Being Thrifty Doesn't Mean You're Cheap

I'm thrifty and proud of it. I've always loved a good deal. That's not to say that I'm cheap. I'm not. I like good quality. I just don't like break-neck prices. So I pounce on good deals. I guess that makes me a thrift opportunist.

One of my biggest bi-weekly costs is groceries. Groceries, especially healthier items, have increasingly become more and more expensive. And yet it's still more economical, not to mention healthier, to cook and eat at home. So, naturally, I'm always on the lookout for grocery deals.

This past week the local Sprouts near me announced it was going out of business and slashed all of the already reduced items to 50% off. I was stoked! I told a few of my friends, but they weren't excited like me. I guess they don't like saving money.

Armed with my Mr. Thrifty Superhero grocery cart and bags, I promptly swooped in and grabbed items that are usually extremely expensive. Organic coffee normally costs me $13 per lb. I got 10 lbs for $5 per pound and tax each. Protein powders that usually sell for $37 were only $15. I bought a 2-year supply. Organic black beans were $1 per pound, now I have enough until labor day of 2025. Whole food multivitamins were the cheapest I've ever seen in my lifetime. My bones did high kicks.

I ended up getting over $1,000 worth of staple, shelf-stable groceries and supplements for around $400, and many of these things will last me into mid-next year. Yes, I have dry goods stacked up in my tiny kitchen like a lunatic, but today's cost break will make buying necessary weekly items like fruits and vegetables more affordable for a full year and a half. And with an almost certain major recession looming ahead, I can personally say that I feel a huge sense of relief.

Do you like being a thrift opportunist too? If so, then pat yourself on the back. You're not cheap, you're smart.