You can get a loaf of bread just about anywhere, and it will keep just about forever. Sounds good, something that you can really depend on. Plus you can get any kind you want: white, rye, whole wheat, multigrain. Only two problems with that are that it doesn’t taste like much and it must be treated with artificial additives and preservatives, those ingredients with the scary chemical names listed on the label. Artisan bread, made with just a few natural ingredients, is better for you and tastes so much better you probably won’t mind eating it all within a few days before it starts to get moldy. It’s a trade-off. You can keep it in the fridge and it won’t get moldy but it will get staler faster. Keep it at room temperature and it will maintain its freshness and soft texture. When an artisan bakery opened in my neighborhood eighteen years ago (it’s still there, going strong) we used to joke that they had to be secretly selling crack out of there – nothing else would explain all the customers and repeat business that mobbed the place. Try some and see if it’s worth it to you; it is a bit pricier than the mass-produced kind.
Affordability: 8 Luxury: 8