Paden: Here’s to the good stuff.
Stella: May it last a long time.

—Silverado

Like I said the other day, there are shades of gray when it comes to bourbon in our house.  In that and a lot of other things, Irish Woman and I prefer to buy the best that we can afford.  I’m not saying that we always buy the best that is on the market, because that rarely happens.  What I’m saying is that if I can afford the Remington 1911, I buy the Remington 1911.  But if all I can afford is the surplus Makarov, then that’s what I buy.  The same goes for food, electronics, entertainment, and transportation.   I’m not going to let us live beyond our means, but I am going to get the best value for what we can afford.  We put money back into savings and investments, but we also make sure that we are getting some enjoyment and piece of mind out of our money, too.