It’s Sunday night again and time to review what we’ve accomplished this week and where we could have done better. Last Sunday night, I proudly reported that we refrained from going out to eat with the kids all weekend. Tonight, I must admit that we succumbed to the temptation of fast food for lunch. The thing is, I really don’t feel that guilty about it, because . . .
- We used a coupon.
- We purchased a couple of a la carte items for the kids – they don’t need cheap plastic toys that come with the kids’ meals.
- The kids brought in their water bottles – because they also don’t need sugary, carbonated beverages.
- We didn’t add any extras, like cheese for $0.60.
- We brought a plastic container of vegetables for the kids. No one has ever said anything to us and we’ve been doing this for years. The burgers and french fries don’t seem as bad when the kids are mixing in carrots, peas, beans, and corn.
- Once home, we enjoyed some pears for dessert.
The family that cashed out before us spent a whopping (pun intended) $35 on their food. They ordered the numbered meals from the menu board and kids’ meals for each child. Our total came to $12. I know that in our current financial situation, we need to be more frugal, at every opportunity. However, it seems like you should be allowed little indulgences like this, once in a while. Especially since we were still conscious spenders – by planning ahead and making decisions about which items to purchase instead of defaulting to the numbered meal options. It was a convenient reward for the kids after a morning of running errands with us. And we supplemented the food with some healthier items.
We definitely made progress on our to-do list this weekend. I started organizing baby clothes. We returned that one Christmas gift. The decorations are put away – so there is room to put up the baby swing. We picked up potty-training supplies for next weekend (underwear and M&M’s). I got somewhat caught up on work and did some side-hustling. I picked up some books from the library to make into hidden-treasure books and sell at the garage sale. My sister and I spent some time together. A variety of other chores were completed, including vehicle maintenance. And, most importantly, we spent quality time together as a family.
I’ve started to feel somewhat encumbered as the baby’s due date draws closer. When a surge of energy arrives, my goal is to capitalize on it as much as possible. This week, I still need to take care of ordering the new phones, wrapping up assignments at work, and would like to add a few more posts to this blog. In addition, we need to make healthy, homemade food to eat, in order to keep the fast-food guilt in check.
