On saving things for later

So, I might’ve spent $15 on jam.

Well, technically, they’re preserves, made from tiny little strawberries only grown in Britain. But no matter what they are, I walked into the supermarket, went down the condiment aisle, and actively made the decision to spend an entire internship working hour on some old fruit. And guess what? I haven’t even opened it.

I often find that I save special purchases for later: a new dress, an embroidered notebook, a set of paints. While I don’t buy things without the intent to use them, I always find myself getting caught up on finding the right time to break them in. The fear of wasting a perfect, shiny new thing remains ever present in the back of my mind. I have a stack of face masks that I’ve saved for “good skin days.”

This fear is always present with food, perhaps the most fleeting of all enjoyments. Once you eat it, it’s gone. No second chances. We try to prolong it with leftover boxes and freezer bags, but nothing lasts forever, especially good food.

While this thought process may seem unusual, my fellow savers will know what I mean. Every time a finite resource is used, it shuts down one possibility. My desk drawer full of unused stickers is a testament to this fact. This has all become especially exacerbated during the pandemic: in the absence of many “real life” experiences, it’s all too easy to worry about wasting the few we get.

So, I’ve set up a mission for myself. Buy the food, eat the food! Between these anxieties and a college budget, I’ve failed to get my money’s worth outside of my usual grocery list. I decided to run an experiment at Trader Joe’s. Straying from my usual haul of mini avocados and dark chocolate peanut butter cups, I chose a small wedge of seasonal cheese to sample. A double whammy: limited use and limited edition. And when I tried it with dinner a couple days later, I savored every bite. The fear of wastefulness had not been overcome, but it was certainly knocked down a peg.

My friends have been talking about taking a trip post-COVID up to Vermont, the maple syrup capital of the world. There’s nothing like good maple: it’s sweet, silky, and essential for homemade pancakes. Up in New England, they sell it by the jug. As someone who loves food, it surprises people how much I shy away from culinary souvenirs. My challenge? Buy one and fully enjoy it. Drizzle it on everything. Recognize the opportunity of a “use it or lose it” scenario.

And hopefully, one day, I’ll taste my jam.

The College Gourmet is an Opinion culture column written and created by Julia Dwight ‘22 to discuss cooking tips for students, explore local restaurants available to students, and more.