Rising ice cream prices force Clark to break his rule

For as far back as I can remember, I have been thrifty. Some would say “cheap,” and I have no problem with that word. But all through the years, I have had a mantra: There is one thing in life on which I will not compromise and that’s ice cream.

I have an affinity for high butter fat, high quality ice cream. It is my weakness. For much of my adult life, I ate a pint of ice cream a day. Today, though, I have only about two pints a month. I’ve really modified my intake because I was struggling with weight as a result of my habit!

But now I’m going to have to backpedal on my mantra. I was in the supermarket recently going to buy premium ice cream and the pint was $5. I didn’t buy it. I have turned into a liar! I have reached that point that it’s more than I am willing to spend.

Ice cream is suffering from galloping inflation. This is a summer of very high prices because the cost of ingredients has skyrocketed. Let gas go as high as it wants. (I’m driving an electric car anyway!) But mess with my ice cream and you’re messing with me! On the positive side, the rising price has definitely reduced my calorie count.

And that’s my point: When the price of anything in the grocery store goes up, we product substitute. We do it without even thinking about it really. If you pick up your favorite brand in the aisle and it’s commanding big bucks this week, wait until it goes on sale or buy a cheaper competitor or the store brand. Think about that as a way to stretch a buck.