In Poor Man’s Soup and the Path to Financial Freedom, I went on (at length, I might add) about how little I spend on groceries, leaving myself plenty of cash for other financial pursuits. I don’t buy a lot of snacks because I’m not a big snacker. Generally, I much prefer real food. However, I had a bit of a sweet tooth this week. That begs the question:

How does one go about keeping within a strict grocery budget while satisfying that need for sugary goodness?

I’m glad you asked, dear reader. And, I’ll be happy to share my secret.

Step #1: Purchase said snacks via your “Gifts/Giving” budget category funds for your four-year-old niece:

Step #2: Eat them and make plans to replace with an equally awesome gift before you next see her.

Since I paid for these snacks out of the “Gifts/Giving” category, it doesn’t technically count toward my “Groceries” category, right?…Right?…

Yes, I absolutely did this. And I enjoyed every bite of those KitKat bars (my niece’s favorite). Seriously, we all fall off the wagon from time to time. Perfection is a lofty goal, and it’s OK to continue shooting for it. It’s also OK to fall short every now and then.