Well, despite things like some pretty good savings recently, I’ve been once again reminded that my frugality is deeply imperfect.
Why? Convenience tax.
Getting myself together
It’s only been in the last 4 to 6 weeks that I’ve truly gotten things back on track and can keep up on life. (Inasmuch as that’s ever possible.)
I thought I’d gotten things all squared away in April. Then I found out Friday that… nope. But that’s a topic for a different post.
Anyway, when added to basic life tasks, the mild chaos drained my already limited energy and bandwidth. So I outsourced most of my grocery shopping.
The overspending
The good news: I use Fry’s Boost program, not Instacart. So there’s no price inflation and all weekly deals are available to me.
The bad news: I also succumbed to way more cravings for comfort eating. And this meant that in the last few months, I ordered:
- A lot of pricey junk food
- Almost twice as often (!!!)
And of course, each order meant a tip.
I finally gathered the courage to open all three months’ spending diaries and do the math. And… yeah.
From mid-March to early June, I spent an average $44 a month just in tips. That’s 14.7% of my overall grocery spending in that time period.
Guilty –but also not
Obviously, the remaining frugal parts of my brain feel guilty/embarrassed that so much money was spent on my convenience (and cravings).
All those tips ($132.87 total) could’ve been used for so many other, better things: retirement, donations, the next home repair, etc.
But also, maybe not?
The fact is that I already donate to several organizations, funnel a lot of money into my retirement accounts and (despite the rampaging repair bills these last two years) I still have savings.
Meanwhile, the deliveries kept me going — overeating, but still going — by taking away one last task/errand that would soak up my already very-limited bandwidth/energy.
That’s pretty invaluable.
In the end, I land somewhere in the middle of the attitudes: I’m grateful about how much headspace it gave me helped me to it afforded me — buuuut maybe my sanity/energy/waistline could’ve used a few less cravings-based orders.
The point of convenience tax
In the end, it’s all about what holds value for you. That informs whether (and when) you think convenience is worth paying a little more.
Some people have specific areas of life where a little more money is well worth making life easier. Especially those with limited energy/mobility — or people who have kids already half-melting down in just the first store.
If that’s you — and you can afford to prioritize some convenience — then I’ll cheer you on all the way.
But I also love people who are willing to put in the work to get the absolute best deal each time. Sometimes it’s about limited funds, but there are a lot of financially comfortable people taking pride/getting satisfaction out of knowing they got the absolute best deal.
Both are valid. Because as always, personal finance is personal.
And personally, I think that I shouldn’t be ashamed of some convenience tax in my life. But I do need to skooch down the spectrum, moving toward “intermittent/judicious use” and away from my current spot of “I mean, it’s your money but…”
Who else grapples with the convenience tax? Or do any of you use it proudly?