How Did my 30 Days of No Eating Out Go?
Over a month ago (on July 19th) I embarked on a 30 Days Of No Eating Out challenge. It is now complete (fuf) and I wanted to share my experience and thoughts.
Firstly, why am I writing this post on the 23rd of August rather than on the 19th? Well, well, I am going to be honest with you. I am a human and I cheated a few days on my challenge. But no excuses! Hence, I added a few more days.
My objective in the beginning was to test the hypothesis that the majority of my monthly budget went to outdoor food. However, going through the experiment I found out much more and I hope that some of it will be helpful to you as well:
- It is true that a LOT of money can be spent on the outdoor food. What is more fascinating, however, is that little things like coffee, snacks, ice creams, etc. do add up a lot, which leads me to my next point.
- It was the hardest to not buy caramel macchiatos from Starbucks or crispy chicken sandwich from Timmies (mmm). It made me realise how easy we can spend money and how many temptations there are around. But I powered through.
- Meal prepping was fine and I made time for it as I usually do, but my bigger concern were the snacks. For all you hungry-every-two-hours people out there – granola bars really saved me! I would always throw two in my bag and whenever I felt hungry I’d eat one and it would save me until I had a proper lunch or dinner. They are excellent and healthy alternative to a pizza slice or a muffin.
- My bank account did indeed stay positive throughout the month, proving that my hypothesis was correct. So proud.
Having said that, I don’t think eating out should be prohibited, no. It simply should be a bit more regulated. What I’ve decided for myself is to say yes to dinners with friends and trying out new food places once in a while. They add experiences in your life and make your taste buds happy. In turn, I think it is smart to be a little more strict with impulsive coffee or sandwich purchases. It doesn’t mean that I can’t have Starbucks for the rest of my life, but that I just won’t have it that often, making the sips even more special!
Xoxo,
Sasha
