Well , we ate out again. This is 8/12 for those of you keeping track, and for those of you smarties out there yes, that is over half, and yes we are under half-way there.
We had a Groupon. Have you heard of this? Basically, it means we purchased a $30 gift certificate for $15 for a local venue (one we love) , which means we had a pretty affordable meal out, by most accounts. However, it was certainly not 5 dollar day worthy.
Also I think I should mention that 90 days is 12.85 weeks. So in reality I would be completely justified in making the total allowed eating out times 13 (the once/week rule), which would make us only slightly more on track.
The other thing I was thinking about is "Why is this hard for us?" I mean we seriously had food thawed and ready to cook last night. So it was not even convience per say.
1) We don't need to do this. There are a lot of good reasons for us to do this, but we don't need to. We both have decent incomes, and while we both agree some food budget trimming is good, down to $5/day is more than is needed.
2) This is our date time. Huzbun and I fell in love over trying new foods and sampling wine- also this was how we spent most of our honeymoon (in Napa). We like to cook "together" too, but certainly our favorite date was and still is going out to eat. Food is inherently a social activity, and while you can split hair on what exactly that means and how it happens - it's still true. When you are married, you look for moments of specialness to carry you through stretches of dull and difficult. Before anyone concludes that "my marriage is especially dull or difficult", I should say that "Life has times of dull and difficult and when you have a partner you experience that together" and it's good to have positved memories when it is those challenging times occur.
3) Dining out has all the senses engaged
Taste - of course
Smell - the smell of the resturant, the smell of the wine
Touch - the feel of the chairs (or booth), the texture of the table
Hear - music in the background, perhaps other sounds
Sight - the decorations, the food (how it's displayed), and so on.
It makes sense that we have so many memory connections with eating out because they say the more senses you engage in an activity the better you remember it - which I think makes it desirable in a more than just "it's easy" way.
Okay - all that being said - I'm not quitting or anything!
This is just me figuring out my 5 dollar day fail in my (typical) introspective manner. We are still in this, and we haven't totally lost sight of the goal yet, so keep reading and we'll continue to have fun.
It's not fail, it's just you learning more what's really important to you. And you're also learning where you can cut back, and how far, without getting too uncomfortable. That's a super useful thing to know- if your money situation changes, or you are responsible for more people (kiddlets or parents), or you just have a special savings goal sometime.
ReplyDeletesounds like WIN to me, even if you don't follow the budget perfectly. Then again, I'm the queen of cheats, so what do I know.
Thanks for the thoughtful words! and...
ReplyDeleteIf I were trying to eat for 1/day, I would be cheating left and right.
I totally agree with everything j. said, but I wanted to add one other thing:
ReplyDeleteCould you try to replicate the dining out experience, at home? Perhaps you could use nice linens and center pieces on these date nights, or perhaps dine al fresco? You could also play whatever music reminds you of eating out and try to style the food before bringing it to the table. Stuff like that to replicate the experience w/o the expense?
Hey Allie - I did read your comment earlier (finally responding), and for sure we have done the whole "date at home" thing - we love it. It's not a complete substitute (as it requires WORK) but it's still a "romantic" time. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad that helps a bit. I too love eating out, so I totally get it. But I guess you can have a lot more date nights, at home, to stay on budget. Sometimes budgeting is sad, huh? Lol.
ReplyDeleteI only have the single perspective - I like to eat out from a social standpoint.
ReplyDeleteYou know, to actually have a conversation with someone that doesn't "meow."
I agree with the commenters above - even if you go over your predetermined "allowance" of meals, then really, it isn't a fail. You have cut back and, as some one else mentioned, you have really narrowed in on what is important to you.