly from a restaurant supply place so he doesn’t eat more than he needs. Of course, we can both just buck up and measure correctly. I do this for about 95 percent of what I eat, but buying proportioned problem foods can save my health and my sanity.
As a blind person, I find that some things simply take me longer, and measuring is no exception. In that case, I might opt to buy some single servings as well. In my particular case, I don’t consider that extra fifty plus cents as frivolous, but as an investment in my health.
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