Take a Break from Bargain Hunting

I'm a bargain shopper at heart. I have a Sam's Club membership. I've never owned a new car. I listen to Clark Howard on the radio, and I read frugal living ezines. Saving money is one of my favorite hobbies, but every once in a while I burn out. I just get plain sick of it. Don't you?

I was reading an article today about saving money on groceries. The author likened grocery shopping to combat. She said that bargain hunters need to arm themselves against the money sucking tactics of the store managers. I don't know about you, but I don't want my next excursion to purchase pasta to be like going into a war zone. I don't wish to "arm" myself against anyone or anything. I just want to stroll through my local Publix, where (as their commercials say) shopping is a pleasure, pluck delicious-looking items from the shelves, and drop said items into my cart. Then I want to go home and assemble the aforementioned into the most captivating meals you never ate.

Another suggestion this author made was that we stay out of the store bakery. That's my favorite part of the store! I have a serious sugar addiction. What does this woman expect me to do? My own baking? She went on and on about how unhealthy ready-made pastries are, and how homemade is so much better for you. You know what, lady, cookies are not a health food. I don't care who makes them. She's obviously never heard of comfort food.

One of her other tips was never to shop when you're hungry. I love it when my husband swings by Sam's after work. You see, he hasn't eaten for hours by then, and he's pretty hungry. In my opinion, this is when he buys the best stuff. He'll walk in the door with a box of those cupcakes they sell with the butter cream icing, a box of bite-sized brownies, and a flat of giant muffins. He will also have found us some new frozen entrée to taste test. We've discovered some of our favorite foods by this method.

I think it's fun to shop this way. The only problem with it is (you've already guessed it, I know) the cost. It's very expensive to live this way. That's why I don't do it all the time, but, once in a while, it's refreshing to throw frugality to the wind and splurge as nature intended.