This week while I was grocery shopping, I caught myself having a little conversation in my head. Always on the look-out for a hot deal, I was able to score Pepperidge Farms Goldfish for $.17, Corn Flakes for FREE after mail in rebate, and pizza for only $1.29. This made me quite pleased.
Then I began to scour the produce section. The grapes and corn were on sale, but most everything else was higher than I ever like to pay.
That’s when the little voice in my head began:
“If you buy those apples, you might go over budget.”
(I’m not sure, but I think the reason I could actually hear the voice this time was because my kids weren’t with me so it didn’t have to shout to be heard!)
Suddenly, I realized that I was actually considering skipping out on fruits and vegetables in order to keep our budget on track.
It was a wake up call for me. In this case, my fear of spending a few extra dollars was not a healthy fear.
Here’s the issue. It’s so easy to compare grocery budgets to other savvy shoppers and feel the need to do better. But the whole comparison thing is such a waste of time. There are so many reasons why you may need to spend more money than someone else, including the variety of grocery stores in your area, the number of mouths you are feeding, dietary restrictions, and much more.
In my situation, I have had incredibly busy week, so spending time shopping around to find the best deals simply wasn’t in the cards.
And that’s ok.
Will I buy pizza and ice cream when they are on sale? Sure!
Will I buy fruits and vegetables when they aren’t on sale? Even if it means breaking the budget that week? You better believe it.
Take that, little voice.
Now excuse me while I go get a bowl of ice cream (with a big ol’ expensive banana on top!)
