Changing Habits

In an effort to save money, after being brought back to my day job in August and starting on a new financial plan, I started keeping track of how much I was spending on fast food. This amount never really went down much, but I was keeping track of it. This included things like Red Bull and McDonalds. I was always able to find some justification for continued consumption of this crap.

Then in October I had my cancer scare. I kinda fell off the bandwagon in terms of worrying about my spending, cause I was too worried about my health to really give a shit about keeping track of every penny I was spending. I drained my meager savings to pay my rent after missing work for the medical tests, and I found myself taking time off of work when possible to work on other projects going on in my life, which didn't help when you factor in that I was spending money without regard again.

When work announced that we'd have Thanksgiving day AND Black Friday off this year, I knew I was going to be in a tight spot again. Only the sad thing is that it was completely avoidable this time. If I had just kept on it, I wouldn't be in this boat yet again. But here I am.

So after getting my short Thanksgiving Week paycheck this past Friday, I revised my budget. Eek. Something has to change…..so I decided to hit my spending habits in the teeth with the same veracity I had when I first started on this budget plan back in August.

One of the things I did was commit to not eating out anymore. Although I'll admit that since Friday's paycheck, I had to eat at a drive through because I was kept away from home longer than expected after work……and then I bought some junk food and a red bull to keep myself moving on a mixing project last night……but then I entered those costs into my budget and I'm not spending another un-needed dime.

But I'm doing one thing differently. I decided that I can't just eat beans and rice and ramen noodles and be happy. If I keep eating that crap, I'm gonna be tempted to eat out because I want more variety. So I decided to introduce more variety in my diet again when it comes to my home cooking. After all, I loved cooking when I was cooking for two…..why can't I love cooking for one? Why shouldn't I put the same amount of pride into feeding myself that I put into feeding someone else?

Before, my lunch consisted of Beans and Rice with hot sauce and a coke zero. Now, I've made a garden salad with Italian dressing the main dish, and there is a smaller amount of Beans and Rice to give energy and cap off the meal. Often there will be a pickle too. This is quick and easy to make for my work day lunches, and I don't get sick of what I'm eating.

I've also been making this Szechuan Pierogie Beef Stir Fry with White Rice for dinner, that is pretty awesome. And the cool thing about that is that I make a big enough portion that it'll feed me for 3 days worth of dinner. I bought some new food storage containers, and just put what I'm not eating for dinner in the fridge. when it's time to eat the next night, it's quick and easy to re-heat on the stove (Sarah took the Microwave, never got a new one).

That's not the only thing I'm making in large quantities. I made a huge batch of french toast for me and Laura this weekend, and I put what we didn't eat (which was about 2/3 of the batch) in the freezer. This morning, for breakfast with my coffee, I popped two of those pieces in the toaster.

I found myself making peanut butter cookies earlier today, so that I have a quick "handy food" snack in the house. I even made a kick ass quarter pounder for dinner with a side salad.

Speaking of the salads that I take to lunch, one of the reasons I bought new food storage containers was so that I'd have something to put those salads in. But the cool thing is that I make several in advance and store them in the fridge, then my lunch packing for the day is very "grab-and-go". Get it out of the fridge, put it in the lunch box, and walk out the door. Convenient and easy.

I've been locked in my control room today working on a mixing project. There were a few times when I just wanted to go out and get a can of Red Bull. But instead, I broke out the coffee grinder and the french press. Worked like a charm, obviously, but I didn't feel bad for spending money that I shouldn't be spending.

The point of all of this is simple. I feel good. I don't just feel good about not spending money needlessly, but I feel good in general. My diet has been satisfying my palette, and I feel really good physically. I don't feel all sluggish and slow like I've been drinking a vat of fat, and my stomach has been more regular. And the cool part is that I've saved some money in the process while eating a much more varied diet!

I'm back on track with my budget. I don't plan to go astray again. It's gonna be a tight month, but what else is new? But despite all the stress that I may feel about money, at least I'm not gonna kick myself for spending it at the drive through anymore.