Budget Buster: You’ve worked a 12 hour day-your food budget is at its limit. The idea of cooking the chicken you had put in the fridge to thaw makes you nauseated. Your car just keeps leaning towards that turn to Carrabba’s-take out. What do you do?
You need to give yourself a break, without breaking the budget. “So how do I do that, smarty?” you say. Have a “party meal”. I can’t take credit for this one. When my kids were little, when I called home to let my wife know I wouldn’t be in for dinner-it was apparently party time. I don’t think they were celebrating my absence… but who knows. Being an Ob/Gyn is tough sometimes.
Out came the whole wheat bread, cut into squares, with peanut butter and bannana applied just so. Crackers with cheese were arranged on a platter. Carrot sticks, celery, and broccoli were arranged on a tray with a central cup for dipping in the ranch dressing. I am sure the kids were drinking water, or juice-the wife-who knows-but it probably wasn’t water.
My point is a healthy meal can be thrown together in about 10 minutes. It doesn’t have to be a four course gourmet dinner. Just make sure it is nutritious, and quick, but no budget busting required.
The only way to stay on a budget, or the term I prefer, Planned Spending, is to resist those spells of “I deserve a break today” that will torpedo your efforts and all that planning. Studies show smokers who are successful at quitting, have planned what to do for their quit day. They have a diversion ready for those times that they would be normally lighting up. They have buddies ready to intervene when their resolve is weakening.
To stay on a “planned spending” course you need to do the same. Have inexpensive healthy snacks, raw veggies, and fruit, or their dried varieties on hand. Know that there will be times when your best intentions will be blown out of the water by real life. And know that if after all this, you still turn into Carrabba’s-the shrimp alfredo is pretty good-and you know you will make it last for two meals. You just have to eat mayo sandwiches for a few days to make up for it..
