We took up the challenge of the leopard-print clad financial sex-cougaress herself, Ms. Suze Orman, and attempted not to eat out for an entire month. Luckily for us February is like the shortest month EVER!
"Ms. Orman are you trying to seduce me? ...No? ...Well, should I purchase this new Lexus now that I've got a mortgage and making $35,000/year with nothing in savings???"
So essentially the wife and I haven't spent a dime at any food serving establishment. You always hear people say "If you want to save money don't eat out so much and pack your lunch!" Take it from me, this is true.
Question.
What would you do with an extra $200 each month? I know it's a toughie, right? By eliminating two $30 meals each week ($60 total/week) and instead adding roughly $10-$15 extra to your grocery bill each week to cover adding one more big meal and leftovers...you, yourself could easily add an extra $200 to your income.
These figures were based off the Mackalicious household who is generally pretty good about eating a homecooked dinner most nights of the week, yet occasionally goes out for La Parilla or sushi if it's been a particularly craptacular day at work and we don't wanna cook.
Was it tough for an entire month? You bet. We both went through weak moments the first half of the month but once we got in the swing of things it was actually quite refreshing to sit down with each other over a fail-proof dinner. Unless you are my sister, you probably cook better than restaurants do anyway (...she found a way to smoke out her apartment by burning a loaf of store-bought bread in the oven...still wrapped in the bag of plastic).
Anyway, I was able to break my fast food-fast today at lunch by taking a trip to one of my favorite establishments...McDonalds.
If you have ever gone a long time without eating fast food, and out of nowhere you are compelled to down a Big Mac and large order of fries, then you feel my pain.
The term "massive dirrhetic blowout" really fails to embody the demon I've been exercising since 3pm...but that's all beside the point.
During this down economic cycle I highly recommend this exercise. Fortunately for me we were able to attempt this not out of necessity, but simply for the helluvit. But I am now able to rest assured knowing if for some reason I ever needed to tighten the belt on the family budget, the wife and I are more than capable.
My only suggestion would be to break your cycle with a trip to Doc Greens or somewhere...light. Otherwise you'll feel like you've got a huge purple Grimace shaped turd blocking your digestive tract.
"EAT SOME BRAN FLAKES, BITCH!"
