Interlude: The Challenge

As part of what I hope to accomplish this year, I really want to change the way that I eat by changing WHERE I eat.

I am addicted to eating out.  I love to go out to breakfast.  To lunch.  To drive through or pick up dinner.  A nice meal out or coffee? Sure!  It is *ridiculous*.  I spend way, way too much money and eat too much.  Granted that eating breakfast meals (no toast) and the taco salad (RIP that restaurant) were great aids to my prior weight loss.  But I really need to tighten the belt in all possible ways.

So my goal for 2014 is to reduce my food budget to $75.00 per week.  For a single person, that should be reasonable.  I know that if I pay attention at all I can usually do decent grocery shopping (which excludes meat) for $30.00 to $40.00 per week.  If I am more careful about what meat I buy from the farm every month I can definitely keep it to $15.00 to $20.00 per week for eggs, bacon, ground beef, etc.  I have a stock of meat in the freezer I can eat down (which would be a good idea anyway).  That should leave enough for one or two meals out every week, which should be plenty.  I don't NEED to eat out, I just do it.  Because I am lazy, fat, tired and other bad things.

January results:

Week 1:  Success!
Week 2:  Mild fail
Week 3:  Extreme FAIL
Week 4:  Extreme FAIL

I'll total it up in a couple days, but January might be closer to $500 than $300.  Yeesh.