Cookout o'er here yesterday; when you average it out, the economics of entertaining certainly beat the economics of a night at the bar. Guests: Graham, Jenna, Jess, Barry, and Shelley.

I'm trying to remain thrifty, but my new paycheck size and my membership to Sam's Club have been making that difficult lately. Here are five things I've decided it's worth spending a little extra money on:

1. Beer (better stuff, but just for myself — I'm not Santa Claus)

2. Cheese (Vermont Sharp Cheddar: yes!)

3. Spices (each bottle opens up new recipe options)

4. Eggs (at $2/dozen, suddenly I care about the chickens)

5. Meat (at least until we get more fish)