At New Year's I posted about our resolutions for this year (see Afraid of Commitment) and our difficulty committing to a whole year's worth of commitment and dedication. And so, we decided to break it down month by month. For January: no eating out except if we had gift cards or it was someone else's treat.
There were times it was really tough. The kids are in ski lessons right now and it has been hard for them to not get hot chocolate after their lessons to warm up and have a treat; especially when their friends are sitting next to them with their steaming chocolatey goodness! However, they've been really good about recognizing our goal and knowing that we are working towards something meaningful - not only to save money but also a lesson in setting goals, making a commitment and keeping your word. One day I packed the kids lunches as we went to visit my mom in the hospital. Dummy as I am however, I forgot to bring anything for myself! Starbucks called to me as we went in Barnes & Noble to look at books but I resisted and ended up finding a box of Ritz that I had left in the car. Granted, not the most healthy lunch, but I am competitive and was NOT going to be the one who ruined the streak. There were many other times when we had to keep reminding ourselves of our resolution: nights when we were running late and it would've been easier to pick something up, mornings when I barely had a chance to make coffee and would normally have just stopped at Starbucks on the way to work and of course when it's your daughter's birthday and we have traditionally gone out to eat. (We creeped out of that one though as generous Papa bought her Chinese for dinner on her birthday, which ended up being a treat for all of us!)
Today, January 31st, I am proud to say that we (almost) achieved our goal. We did have two small issues over the month where we had to grab something out. In both instances we were ill prepared with food for the kiddos. But, rather than just ditch the resolution and start eating out, we grabbed a small snack and tried to keep with our goal. Total spent on eating out in January? $12.67! Not at all bad I think. I am proud of us and our achievement. We probably saved somewhere between $250-$500! Tomorrow, we're having dinner out at Playa Bonita as a prize for achieving our goal! The kids can't wait!
Coming tomorrow: February's goal. Stay tuned!
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