The Dignified Quarter: A Frugal Anecdote

When I was in high school, before New York instituted a citywide museum pass for high school students, my art teachers used to send their classes to the Met to do special assignments. These assignments would usually require at least two visits to the museum: time spent finding a painting, or two paintings to compare, then sketching time, then research time in the archives. We used to try to get out of these assignments by complaining that it cost too much to go to the Met over and over again (obviously, this excuse went out the window when the city started doling out free passes). One teacher in particular was not impressed with our reasoning. The Met has a suggested donation, not an admissions fee. "Pay the dignified quarter," she would say, nonplussed.

What's the dignified quarter?

"You pay a quarter," Ms. S would explain, "and you look dignified."

(I still do this, though now it's more like a dignified $1-$5.)