According to UnitedStatesNow, the average American household spends about $2,700 per year on eating out and almost $500 per year on alcohol. I scoffed at this statistic and shook my head at that statement until I wrapped up my own financial record-keeping for 2022. My wife and I were right at about $3,000 for all restaurants in 2022! Ouch. We aren’t drinkers, so there was a small consolation on zero dollars going to booze. But still, ouch! I’m ashamed of even writing this paragraph. Time to improve.
My wife and I have made a New Year’s resolution to stop eating out as much. In fact, we’re trying a few new things to hopefully reduce the bill and feel a little healthier. Like most people, my time is usually more valuable than my money. That makes eating out more appealing than cooking meals on a regular basis. Meal prepping is an obvious answer. However, when a person leaves Saturday or Sunday to meal prep, what happens if you’re out of town that weekend, feeling sick, have gone fishing, or simply can’t cook? The following week is thrown into disarray.
To (hopefully) remedy some of the time issues, we have taken a few different approaches heading into the New Year. First, we decided to order ready-made meals a couple of times per week. True, this first approach isn’t the most cost-effective, but it does take some of the headaches of cooking logistics out of the equation. The meals show up on the doorstep, ready to cook. Second, we’re taking a more self-reliant approach. We are starting a garden when it warms up and buying chickens this week. Eggs are supposed to be a reliable food that is nutritious and cheap. Eggs are supposed to cost $1 per carton, not $5, right? Chickens aren’t too picky about eating scraps, so hopefully, not much of our own meals will go to waste. Third, there is no way around meal prepping, but we’re taking a little bit of a different approach. Follow my wife’s Instagram at @busy_bee_meals on Instagram to find out more.
MoneyManeuvering 