Back on the Wagon

Since my blogging break, my family as well as myself have gotten sloppy.  Sloppy with spending money, sloppy about turning lights off, sloppy about taking long showers, you get the idea.  I am not happy to admit that for the first time in forever, we have, wait for it... credit card debt.  It pains me to even type that.

I could fill you with excuses.  Unexpected expenses came up, we had multiple car issues, health issues and so on.  But, along with all that we also went out to eat a lot, bought unnecessary items, and just didn't keep track of expenses the way we should.  Basically we just got lazy.

It's ok though.  We have recognized the problem and are ready to change.  We are excited to begin paying off our debts and putting money back into our savings account.

So let's start with an easy fix.  Eating out.  For our family of 6 (my oldest son has moved out) we spend an average of $50 each time we go out to dinner.  If we go to a sit down restaurant we can spend upwards of $100.  Even if we eat at McDonalds we are looking at $35 or so for all of us.  If we eat out twice a week that's $100/wk, $400/mo, $1200/yr.  For unhealthy, processed food!

Our goal right now is to completely cut eating out, at least until we get caught up on some bills.  Once we are caught up, then eventually we can work back in to eating dinner out once in awhile.  I'm not gonna lie-we like to go out to dinner.  Who doesn't like to go out with family or friends and enjoy a night away from the kitchen?

For now cutting this unnecessary expense could save us a few hundred dollars per month.

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