My Own Frugal Family Challenge

Check out this article from Good Morning America and USA Today on their Frugal Family Challenge. If most American families are anything like the families profiled here, I don't feel so bad about our lifestyle.


But... after careful scrutiny of our spending habits I was mortified to discover 43% of our income was spent on eating out last month. Like the families profiled in the above article, we were going to a restaurant or fast-food joint every day, sometimes more than once. This is just plain unacceptable! My parents raised me better than that! Being a student and working full-time has probably facilitated this indulgent lifestyle, but no matter what the excuses are, the economy is struggling and so is our little household budget. Our biggest expense has not been rent, but FOOD. Something had to change!


We want to save money for many good reasons: to buy a house, to buy a replacement for our truck that stopped running, you know, because it's smart to have a savings account. So I put myself in charge of the kitchen (for good this time) and made myself cook every day. I am very happy to have a kitchen. To have running water and working appliances we should consider ourselves like royalty because for most of human history, we would be lucky to have a fire pit and a running stream.


Anyway, we've already seen success! This month I've reduced our eating out to just 16% of our income! I know I'm a little premature in this ruling since we have 3 whole days left in September, but I feel justified in announcing this success because we have plenty of food left in the house and I won't have to get fresh groceries for at least another week.


It hasn't been easy to make this change. We have slipped up and gone out for a quick meal here and there out of desperation for food fast (and I love Wendy's fries!). In the meantime, I am expanding my cooking skills and remembering how fun it is to plan and prepare meals. Cooking is an art form and I am demonstrating a lot of talent here, at least my husband seems to think so. ♥


One thing I have to learn yet is how to better use leftovers. Why is it so much easier cooking for a large group? That reminds me, Thanksgiving is coming up! Hooray for food!