And, why? Is it organic food, for health? Quinoa? Is it some real luxurious items, such as caviar? Or foie gras? Or even just exotic fruits? Is it nice desserts? Or an out-of-season food that you find yourself craving for? What motivates you to break your "food budget"?
One of my motivations for breaking my supposed "food budget" is the simple fact that I want to have a taste of the good life and reap the seeds I've sown. I always spare money for "luxuries" though I see to it that I still have enough to not leave me impoverished until the next pay day. I love luxury food like cordon bleu, authentic pasta, authentic Thai food, hot pots, teppenyaki, samgyupsal and other foreign cuisines I normally wouldn't be able to afford.
In my 20's and early 30's I was certainly more carefree about treating myself to expensive meals fairly regularly. But as I've gotten older, the appeal of them has started to wane for me. I dislike paying $30 for a bottle of wine at some restaurant when I could pick it up for like $8 at the grocery store. I will still pay for a good aged steak though, which is usually around $35 just for the steak itself. I don't have the temperature controlled environment nor the expertise to do that at home, and honestly, I would probably waste almost $35 worth of meat trying to do it on my own anyhow. Basically any dish that would cost me just as much if not more to make it at home, and/or requires special equipment that I don't have, I will splurge on from time to time.
The only truly organic food there is, is the kind we grow ourselves and I can't do that, so no I don't always splurge on "organic" with all it's misleading claims. Unless it's local, then I will chose that over whatever else might be there. The closest I come is the farmer's once winter passes and I don't need to splurge on them, it's cheaper than eating any other way. And yes, I would consider that a splurge if it were more expensive.. real food is luxurious to me lol.
Not exactly a luxury, but I always pay a premium for wines. While I don't splurge hundreds on the top tier bottles, there is a distinct difference in quality between a mid-range bottle and a cheap bottle of wine you can buy off the supermarket shelf.
I have to stick to a careful budget for my groceries but I refuse to skimp on coffee. I am always ready to pay out for my preferred brand, despite it being one of the more expensive ones. Having a decent cup of coffee makes me feel less deprived, especially when I'm having to eat boring frugal meals for a few days.
Well, I'd argue it really depends on the bottle -- but then again, I live in Europe, and the variety of wines we can find in the supermarket is amazing, and most of them are pretty cheap for the quality! *cheers*
I guess I'm willing to pay more for Asian sauces like gochujang, but in gochujang's defense, it makes a 10 cent package of ramen taste better, so in a way it's a moneysaver because it makes cheap foods palatable.
I don't consider health foods as a luxury but as a mere necessity. I have been growing and eating organic food for over 20 years now, and regard it as a preventative medicine. There are certain foods that are hailed as "super foods" such as raw chocolate, noni juice, maca, etc. While they do have some potent curative and restorative qualities, I don't need to buy them, as I get all the nutrients that I require out of simple, clean, organic foods that grow in my environment.
I will occasionally splurge for a good bottle of wine. Very rarely I will splurge on sushi. My most common splurge is for good coffee. Other than that I am very frugal with my food purchases. And the few times we eat out I'll always end up ordering one of the cheapest things on the menu. It's actually a pretty bad habit, now that I'm older and can afford to eat a decent meal once in a while. I deprive myself of a lot of good things this way, and usually kick myself afterwards for not getting what I really wanted.
I like to treat my husband to a nice steak once in a while. He works hard, so I want him to feel rewarded. It doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it is when steak is on sale. I usually make up for it by serving cheaper meals the rest of the week too, so I plan around it. It's fairly simple to do without feeling "deprived," if I make sure to make a less expensive meal that is something we haven't had for a while. Planning pays off for me. He gets a treat and I still stay on budget.
I definitely don't mind paying more for organic and fair-trade stuff. As for specific items, I'm definitely known to splurge on coffee and cheese. They are two of my favorite things and I just don't see the point in buying cheap stuff that isn't as good. I do feel a little ridiculous when half of my grocery bill is spent on cheese, but... it's totally worth it!
So my grocery budget is HUGE and I never actually spend it all. It's actually equal to my eating out budget in order to entice me to buy luxury foods to cook rather than eat out. I would still save money compared to eating out and eating something less good anyway. The only problem is... I'm not great at putting time aside for cooking. But I do love walking around the posh supermarket, pining after something, and then realising I have the budget for it. Yippee!
I used to have a 'luxury food' trip with my best friend around once a week, and we would really go out and eat food without caring too much of the price. We would go to expensive restaurants, but in a way we would still budget. We would get our favorite food and desserts, and we wouldn't feel so guilty about it. It's only once a week anyways.
I think good butter is worth buying. I would never use margarine for a lot of my recipes, I feel it has a weird taste. One thing I do splurge on are those little peppercorn grinders you see in the spice aisle. I know it will be more economical and save me money if I purchase a grinder and buy the peppercorns in bulk, which is on my list of things to get! Fresh ground black pepper makes a huge difference when you use it though, in my opinion! It is much, much more flavorful.
I buy a few luxury foods whenever I feel like splurging on higher end eating. A good filet mignon steak once a year is always enjoyable for me, but I prefer buying and then cooking it myself. Maybe twice a year I buy crawfish and have a big dinner revolving around it with my family. Another good eating luxury food I will pay for are sturgeon caviar eggs, which there are a few good vendors that sell authentic ones for a fairly low price.
I really don't have a food budget per se, but one of the things that I really don't flinch about when it comes to the price is coffee. I enjoy a good cup of coffee, and will buy whatever appeals to me. I also like a good quality olive oil as well. I don't eat a lot of steak, but I have been craving steak lately (I guess because I hardly ever eat it), so I think I'm going to start buying some nice steaks, and those will no doubt be expensive. Have to do some research on how to cook them properly.
We usually don't spend a lot on groceries, and eat pretty simple meals. I do love flavored coffee, and when I find some on sale, I usually get a bag of that for myself. Bobby is totally not impressed with my Chocolate Raspberry Cordial coffee; so I happily make smaller cups of it for just myself. Another expensive food that I love, and only buy when it is on sale, is fresh oysters. I totally love pan fried oysters served on a bed of shredded lettuce, and with fresh home-made tarter sauce. Yummers ! !
You had me at "hello" about the coffee, but you lost me when you got to the oysters, lol. Chocolate Raspberry Cordial coffee?? Let me tell you, the name excited me so, it has taken me three tries to type it correctly. This is my first time hearing about this, if I'm not mistaken. Is it from International Coffees? I'll have to google it. Sounds like it tastes delicious.
I guess I've never really thought about it. I would say I do not have a taste for a lot of what might be considered a luxury food. I suppose you could count good ice creams as a luxury. They are a luxury to me and I only splurge on them now and again. Truth be told, I love watermelons and at the prices they are asking in some places for one of them now (well, not now; but in the summer) I'm beginning to consider them a luxury as well--and to think, I used to consider them a necessity.
