Coffee Currency

I'm not big on guilt. Maybe it was cancer that did it - gave me permission to do more of the things that I've always wanted. Released me from waiting for that rainy day ... the paid-off credit card ... the savings account.

Whatever it was doesn't really matter. The fact is that now I do more living and less waiting.

I travel. And I do buy things I like. I'm obsessed with cookbooks and thrift stores. And you know how I justify my expenses? Coffee currency.

Cappucinos aren't cheap ... they run about $3-$4 ... and, as you know, I love my coffee. I love going out to places with great coffee and a warm, open atmosphere. I love the sounds of the grinder and the milk frother and the laid back music and the low tones of conversation all around me. I pick nice places, and then the cost of my coffee includes the time I spend there, too.

It's worth it - my brain loves a great cafe.

But, hey, I'm getting a little distracted now.

Coffee currency. When I walk into a thrift shop, and see a gorgeous vintage plate ... or coffee grinder ... or tea pot ... I see how many coffees it costs. Same at bookstores. I peruse the clearance table for goodies like Nigella's Feasts or The World of Street Food. And see how many coffees they cost.

Because the reality is, a coffee is gone in just a few minutes. I might spend an hour or two in a cafe. But I'll use a second-hand cookbook or plate or cast iron pot for years and years. For the cost of only a coffee or two.

Are you with me?

That's my coffee currency. The way I justify spending money. And my life philosophy.

Can you tell I'm in a cafe, right now?
Amanda xx