Do you feel like living on a tight/strict Budget is sucking all of the fun out of your life?  Yep, that’s something I can definitely relate to.  It can get depressing!!  I’ve really had to get creative in finding ways to live it up on a budget.  I’d like to share some of those with you throughout the year.  Today I want to talk about my grocery shopping splurges.

I’ve got to be honest, I’m a sucker for a good deal.  Fortunately, there is a big wareshouse-style Store in my area that offers me a plethora of bargains.  There is a catch, however.  You never know what will be available.

This store is HUGE.  It’s actually separated into 2 separate buildings.  Basically, they receive newly-expired and damaged goods from big chain stores for free.  They turn around and sell them at a deep discount to consumers, like you and me.  They also have a ton of fresh produce, and I’m not sure how they get that, because it’s not damaged or old…hey, who cares?  I’m grateful it’s there.

One of the things about this place that makes it feel like a splurge is the sense of adventure that you must have when shopping there.  This is like a game to me, and I love playing  it.  You enter that store, you’re going on a treasure hunt, and you never know what you will find!  I’ve been able to find a lot of fun deals, not just on food, but on clothing.  In fact, just yesterday I brought home a $600 dining room table for $6!!  The catch?  There are no legs attached.  We’ll have to craft our own.  See what I mean by you need a sense of adventure?  Ha, ha, ha!

I like to take advantage of deals they offer that I can later sell to help recoup some of my splurging, which makes it even more fun!  One example – I managed to get a box full of e.l.f. Eye Blending Brushes that were being sold only in a huge lot of 180.  I splurged and bought the whole lot, and now my daughter and I have some fun new makeup brushes, and I’m selling the rest of them on ebay!

Now, when I’m shopping like this, it can be super easy to lose track and get carried away with the deals (which I may or may have not done this last week).  If this is something you do, then watch out!  It can be easy to go overboard buying the processed foods on sale.  You can really easily get too excited and overspend.  I really watch my finances closely as I do this.  Personal Capital has a great resource tool that helps you  keep track of where your money goes and can even alert you of hidden fees when you’re shopping in stores or online!  It’s a super helpful tool.

I love to live it up and have fun in other silly little ways while also staying on a budget.  It’s so critical for the mental component of being on a tight budget!  I’ll be sharing other ideas in future posts, so stay tuned.  In the meantime, please share:  How do YOU live it up on a budget?

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