Scroogenomics
I found this audiobook on spotify: "Scroogenomics: Why You Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holidays". The author argues that gift giving is a pretty glaring waste of money and resources, and I have to admit he makes some good points.
It's like this... pretend your loved one spends $100 on a sweater for you for christmas. Maybe you love it, maybe ( Read more... )
I hadn't articulated it to myself, but making things only for others who make things...yeppers. I may have to adopt that.
Or at least make for people who appreciate what they're getting, and I have already adopted that!.
Those chocolate truffles, and some bitter orange marmalade "tassies" at Christmastime kept a lawyer I really only knew socially but who occasionally did me favors (like looking over a contract I'd written, just to make sure I wouldn't get myself into legal trouble with it) on a kind of retainer, if you will. He had one of those small fridges in his office and from time to time, if he really, really liked a client (and wanted to show off a bit) he'd offer that person one, just ONE, truffle or tassie from his hoard.
He'd ration those things out so carefully they had to be getting stale and kind of obnoxious before they were eaten up but he loved the game of gourmet living. He allowed himself no more than one per day.
Now, as he, and his firm in general, could command retainers in the tens of thousands, this wasn't a bad investment for me. I'd offer to refresh his "stash" from time to time throughout the year; I offered to schedule production and deliveries, although those had to be done in cold weather months for chocolate.
He always declined; said it would make the holiday treats less special.
The man loved homemade bread, too, especially homemade French-style baguettes, and I didn't object to making those, either. (See above: good investment of my time and abilities.)
As you say, only certain people.
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