So I'm a little late with my "new year resolution" but this isn't really just for the new year. I've decided to make some changes that I hope to carry out through more than the next few weeks (like most resolutions). My main goal is to "conserve" money. Not necessarily save money, but be more cautious about how and where I spend my money. I came to a shocking realization that I was spending on average $10 a day going out to eat for lunch - that's $50 a week I spend just so I can socialize with co-workers during our lunch hour. And that's just lunch and doesn't include weekends. That's $200 a month! What's so bad about a sandwich or leftovers for lunch? And even Lean Cuisine and other microwave meals have become more tasty these days - plenty of choices too! I am putting my foot down - I vow to bring my lunch to work each day of the week except Friday. From now on, I will "treat" myself to lunch on Fridays, and it doesn't have to be somewhere expensive - just yummy! Besides, I tell myself, its not like eating lunch in the office means that I can't leave the building. I can always scarf down my ham sandwich and spend the rest of my lunch hour browsing through Target across the street or running any errands instead of fighting traffic at 5:00 to pick up that bag of dog food on the way home. The hard part of this challenge is that I LOVE food...and ultimately my co-workers will tempt me with something really good (what? it's Tuesday and you're going to eat sushi??? oh my...) So, we'll see how long this lasts, but hopefully I can get into the (good) habit of bringing my lunch more often and keep a closer eye on where my money goes (where DOES it go??). What are creative ways you've come up with to cut back on spending while still trying to enjoy life?
