We all want a treat every once in a while. I happen to want them very often. The problem with treats is their cheapness and availability these days. Cake, pie, and sugar bonbons can all be purchased for a few bucks at a store.

When sugar is cheap, it's hard to resist. But do you really have to abstain from treats? No. I just want you to make them yourself. Here's why making your own treats is the only way to go:

1. Save your money

Cheap treats are only cheap the first time. It's easy to be fooled by the signage and hand over a few coins today and then a few more tomorrow. In the long run, when we get used to buying a vending machine snack every day, we spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on sweets. What began as a one-time treat has become a staple.

If you haven't heard yet, making your own food to eat during the day can make you a millionaire. Buying a daily "treat" can keep you from reaching long-term financial goals. Baking your own goodies, however, will keep things cheap. Ingredient for baking are cheaper now than ever in history, so that isn't an issue. By taking the time to make your snacks yourself, time constraints will limit your consumption of them. You can't bake as many treats for yourself as Little Debbie can.

2. Make it a family affair

Food is social for most cultures in the world. Humans can get more variety and better quality food if they team up. As a family, it's a good idea to eat together regularly. Siblings might get along if they aren't dealing with "hanger," and parents and children can have pleasant discussions sitting around the table. It's not just about eating food, either.

Families can use food preparation as a great opportunity to pass down knowledge and spend quality time together. I remember my mother pulling me aside from homework or doodling and saying, "I'm going to teach you how to knead bread right now. You're going to live on your own some day and I won't be there to bake you bread."

3. Quality time

If you want treats and your kids want treats, you've got a team. At least once a month, if not once a week, stop what you are doing and work out a recipe together. Use the time to show your kids that we can all do harder, more time-consuming things - and those things can be rewarding.

More and more assignments and work tasks have lost their concrete nature, but you can show to your children that there is a literally sweet smell of success when you pull a fresh loaf of banana bread from the oven. So go out, bake your cake, and eat it!