Picture the scene: it's a typical weeknight after you've returned from a long day at work. A flurry of activity and guilty pleasures buffered your mind from the need to go out and shop for food. Upon inspecting your refrigerator, you see very little in the way of a complete meal. Incongruous somethings are scattered about. There are three options:1) Make something out of what you already have.
2) Go out to the store and buy the missing items that will satiate you.
3) Say, "Screw it!," and go out to eat, be it fast food or a sit-down restaurant.
Typically, option three is the one we default to because it's easiest. However, this option does take a toll on our finances if it is abused on a habitual basis.
I recently came across a fabulous website called my fridge food, which gives you the power to take charge of your refrigerator, making it work for you. Make an account and fill your virtual shelves with the items you typically purchase; or choose from the items found in the "Quick Kitchen" tab and discover meals you never would have imagined. Ramen + Jello is an actual dessert, did you know? And before you bash it, remember that both bread and rice puddings exist. Additionally, this website functions off community advice, so if you have a recipe that is delicious—make a post.
The internet exists to make our lives easier, and this website is a prime example of the sort of control we can have over our impulsive behaviors. Let's create an example, why don't we?Typical bachelor who works 9-5; comes from a home where Friday nights were designated takeout nights; lives in an area filled with an array of restaurants/food utopias, all within walking distance; can cook but lacks creativity/drive.
Monday: Breakfast - Cocoa Pebbles | Lunch & Dinner - Sunday affords time to experiment and prepare meals for the beginning of the week.
Tuesday: Breakfast - Cocoa Pebbles | Lunch - $8.00 (Chicken Parm sandwich/Snapple) | Dinner - Final leftovers from Sunday's dinner (as long is it isn't left out)Wednesday: Breakfast - Cocoa Pebbles | Lunch - $4.00 (Two slices of Pizza) | Dinner - $12 (General Tso's Chicken from local Chinese restaurant)
Thursday: Breakfast - Cocoa Pebbles | Lunch - Leftover Chinese food | Dinner - Pasta in red sauce and grilled chicken breast (Guilt settles in)
Friday: Breakfast - Cocoa Pebbles | Lunch - Leftover Dinner | Dinner - $25 (Full rack of baby back ribs from chain restaurant (alcohol not factored in))
Saturday: Breakfast - Omelet (needs to buy cereal) | Lunch - Ham and cheese sandwich | Dinner - $15 (Pad Thai from local Vietnamese restaurant)
Sunday: Breakfast & Lunch & Dinner - Strong guilt pushes our bachelor to cook and prepare meals for work week.
Total Expenses: $64 (not including alcohol)
This sum isn't so bad (people buy lattes from Starbucks every day), but imagine that this is the typical week. Let's extrapolate this sum:
Two Weeks: $128
Three Weeks: $192
One Month: $256
One Year: $3,072
Five Years: $15,360
Ten Years: $30,720
Again, all this without factoring alcohol, parties, dates, etc. This is a typical week for one person. Simply not eating out on that Wednesday would save this bachelor $576 on the year. Cooking is a daunting task, but one that is rewarding and, quite frankly, impressive.
Give yourself one week, just one to try it out and see how you like it. Everyone is entitled to live how they want, but everyone also wants to try and find ways to save money; here's one place to start.
