Can somebody me with this i dont understand it

read this excerpt from “life without go-go boots” and answer the question.

once i left home and went to college i was on my own, fashion-wise … . but i found i still had to reckon with life’s limited choices. after classes i worked variously as a house cleaner, typesetter, and artists’ model. i could spend my wages on trendy apparel … or on the lesser gratifications of food and textbooks. it was a tough call, but i opted for education. this was indiana and it was cold; when it was cold, it was rainy. i bought an army surplus overcoat, with zip-out lining, that reached my ankles, and i found in my parents’ attic a green pith helmet.

using context clues, what is the best meaning kingsolver intents to give to the phrase "lesser gratifications of food and textbooks"? in about 75 words, discuss what the context clues were in the above excerpt that support your answer. use specific words that were clues for you.