Thursday 29 November 2012

Month in an Apron: My Restaurant-less(ish) November in Review

Howdy folks!
The week is ever so slowly coming to a close and I for one am SO excited for the weekend! I'm headed into Toronto for a weekend full of errands and fun (and more fun!).  Can't wait!! This weekend also marks the start of December, so I wanted to take a moment and write about how my attempt at a month without restaurants went.

This time last month I was looking at my credit card statement wondering how I could possibly spend SO MUCH money on food.  I mean, I love food and all, but I don't eat a large amount, nor do I eat out every day, so what's the deal? The fact is, I live in a tourist town, and as such, food (and groceries, and clothes, and everything) are ridiculously expensive.  And while groceries may cost me more here than they would in Toronto, I knew I could make a significant dent in my budget by cooking exclusively, and not falling into the trap of buying a lunch at work (even if the company cafeteria has the most vegetarian options and is the most reasonably priced place to eat in the town.  And now that I've said that I can hear Ephraim saying "ahem, the stagecoach, ahem!". Second cheapest.  There).

The month has not been completely restaurant free.  Let's get that out on the table first.  In the last 30-odd days, I have purchased food from outside sources 4 times.  A couple weeks ago in NOTL we had "Fabulicious", a terrible portmanteau that is the name of an event where the priciest restaurants in the area (and there are lots of those, this is wine country!) do special prix fixe menus, making them more accessible.  So, I had a special dinner out with some friends from work.  That was cheat meal number one.  

Later that same weekend, I had two little slip ups, one of which I'm not sure really counts since it wasn't a full meal per se, but I went out to try poutine for the first time and to celebrate the return of a friend who had been out of the country for a couple weeks.  Actually, I ordered chili cheese fries (also a first) and tried someone else's poutine, but it was still a magical affair, and there was beer, and I don't feel bad about it.  So there.  Then the next day I was ravenous to the point of extreme irritability after an extended trip to IKEA (y'all know what I'm talking about.  And I wasn't about to cave and buy some IKEA food.  Standards!) so we went out for felafel.  Still, I don't feel badly about that, because Ephraim's life was on the line (EXTREME irritability).  So, up to this point we're at 3 slip ups, 0 of which I regret.

I bought lunch at work one day this whole month, and it's the only time I felt that I had really dropped the ball on my goal.  I didn't take the time to cook something large enough the night before that I would have leftovers to bring with me.  I made sure to swing by the grocery store on my way home from work, cooked an extra large meal, and woke up with plenty of time the next morning to pack a substantial healthy lunch for myself. I learned from the one incident this month that I felt could have been prevented, and was worth working to avoid.  And I feel really good about that.

All in all, this experiment has been really worth while.  It has saved me money (which incidentally I will be spending on a reward for my efforts :P), it has pushed me to try to cook things that I would normally just go out for (burger night was a 2 time success.  Whoop whoop!), it resulted in much less food waste due to better meal planning, and a substantial shift in the ratio of perishable to non perishable food items I bought over the month, as I was shopping for produce twice or even three times a week, instead of only once.  I feel good about the changes I made, and I feel confident that I can carry over the habits I have formed into the coming months, while granting myself some leniency, because let's be honest, life without the Guru's Dhal Makhani is not worth living.  Gimme my curry, please!

With holiday shopping well underway, have you made any changes to your budget to accommodate for the extra spending this time of year brings?

--Erin

9 comments:

  1. I'm really impressed that you have been able to do this. I always plan to cut back on eating out- but it never seems to stick. I feel like after leaving work, going to the gym and then coming home STARVING I don't have time always to cook a good meal. I really wish i could get into menu planning and cook for a whole week on Sunday night!

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    1. Thanks Lauren! In all honesty, I am pretty shocked I managed to stick with it too, especially when it comes to the weekend and all I want to do is watch some Netflix and eat chips and drink beer.
      I walk to and from work, which means I have to plan accordingly so that I don't eat the entire contents of my fridge when I come home. I always have a big bowl of raw veggies when I walk in the door, so that when the time comes to make dinner I am not ravenous and have the patience to cook a good meal. I also only go to the gym after this snack, so I don't feel like total garbage, haha.
      A lot of being successful this month was about learning what my habits and food triggers (and laziness) are, and how to work with them to still achieve my goals. I can't change myself, but I can give myself better options :)

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  2. It truly has been an excellent, money saving time. I'm glad to attempt to ride on the coat-tails of Erin's good spending habits!

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    1. You would!! I buy the groceries out here so I think you've saved more this month than I have :P. Haha love you, and I'll feed you too I guess XD hahaha

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  3. I love eating out, but I do it too often as well. I'm trying to cook more often and remember to pack my lunch, but it's easier said than done! Also, I feel like the transition to cooking a lot rather than going out, doesn't always feel like saving money at first. I always feel like there's some seasoning I don't have yet that I have to buy and stopping by the store so often for fresh meat and veggies still makes me feel like I'm spending a lot. :/

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    1. First off, I totally freaking love your blog, and I am stupidly excited that you have commented here. I love your work. I will now stop fangirling.

      Since the money thing (as well as nutrition) played a pivotal role in why I chose to do this extreme test month, I knew I had to keep those dollar signs visible. First, I did a rough estimate of how much money I was spending at restaurants slone for the month. After I stopped choking, I realized that eliminating these costs for one month would roughly leave me "leftover" cash to splurge on an item I've been wanting for a while. I knew i would spend more on grogeries for the month, but with the amount I was honestly wasting and throwing out each week, I knew it wouldn't be huge, and honestly the most expensive items I bought at the grocery store this month was a whack of new ziplock containers to package up leftovers!
      As an additional motivator and record, I have been saving my grocery receipts and sticking them up on the fridge, so I can see what my food budget per month is when I eat at home. I haven't done that math yet, but I have a feeling it's going to be mighty satisfying!

      --Erin

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    2. Aww, thank you, Erin! You are too cute and I love your blog, too. :) So jealous of your glasses every time you share an outfit post!

      Haha, the tragic part of this is that I work at a culinary magazine. I should totally be more inspired to cook all the cool recipes we feature rather than be intimidated by them!

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  4. Wow! Good for you, dear! I need to do this with thrift stores. If I did not thrift for a month, I would be RICH< rich I say. Not really, but I think a large part of my income goes to thrifts and estate sales. :) I am trying to make gifts this year rather than buying them, so we will see how that goes. I got friends and the partner vintage items all throughout the year, so I am pretty happy about that! :) Then it doesn't hit you all at once. :) Have a fabulous weekend!!! :)

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  5. I often talk about all things frugal but I still can't toatlly avoid dining out. :( It's not easy when you grow up to a family that likes to eat GOOD FOOD... and since I don't live with the parents anymore, the only way to eat good food is by dining out. haha. We've cut back to 3-4 time a month though.

    As for the holiday shopping... I started saving wayyy early. I avoided unplanned shopping trips (and craft isles) for over 2 months, then started gift shopping around October. I find that shopping early and a few at a time makes it easier, rather than buying all the gifts within a month or so. :)

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Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I love answering questions (comments, concerns, the works!) so check back sometime for a reply! :)