I thought this article called Convience & Culture was pretty interesting..

[brenda67]

I recently read an article called "Money lies that Cost You Big." This author failed to mention one of the big ones. That is the one that says, "Convenience and quality come at a price." What we consider a necessary convenience is all too often a matter of "popular culture." It may have begun as a promotional or novelty.

Take the coffee shop craze. A few days ago, a spokesman for Starbucks was quoted by our local newspaper as saying that the company wants to build more shops close together so that people could get through the morning lines quicker than three minutes and would not have to cross the street to get coffee. Isn't that interesting? I can prepare a pot for brewing in less than five minutes a few feet away in the kitchen. To make good coffee, you just need filtered water and the right grind and amount of quality beans. The remainder goes immediately into a jar and into the refrigerator. The next time someone wants coffee, we heat it up in the microwave for two to three minutes. As long as it doesn't get scalding hot, it will not have an after-taste. You can even buy disposable commuter cups with lids at the club warehouse store. As a bonus, I can heat milk up in the microwave to go with my coffee, something I can't get with the daily brew at the coffee shop. If you prefer specialty coffees, a machine will pay for itself in a few months, and the grounds may be put in the compost, under acid loving plants, or down the disposal to deodorize.

No time to pack a lunch? How much time does it take you to get your lunch during the lunch hour? You can eat a packed lunch just about anywhere and have time to do something else.

Too tired and hassled to cook dinner? Is it really easier to go out and get it or wait for it to come to your door when you can just reach into your pantry or refrigerator? I buy convenience foods, when grocery shopping, that are on sale. I love those frozen bagged boneless chicken breasts. When I know it is going to be one of those days, I put a few of them in the slow cooker (no need to thaw). On top of the chicken, I add clean, unpeeled, halved potatoes and then cover it all with some bottled salad dressing. This process takes about five minutes, which is quicker than I can grab my car keys. For some fast food, I put frozen French fries on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at the desired temperature. There is no need to preheat the oven. They are ready in less than fifteen minutes. Meanwhile, I put some sandwiches on the George Foreman grill. I especially like melted cheese with deli meat. (I'll cut up some fruit for extra nutrition). And speaking of convenience, how much time does it take to pour a beverage? Yet, how much more do we pay for it in the establishment?

A little creativity will go a long way to cut down your kitchen time. Have everyone clear the table. Put leftovers in clear containers where you can easily spot them next time around. Air dry dishes that won't go into the dishwasher. Take the trash can to the table if there are lots of things to be thrown away. Put dish soap and water into food crusted pots and heat on the stove. Let them boil for a few minutes. Then turn off the burner and let the pot sit for a few minutes. Pour off the water and clean as usual. If it is an aluminum pan, you can use crumpled aluminum foil to scrap off the rest. I use wax paper for grating cheese and dry items. I use newspaper for peeling fruits and veggies. Many nights, we serve ourselves buffet style, and cut down on serving dishes. Last of all, cook in quantity when time will allow, cutting down on prep and clean up time.

It's just a suggestion, but if you have a cordless phone, make necessary calls when you have a one handed brainless job like cleaning out the dishwasher.

Are cell phones convenient? Maybe. I remember when I got my first answering machine. I could leave the house and not worry about missing a phone call. Now we can just take the ball and chain with us. Never mind that we have voice mail. We just have to scramble for our phone when it rings. Never mind that I might make a mistake, because I am trying to do something else that is important, something that could cost me in precious time or money. Never mind that the call may not be that important. Is it even possible that the person on the other end of the line might have solved their own problem if I wasn't available? Don't get me wrong. I love cell phones for important calls and emergencies, but will a prepaid plan suffice? We pay $10 a month. We use it on out-of-town trips or when a dependable connection is not possible. We give the number only to people who may need to get a hold of us in an emergency. Isn't it convenient not to have so many phone numbers for everyone?

Convenience is often not buying into "popular culture" but doing what is right for you.

[Telephus44]

You make a lot of good points - but people on the whole tend to perceive "convenience" as a value-added service, and are willing to pay more for it. A lot of times people don't even have an idea of the amount of time that they are "saving" - I know that it take less than 5 minutes to make a cup on coffee, or I can get pasta or hot dogs on the table in less than 20 minutes, but a lot of people have a mis-perception about the time it actually takes to do these things, and think that it is a lot faster to pay more for "convenience."

Mind you, sometimes I do pay for conveniences, but I also make the choice consciously. For example, I'll get Starbucks on the way to work about once a week - some morning I just don't want to carry a 10 month old, a purse, a diaper bag, and a cup of coffee out the door, turn around and lock the door, and go down three flights of stairs to my car. It's much easier for me without carrying the coffee cup. Most morning I do, but some mornings - well, I go to Starbucks.

[ewokgirl]

I think you make some very good points. I think people often tend to forget that we really are capable of doing a lot of things for ourselves with not much extra output of time.

Honestly, I think what a lot of the use of convenience items comes down to is that people are just tired. Making a pot of coffee may be easy enough, but there's cleanup afterwards that they don't want to do. Same with making meals at home. I know that I've been there at times. I'm a SAHW, so most of the time, those things aren't issues for me. I get plenty of sleep at night, and I have the time and energy during the day to cook or clean or whatever. But when I work, it's far easier to pick up dinner in disposable containers than it is to cook something and have to clean it all up afterwards.

So really, I think this really becomes an issue of being part of an overworked culture. People get so busy trying to make money to have the supposed material necessities that they're too tired to possibly be able to see a life without the convenience items that go along with that lifestyle. And then they have to work even harder to afford those conveniences.

[Luv2BeFrugal]

So really, I think this really becomes an issue of being part of an overworked culture. People get so busy trying to make money to have the supposed material necessities that they're too tired to possibly be able to see a life without the convenience items that go along with that lifestyle. And then they have to work even harder to afford those conveniences.

Very well said. I know that when I'm working over 40 hours/wk I am often too tired to do a whole lot of housework/cooking/laundry. We've started resulting to the occasional frozen dinner (cheaper than eating out). If I'm at my regular 40/wk I can usually keep up with the house and cooking fine...we don't have any kiddos though so I usually get at least 6.5 hours of sleep/night. I always hope for at least 8 though! hehe

[itsahumanzoo]

Sometimes it's not that I'm too tired or busy to cook, I just like to go out to eat. After serving everyone in the house everyday, or dealing with rude customers at work all week, it's just nice to sit down and let someone else serve me and take care of me.

But mostly I agree with that article, I hate to pay someone else extra to do something I can do myself. I don't go to Starbucks because I don't like coffee. I tend to make freeze-ahead meals for the crock pot so that I can pop it in there when I know I have a busy day.

[littlemotherhaywood]

I've been thinking about this more and more. Most of the time (for me anyway) the convenience becomes a headache anyway. Customer service has gone out the window. The wait is always longer than it should be. The fries are always cold. I often find myself thinking that I could do it better myself and I should. I often find that a peanut butter sandwich might have been a better experience, lol. I like convenience and I like saving time. With two kids, it's not convenient for me to take them anywhere to get something I can make at home. With another one on the way, I imagine that will only get worse (or better depending on your perspective). I'm just tired of disappointing experiences and then feeling guilty about what was obviously a waste of my money. Plus, the cost of convience seems to be going up. I really don't have many issues buying a frozen meal here or there when I know it costs a lot less than eating out. It's been a chaotic summer full of "conveniences" here and I'm aiming to rectify that.

[Dancing Lotus]

I wondered why starkbucks was putting up shops across the street from eachother. Heck I have even seen them in the same parking lot.