As I’ve been in this recent time of personal financial stress, it really hit me today the importance and meaning of being frugal. As I work to get myself out of debt, as well as get my business ahead, I’ve been learning firsthand how important it is to cut costs.
The realization became more clear to me as I was making lunch today. My lunch consisted of SPAM sandwiches. I opened a can of SPAM, fried up several slices, melted some cheese, and put it on a couple slices of toasted bread. It really wasn’t a bad meal, it actually tasted pretty good. And in all, it really only cost me, maybe $1.50 at the most to make the 2 sandwiches, and have a glass of coke (from a 2 liter). Now most people don’t consider SPAM a delicacy, and the only reason why I bought it when I was shopping last was because it was $0.89 for a small can, and I remembered eating it as a kid.
I’m still working, and trying to get a strict budget laid out for myself personally. I’m really kicking myself because just yesterday, I ate lunch on campus, and paid $5.50 for a meal that didn’t completely fill me. I could have had 3 meals here at home for the same price. Expand that over the course of a month, and that is a couple hundred dollars a month I can save.
So now, I’m setting myself a goal to not eat out until June 1. I’m going to see how well this goes, if I can break my habit of eating out, or eating fast food (which is less healthy as well). There are only certain times that I’ll allow myself to eat out, and that is if it is for business. For example, if I am meeting with a client or potential client over coffee.
It’s time that I start pinching my pennies, and counting my quarters so I don’t end up nickel & dime’ing my way into the poorhouse.
