Frugality in the New Age.

I’ve observed that this fatigue problem, with all its myriad symptoms, gets a lot worse in cold, damp weather. Today, the lying snow was augmented by an atmosphere laden with near-freezing vapour, and the Ashbourne shop was a bit of a trial. I was a good boy, though. I resisted the urge to waste money in a coffee shop. That sort of thing is for people who are driven to be kind to themselves, and I’ve never really had a high enough opinion of my worth to do that. Not when I'm alone, anyway.

Besides, I can only think of two characteristics I inherited from my mother. One is small fingers, and the other is a frugal nature. I remember my wife saying to me one bad winter:

‘I refuse to bathe in that bloody bathroom while there are ice crystals lying in the bathtub, and yet more ice on top of the water in the loo.’

I pointed out that the ice would soon melt when subjected to warm water, but she was unmoved. She took strip washes in the kitchen until the weather warmed. At least, I assume she did. I never looked.

And it’s worth pointing out that frugal people are trendy now, or at least they should be, since they’re more environmentally-friendly. In fact, if having a low carbon footprint were to become an Olympic event, I reckon I’d be on the podium every time. I do.