Is it Still Classed as a Treat if it's on a Budget?

'A budget is telling your money where to go instead of wondering where it went.

-Dave Ramsey

Believe it or not there was a time in my adult working life where I didn't need to worry about money. I would think nothing of paying over £100 for a party dress I would wear for only one night. I didn't think about how much my lunch meals added up to over the year, I didn't worry about the money that just appeared to vanish from my account. I would randomly buy gifts for others without thinking about when my next pay day was. I was an idiot! 

In my defense I was young and foolish. When you go from being at college with only £30 a week for bus fares and spends, to having more money than you had seen at one time in your life, popping up on your bank balance, you just don't care. All you can think about is what can I spend it on! 

I look back now and really regret it, I'd of had a nice little nest egg by now if I had budgeted my money better. But hey we all make mistakes! 

So now I am older and wiser (well a tiny bit wiser), I try to watch the pennies a little more, don't always succeed but I try my best. I'm sure you have already guessed I am no longer in the position where I can blow a fortune on a new dress. All my money goes on children, bills and food! A treat to me is a new pair of jeans from Primark haha. 

I have realized though that you still need treats in your life. I see so many articles about being frugal and I am all for it in certain areas of life, but some people go to the extreme and I just couldn't live like that to be honest. I get down if I feel I haven't treated myself and my family once in a while. But you can still have a treat on a budget. It's all about mindset! 

How you look at things is so important! Unfortunately I know many people who stick their noses up at using coupons or choosing the lunch menu at a restaurant, because it is cheaper. I am ashamed to admit this but I was one of them people about 7 years ago. Things soon change.

Now I have a few more years under my belt, I have learnt to look at things differently. Why does a treat or luxury have to cost a fortune? Why can't a bargain or a discount still be a treat! 

Going back to the lunch menu at a restaurant, why is the dinner menu more of a treat? Are you still sat in the exact same restaurant that the dinner menu people will be spending more money in later? Yes, it's the same restaurant, it's not going to magically change appearance within the next few hours.

Are the staff treating you exactly the same way as they will treat the dinner people? Yes because it's their job, they still need to provide good customer service and still hope for a tip. 

Are you still getting the same quality of food in the lunch menu? Yes. You are, you don't pull out the value supermarket food just because it's lunch time. Okay so the menu is different from the dinner menu, there are some things not available at lunch time but it doesn't mean the quality of food is lower. 

So you are in the exact same restaurant, being treated exactly the same by staff, eating exactly the same quality of food as you would in the evening. Only bonus is, it's cheaper! You are saving the pennies, and sometimes you can save quite a bit. 

Just because it costs less, doesn't mean it isn't a treat, just remember that. Look for the positives in the situation. I promise it's how you look at the situation to whether or not it is a treat! 

On a side note -

It was recently Valentines day and a few days later it was the dreaded school holidays! Valentines and the school holidays you try to throw a treat or two in there don't you? So I looked around for restaurants in the Manchester area and started to compare prices, any lunch offers etc. In the end we settled on a place called 'Red Hot World Buffet & Bar'. My sister and my Nan had been there before so it stood out to me, they both said they enjoyed it and it had a huge range of food. I thought perfect! The other half should be able to find something he likes to eat and my oh so fussy children should have no issues either. 

The difference in price from lunch time to evening was, on the Saturday £5 difference and on the weekday for the children's treat, a difference of £7! Now I know it my not sound like much but all that money does add up! 

We all enjoyed it, great food, nice staff and the same great restaurant as the evening diners would be sat in! ;) 

So remember it's all about your mindset to whether or not you can still have a treat on a budget!