The art of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich

There’s nothing that brings me back to my childhood more than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  Another food that returns me to my childhood days is a juicy cheeseburger. I turned my  back on the PB&J for years when I discovered more “sophisticated” foods. In fact, I hadn’t had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich until I became a vegetarian about five years ago. I was in search of protein sources, as is every vegetarian. 

This post isn’t about the nutritious value of the PB&J though. It’s about the financial power it packs. A few weeks ago I bought a painting that cost more than my two week take home pay. In fact, I’m building an art collection on a money management technique I learned from my paternal grandmother. Nanny was one of the most frugal people I’ve ever met. She was also a talented artist who studied painting at the Art Institute of Chicago. Nanny instilled in me a love of art and I think about her everyday when I gaze at one of the many paintings on the walls of our apartment.

I’ve been building my art collection with the lesson of frugality that Nanny lovingly demonstrated for all her children and grandchildren. She lived through the depression and had a lifelong fear of being homeless. In reality, Nanny was sitting on a piece of property valued well over a million dollars. She scrimped and saved her entire life for her children. Today, we enjoy Nanny’s frugality every summer when we convene at our family’s summer home, Pentwater.

I can’t imagine I will come close to the success of my grandparents or parents. I only know that my passion for art, a gift from Nanny, makes me feel alive – and the art collection I’m building, is financed on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Thanks Nanny.