This is hard
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This is hard
| Tue, 01-25-2005 - 10:07am |
One of the changes that I wanted to take to improve my money situation is to stop eating out. In December alone, I spent almost $400.00 on fast food. My goal was to eat out just once this pay period....Well, I ate out almost everyday. And on top of that my checkbook is not balanced. I am scared to look at it because I know it is bad. I just do not no how to stop myself. I don't know what to do.
Pat

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Hi Pat.
All my best,
Danni
Hi Pat,
As a reformed queen of going out for a quick bite, I can relate to how hard it is!!!
I guess it must be hard for me too, because I'm not doing it.
What I have found is that if you want to be healthy and not as big as house, it is almost impossible to cut back by shaving the food allocation. Bad food is cheaper which is why many of the people who can afford the least are bigger, not thinner as one would expect. I find that I spend ALMOST as much preparing a good meal at home as I would if we went out to the mid-priced restaurants we typically frequent. We've tried to compromise on getting prepared foods from Whole Foods and then bringing it home, and that costs almost as much as a restaurant trip without a bar tab.
I've tried just shopping for groceries at the supermarket...you know...like normal people, and I find that either I'm spending just as much or food is going bad because I'm never in the mood to cook. Let's face it, we all lead very hectic lives. We work a lot. We already don't have enough free time. Many of us don't sleep enough because we're too busy. You probably are having trouble giving this up because of the opportunity cost of preparing your own meals.
So, I don't know if you drink at all or not, but my husband I do. We don't drink to the point of inebriation (umm, not usually) but we like our alcohol and we find that that is what drags the restaurant tab up. Think about this. Two adults have three glasses of wine each at $5 per glass, and bada bing, $30 of the bill is alcohol. If the whole bill comes to $70, it doesn't take much to figure out how much of a difference that would make in a month. So if the same thing is a component for you, try one drink (or even none if you have the discipline for it; I like a glass of wine with a meal) and then stick with water or iced tea and buy some of whatever you like to drink for at home.
Why do I have this odd feeling that I sound like an alcoholic to some people? Oh well, whatcha gonna do? ;-)
I think you have recieved alot of great advice. I wholeheartedly agree with gradually cutting back. Going cold turkey, no matter if you are talking cigerattes or financial, is not for everyone. Alot of things aren't going to change overnight. Be persistent, write down your goals and frequently check back, write down your good days and your bad. It will take some time, but eventually, you will see the change and it will be easier to reach your goal.
Ha, I think I am the opposite of everyone after watching Supersize Me. Like a week later, we went to McD's. lol The entire time I was thinking about the movie though. Luckily, we don't eat fast food very often and I don't care for McD's in the first place, haven't in awhile, it was dh's choice. :)
I actually do plan well. I bring my lunch and I usually enjoy my lunch that I bring when I eat but around 11:30 the thoughts of going out to eat just grab hold. I really do need to have more will power than I do because my situation will never change if I am continously going out to eat.
I actually heard that movie has made a lot of people stop eating fast food. I will definitely try it.
Pat
I agree wholeheartedly on drinking water at a meal out. I love a glass of wine with a meal, but can't stand what restaurants charge, so I opt out unless it is for a VERY special occassion.
I hope you don't get angry at me for pointing this out and I don't know how long your meals out last or how much you weigh, but for many people, 3 glasses of wine in one hour (or longer) means that you shouldn't be driving in most states. I just had to mention that since it is an issue that has personally affected me for the last 6 months and will for the rest of my life. So please be careful on that front- http://www.factsontap.org/yourbody/BALtable.htm
I used to think the same as you about going out to eat vs. preparing at home- really I did! Have you thought about not going cold turkey, but baby-stepping your way there? Spaghetti, sauce and meatballs is a great cheap meal. You can buy a frozen gyro kit lots cheaper than getting gyros in a restaurant. Mixes are available for tacos and chili and for chili it's just a matter of throwing canned goods and hamburger together (beans, tomato sauce and meat). I keep popcorn shrimp and pizza in the freezer for when I am lazy. I also discovered Market Day food (fundraiser through school) that has quick and yummy items, mostly frozen. I'm just getting into fresh food- veggies, salads and fruit and I'm finding the key there is preparing it shortly after I get home from the grocery store- washing the lettuce, grapes, etc. and putting it into individual serving containers or baggies. Yes, it costs more to use the baggies, but WAY cheaper than snacking on chips. I found in the past when I try to do too much at once, I set myself up to fail. DH & I have really had to adjust in the last year as we bought a house that cost much more for housing than either of us were used to. PRe-marriage, DH had significant disposable income and we ate out at least twice a week, if not more, so going from a large variety of "what I'm in the mood for" to planning meals and such is a big adjustment.
But what works for me, doesn't mean it'll work for you, or your situation may be different. I just wanted to let you know that I empathize with it being hard and what I've done to adjust to not eating out.
Gidget
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