There are things and situations where I like to have variety. Food, certainly, is one of them. Clothes is another: I couldn’t wear a similar outfit (say, light shirt and dark skirt) every day of the week. Books, vacations, likewise.

But then there are things where I prefer no variety at all. I buy the same toothpaste (same brand, same flavour) every time, and the same brand of underwear. Same body wash and face cream. I have tried alternatives occasionally but always realised after a short while that they just weren’t as good. The face creams feel either greasy or watery, while the body washes generally fail the smell test – they tend to have a chemical, synthetic smell (and one actually made my skin sting).

With these items it’s mostly a matter of creature comforts. The smell and feel of things is important. And I don’t really want excitement or novelty late at night when I am tired. I do not want to be surprised by an unfamiliar taste of toothpaste at 7 in the morning. I want homey, comfortable familiarity.

With others it’s simply a question of knowing what you get. This is mostly the case for everyday tools, things I use often enough to notice (and care about) the difference between good and bad quality. I always buy the same brand of ballpoint pen, and the same dishwashing sponges, and the same nappies for Ingrid. The difference between a good pen and a bad pen, or between a good sponge and a bad one, is very noticeable if you use one every day. (At least to me it is.) After I’ve finally found a good one, further experimentation is much more likely to yield bad results than good ones. The upside is very limited. So I stick to what I know is good.

I kept buying deodorant in Sweden all these years, and sometimes asked my mum to bring me some when she travelled back and forth, because my favourite brand wasn’t available in England. Most annoyingly it has now disappeared from the shelves in Sweden as well, and I will have to spend months finding a good replacement.