Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Luxuries: The (almost) impossible one for me to give up

I read an article the other day about how to cut your grocery budget in half. The article caught my interest and got me thinking about food luxuries. I never thought about cheese, honey, or good coffee being luxuries! These were always in stock at my parent’s house growing up so I never thought twice about these items when creating a grocery budget for my small family of three.

*Side Note*
Growing up I never learned how to create a budget; my parents were always there to give me what I needed. I had a small part time job but when I was going to school they paid for everything. I was extremely blessed to have such great parents! But I had no sense of a budget or how to go by one, so when I got married and started my own family with our own budget, it was a rude awakening for me.
*End Side Note*

This morning as I was eating my biscuit smothered in honey, I started thinking about that article (and the fact that I am running low on honey-shucks!). I was thinking about how hard it would be to give up honey. I was thinking about how sad that little bear’s face will be when I don’t get him out of the cupboard as much. I was thinking about how much I love honey. I was thinking, “is this a product I can stuff into my grocery budget?”

Having a budget has made me more conscience about how I spend money. For instance, when we go out to eat and spend $20+, was that Chinese take-out really worth it (okay let’s get real- Chinese take-out is always worth it!)? In all seriousness, there has been a time or two (or twenty) that I could’ve used that $20+ plus to get a week’s worth of breakfast or lunch food.

 Not only do I love honey, but I am rather fond of cheese and not just block cheese, all kinds of cheeses! [According to the article] Cheeses are also luxury items when it comes to groceries, so we cut back from buying five different cheeses to two (Colby and mozzarella) and the savings are substantial! I can use those cheeses for the things I cook the most. I encourage you to take an inventory of your groceries and see if there are any ways you can save! (I wasn’t able to find the article so I could post it for you- sorry!)

So, after much consideration and staring at that cute honey bear face, I have made the decision that honey is a luxury that will no longer be a luxury but a staple in our pantry.