So today was a coworkers birthday and I went along with the group to treat him out for lunch. It was a tough decision since I brought lunch to work today. However we're a really close working team and I did allow myself one purchased lunch a week, so this will be it. We went to Boston Pizza and it was very tempting to have an individual pizza, but the thought of calories/fat/carbs had me choose the lemon baked salmon w/ veggies and side salad. It was alright, it did the job. What hurt was the cost. $18.00 w/ taxes! Ouch!! But I knew that healthier eating (especially eating out) came with a higher price than just a burger and fries. I also pitched in $5 for my coworkers lunch. With tip, total lunch: $25.
That's way more than I had hoped, but the good news is that yesterday was a No Spend Day! Yay! It felt good at the end of the day to look back and realize that I didn't spend a penny. I packed enough food for the entire work day, didn't feel deprived and had no cravings. It was a really good day.
Today after work, I will need to run to the grocery store to pick up a few more things to make it through the week. On Sunday, I'll make sure I've got the meal plan all worked out so that next week, I'm making one single trip to the supermarket. I'm feeling good about this and know that I can stay on top of things.
On a side note:
I carpool with a coworker and yesterday on our drive into work he had to get some gas. We pulled into the gas station and there was a sign indicating that gas needed to be pre-purchased. So my coworker stepped into the gas station and after a few minutes I realized that he was still in there. I looked into the gas station to see what was going on and he seems to be at the register trying to pay for the gas. In the past he mentioned that finances were tight at the moment so I started wondering if he was having trouble finding the cash or credit to pay for the gas. He came back to the vehicle and asked his wife for $20. Luckily it all worked out, but it seems that he had no cash or credit to use.
It was a reminder to me that I was lucky to not have ever been in that position and thankful that I'm working towards never being in that position. I feel bad for him though, as he's mentioned in the past that his wife loves to shop, and only shops the brand names. I hope that they realize that they can't continue spending the way they do and decides to make some financial spending habit changes.
I have to agree with you, healthier food IS worth it! :) That was nice of you to pitch in some $$ for the birthday dinner as well! :) Keep it up, you're doing great!!
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