When it comes to budgeting and saving, my wife and I save as much as possible each month. When we get paid, we typically pay ourselves first by making a transfer to savings and then pay our bills that are due out of that paycheck.

We don't "splurge" very often on anything other than eating out and pretty much stick to our financial plan. Often enough, we wind up spending our "extra" savings on traveling because that is one of our favorite activities to do together.

Another activity we really enjoy is going to local arts & craft shows. We enjoy seeing what the artists have to offer and almost always find something that we would "love to have." It's almost always too expensive, however, and we wind up just purchasing our favorite treat (usually fried!) from one of the vendors.

When I stop and think, it's easy for us to avoid purchasing anything at these shows because of sticker shock. All we have to do is take one look at the price and we're out of there before the seller can say "Hi."

Recently we attended a local show and something really special happened. As we looked around, we saw the usual stuff that you wouldn't take home even if someone bought it for you as well as some really cool artwork. After stopping by each tent to see what was available, we were about to leave when we passed a tent that had the most unique and colorful paintings I had seen in quite some time.

Beautiful rolling hills, vibrant sunflowers and colorful clouds appeared in most of the oil paintings which acutely reminded us of the sites we saw on our honeymoon. It was if the artist had pulled these captivating landscapes right out of our dreams.

So, we had to stop and talk to the owner who turned out to be a very nice guy by the name of Sergey Cherep. It turns out Sergey has been painting for over three decades and paints out of his studio in Atlanta. He and his family travel around to local art shows with his latest works.

It was clear once inside his tent that his work was truly special. Each painting exuded a powerful energy, almost like a glow, that gave you a sense of peace and happiness.

Soon enough, my wife and I were playing out our normal scenario, discussing how nice it would be to have one of these beautiful paintings. We tried the 10-second rule and even gave each other the needs vs. wants speech and still couldn't walk away without at least talking to Sergey about how much a painting would cost. It was pretty funny actually.

What was even funnier is that Sergey's prices were completely reasonable! Here we were beating each other up(like usual) about spending money on something that truly made us happy--but was strictly a want--and as it turned out wasn't a completely unreasonable purchase!

Needless to say we bought a painting from Sergey, but we also learned an incredible lesson that day: Sometimes you can make a purchase outside of your budget if it is something that makes you truly happy.

For us, a painting that reminds us of the most special time in our lives is a truly special purchase that makes us happy every time we pass by it in our family room. The bright colors still jump off the canvas at me every time I look at our painting and the warm glow returns as my thoughts return to our honeymoon in Greece and Italy.

What purchase makes you truly happy? I don't mean the kind of happiness that you get from eating Oreo cookies either--I mean a resounding, lasting happiness. Almost like that of buying your dream car or something. Two things come to mind with regards to making your special purchase.

First, I find that it can't be something that you can find at any store. My wife and I have literally passed through thousands of tents in order to find a painting that was special enough for us to want to own with every ounce of our hearts.

Second, it must be a purchase that you can afford. If your special purchase is going on your credit card, you simply won't enjoy the item to it's fullest extent. Some part of you will still be thinking about the true cost of your purchase when you consider interest charges.

I would love to hear what you spend your hard earned money on when you make that special, once-in-a-lifetime purchase. Did you have to look far and wide for it like my wife and I did?

If you get a chance and you're looking for some truly special artwork, check out Sergey's website or some of his work at these galleries. I can honestly say you shouldn't be disappointed in the least.

Smith Klein
Art Exchange
Fine Art Liaisons
PicassoMio

You can also become a fan of Sergey on Facebook, or check out one of his video chats on YouTube.

Until next time, keep budgeting!

Chris
BuildMyBudget