All I Need is the Basics

Buckets of work just now. That's good, of course. I even interviewed the president of a retail chain that I frequent sometimes, which was interesting. But today was a crummy day for working. It would have been a much better day for reading on the deck or walking on a lush suburban trail, since temps were only warm, not hot.

Recently I acquired a box of Just The Basics™ brand frosted flakes for a scant 75¢. Product of Poland, for those keeping track. What are the basics in the frosted-flake realm? Corn, sugar, salt, barley malt and lecithin, according to the ingredient panel. Guess I'm a sucker for third-string dry sweetened cereals.

"Just the Basics," the box says, "offers you budget-friendly foods that satisfy your family's appetite. And with what you save, you can treat yourself to exactly what you want." Not sure about that last sentence. Exactly what I want is round-trip passage to Antarctica next January, and I don't think my savings on cereal are going to add up in time. (That's the first thing I thought of. But like the rest of us in the realm of desire, I could sit here all night and think of things I want.)

Besides, not long ago I got a 20.5-oz. box of Kellogg's Frosted Flakes on sale for $2.50. The Just the Basics box weighs 6 oz. So I paid 12.19¢ per ounce for Kellogg's but 12.5¢ per ounce for Just the Basics, not including sales tax for each. Not only that, the basics do not include a cartoon mascot whose fame transcends national boundaries.