I don’t know why but I’ve never been able to keep coriander alive (like I said in my very first post here, I’m not green thumbed). My other half and I have no problems with parsley, thyme, rosemary or basil. But for some reason coriander is nothing more than an wilted disaster. I prefer to have staple herbs planted in the garden, it’s much much cheaper than purchasing directly from a green grocer or supermarket and sometimes you never know when you will need them. Having a herb garden is definitely a handy thing to have, particularly financially.
However, recently we wanted some coriander as part of our dinner. Often, if we need and expensive item that’s part of a recipe that we cannot justify paying for we will just leave it out. Simple. However on this occasion we had a bit of a lucky break. A local supermarket just happened to have a large bunch of coriander on ‘quick sale’ (last minute reductions to get older items/produce out the door, for those who are unfamiliar with the term). A bunch of fresh coriander from a supermarket in the city in which I live generally costs between $2.50- $3.50 (AUD) a bunch/bag. Normally we wouldn’t justify this for something that is mainly used as a garnish, but on this occasion a bunch of coriander was reduced down to 30 cents.
What an absolute bargain. Many people may call me cheap, but I see this as a fantastic frugal buy. Frugal living and minimalism definitely have a correlation (no matter what people say) and I like to look at this situation as being careful with resources. Just because it’s a small purchase, does not mean I am not careful with what I buy. why spend money unnecessarily on things we really don’t need? I don’t want to spend $3 on fresh coriander and not be able to use most of it, then I’ve wasted valuable resources.
The general cost of things makes me consider what I really want and what I don’t. It’s also helps set a general standard of what I’m willing to pay for things. I don’t like to see things go to waste, particularly my hard earned dollars. Consequently, I view saving money in instances like this very similar to the concept of minimalism and not buying things I don’t really need or can do without, with very little inconvenience to myself. There are times when if I can’t have it at a low cost, then I don’t want it at all.
Do you have trouble justifying spending on certain items?
This is Minimalism 