I huge advocate for eating at home. And if for no other reasons than your bottom line and your waistline. Eating at home saves money and worry. Never once do I have to worry if I unknowingly pissed off the waiter asking him to take back my food. And dinner can easily be served as lunch for the following day.
Trust me, I’m a leftovers lover. Mmmm, mmmm mmmm!
But cooking all the time can get boring, especially if you only know how to make a handful of dishes. There’s only so many times you can make spaghetti or make a chicken salad before you’re over it for the month. I get it. I allow myself one meal a week where I can get to eat out. Whether it’s out with friends for a night or something I order in on a Friday night. But that’s the catch. I don’t order food that whole day. Just for one meal. So, whether it’s breakfast, lunch or dinner, I pick one day of that week and one meal I’m willing to spend a little dough (did you like to food pun I did there? No? Really? Well, stand up comedian is not one of my side hustles, so have no fear). And then I set a budget for what I I’m willing to spend on food for that meal. Say, $15. And no roll-overs. So, if I pick up one of those $4.99 12-inch sandwiches Subway has going on right now (comes to $5.45 with tax), that doesn’t mean I get spend the difference I didn’t spend on my food plus that week’s budget on food I eat out. I’m trying break the monotony without breaking the bank.
I do allow myself to spend $20.00 on one meal, giving myself a $80-a-month budget to eat out. This is to factor in dinner and tip. Hell, I’m spending $200 on food month, how much more money do I need to spend for just one person? And I hold myself to the same principles, no rollover unused money to the next week. So, if I only spend $40 on food that I ate out on, I saved my self $40 on my own budget. I like that.
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