I am worthy of having nice things and living lavishly.

The good towels live in the airing cupboard, waiting for guests who come twice a year. The everyday towels are thin and slightly grey and used by the person who bought both sets.

There's a whole category of self-denial that isn't thrift at all. Nothing is saved by it — the good towels simply age unused. It's a rule about who deserves the better version, absorbed early and never once re-examined.

Use the good ones on an ordinary Wednesday. They were bought with your money, for your house.