A Change of Heart

After a long morning at work (where we don't actually have to report for another 10 days or so and where we're definitely not getting paid to go at this point in the game), I was depressed. This was particularly bad news for Jeff because I spent most of Saturday in a funk as well. (I only snapped out of it by making sweet potato soup and toffee.) Being the good husband he is, Jeff decided I needed food and proceeded take me to lunch. As usual when I am down I didn't offer any help in selecting a restaurant (insert heavy sigh here). Interestingly, Jeff opted for Chili's because he thought he had seen an ad for two lunches with an appetizer and drinks for $20. (We later decided the commercial might have been for Appleby's, but Chili's sounded right at the time.) Within moments of arriving, we were ensconced in a soft booth, handed menus, and proffered glasses of water before we could say "baby back ribs." Unfortunately, as we stared at the menu (and the dinner prices rather than any lunch specials) neither of us was happy. Next, we did something strange. We decided not to pay $10 for a burger at Chili's when Mickey D's was right across the street, and we left. (After all, we hadn't even ordered sodas yet.)

I realize that these two eateries may not be in the same league to most people, but to me a burger is a burger. The McDLT I had was pretty much the same as Chili's "classic cheeseburger" and was priced at half as much including fries and a drink. Jeff opted for a Southern style chicken sandwich meal at (again) less than half the cost of a similar item across the street. All in all, we spent $8 and change.

This experience reminded us that we need to get back on track with our little project as summer winds down. We realize that we have been completely ignoring the idea of a budget in recent weeks. (It can be difficult not to just pick up something on the run.) Funny, but I think eating at home has actually been harder since school let out. We relaxed into summer mode, ran around, and picked up snacks or burgers or drinks to keep everyone happy. (We're $133 over budget for the year - yikes!) Perhaps the reinstatement of school's routine will make us want to come home to dinner more often (I hope). But for now, we are trying to get back on track even if that means we pass up something more expensive in favor of a basic fast food burger.