Eating Money
I knew that my husband and I had gotten lazy with our budget over the last year but I had no idea how much. When I sat down in December and went through our statements, I was shocked to find out that it had cost us several thousand dollars.
And where did that money go? We ate it. Seriously. Sigh. We could have shaved off sixteen house payments in the future if we had paid that money toward our mortgage principal. Eating out was the main culprit in our over spending.
So we are making some changes and conducting mini experiments with our budget and lifestyle to make sure this money goes where we want it to go! And not in our bellies, or ON our bellies or hips! Ha!
Hopefully, our eating out habit is a thing of the past, a “so last year” fad!
Eating at home takes a lot of work and preparation but it’s well worth the effort. I like to think of it as paying myself to prepare meals! We’ll be richer, healthier and happier just by simply eating at home.
This new habit will only add to my endeavor to be healthier. Recently learning about all the negative health effects of vegetable/canola oils, white flour, sugar, soy, preservatives and the many chemical additions food manufacturers put in our food, has opened my eyes to the fact that eating at home may be the only safe way to eat! I’m sure we’ll still eat out from time to time, but cutting down on all of the processed food can only help us feel better!
Over the last two weeks my husband and I have eaten out one time (using a gift card from Christmas). Some days it has been a challenge, but every time we eat at home we feel like we are getting ahead financially.
My husband says it makes him feel good to clear out some of the food in our fridge and cabinets before it goes bad. I’m enjoying the challenge of becoming a better cook as I try to fix some of our favorite “out” meals at home like this Japanese Teriyaki Chicken below.
For the last two week period, we were able to stay within our budget for food and household items and it feels wonderful to be in control again. Stay tuned, I hope to give updates on how we do this year, post recipes of our favorite meals and show you how I create our budget!
I’d love to hear your thoughts about this post! Make sure to leave a comment!