Not long ago, I gave a friend a ride home from work. As we headed to his place, my friend said, “If you pull into the Mcdonald’s up the street, I’ll buy you a sandwich and something to drink.” I replied, Why don’t you eat at home? You’ll be there in 5 minutes, why don’t you just wait?” He was all “Nah. I’m hungry now.” Well, I’m the kind of guy that avoids fast food because it’s so expensive, and I live on a budget. Also, I don’t really enjoy eating most fast food. But, when it’s free…I can be persuaded. We went through the drive-thru. My buddy got a Bacon Egg and Cheese Biscuit Meal. That included Hashbrowns and a medium Coffee. I took him up on his offer and ordered a Sausage Egg McMuffin and a cup of water. Before tax his breakfast cost $5.49 and mine was $3.09. After tax the total came to $9.40. Almost $10.00! That’s a chunk of change for what amounts to a fairly light breakfast for a two men. Don’t get me wrong. I appreciated his gesture; it was a meal I didn’t have spend time making when I got home. You can save money avoid fast food.
Stop eating out and save your money
Save Money Avoid Fast Food
You know, I think the time factor is a hook for many of us when it comes to fast food. We’re busy, so we trade one of our resources (money) to conserve another (time). Or, as in my friend’s case, we’re just hungry and don’t want to wait, maybe we lack the discipline for it. In either scenario, with all the convenient fast food solutions to our hunger, we sure don’t have to wait. That may not be a frugal move.
In other posts I’ve said the frugal lifestyle is not a cookie cutter system. It isn’t only about saving. Being frugal is about getting the most out of our resources—especially, time and money—to enhance our lives now and in the future. More than once in our lifetime each of us will need to determine if it is more beneficial to use or hold on to a resource in a particular instance. Recently, I posted about my decision to use a copy editor (on occasion) in order to have time for living. I maintain that is a frugal move on my part for now, but it will not last forever. In that same vein of thought—sometimes, and very infrequently—fast food might be the answer to an immediate time crunch. However, stopping often to get food when you’re minutes from your own kitchen (and I know that my friend does), just because you don’t want to take the time to cook is not a frugal move. There are alternatives.
He spend $10. on food. Thats a lot of money
Eat at home, skip fast food, save money
I have a few food items I make in quantity and freeze. I can warm them up for a few minutes when I want something to eat. (That may take less time than it takes to get through the drive-thru.) I usually make these things when I’m watching TV. (Watching TV…since I don’t usually take the time to watch, some television time is another “benefit” I get from doing this.) Anyway, since my money is more productive at the grocery store than at a fast food joint, I save money by buying the supplies to make these batches of food.
There’s one more thing I want to say before I share some of my standbys with you: In general, the more “raw” ingredients you buy, the more money you’ll save. For example, a block of cheese (which you can slice or shred yourself) should cost less the than the same amount that’s already prepped. But, here again, you have to decide what’s more important—time or money; I am not going to take the time to make a loaf of bread or a batch of English Muffins from scratch.
A Breakfast Idea
Sausage Muffin and Cheese
Next time you shop, buy some English Muffins, some sausage (pre-made patties or bulk to make your own—remember the time/money tradeoff), and cheese (a cube or pre-sliced). At home cook the sausage patties and let them cool. Next make the sausage sandwiches using the muffins, the sausage patties, and a slice of cheese. (I’ll tell you that for these I use pre-sliced cheese; it’s the perfect size.) Wrap the sandwiches in waxed paper and then foil. Store them in your freezer for later use. When you’re ready to eat one, take off the wrappings, put it on a microwave safe plate, and nuke it for 2 minutes. Grab a cup of coffee and breakfast is ready. No need to stop for fast food when it’s waiting in your freezer.
Lunch or Dinner
Burritos
Gather some tortillas (burrito size, 8 ½ to 10 inches), hamburger (1 lb.), beans (I use canned—drained), rice (See my note below), cheese, and salsa. (The salsa is mostly for topping, but a little could go in with the meat). If you want to include any veggies like peppers or onions, pick them up too. You know the rest: At home cook the meat and any chopped vegetables together in a skillet. Drain off the grease and allow the mixture to cool.
Note: A lot of times, I’ll mix a can of spanish/mexican rice right into the meat mix instead of making rice and spending money on spices—which are pricey and can take a long time to use up. If you do add the canned rice, you might need to add some water, too; it depends on how dry the mixture is. (You can probably tell I’m sort of a “try as I go” kind of cook???)
Assemble the burrito: Have squares of both waxed paper and foil, about 2 inches bigger than the tortillas, ready. Lay a tortilla on a waxed paper square. Fill the center of the tortilla with the meat mixture. (Use about ½ cup of the meat mixture per tortilla.) Add some cheese and salsa if you wish. Roll up the tortilla. (If you don’t know how, you can find directions on the internet.) Wrap in waxed paper and foil. Then store in your freezer. When you want to eat one, unwrap it, put it seam side down on a microwave safe plate, and heat on high for about 3 minutes—turn the burrito over about halfway through. (Depending on your microwave, you could need a few seconds more or less.)
Note 1: This recipe makes a lot. I usually buy 2 packages of tortillas.
Note 2: If you have enough counter space (or tabletop), you could make an assembly line by laying out every foil square topped by a waxed paper square topped with a tortilla. Then, go down the row filling them all before rolling any—saves a little time.
The Late Night Pizza Run
You’re halfway through a movie on Netflix…now, you’re suddenly dieing for a pizza. Yeah, that craving sometimes hits me too, but when it does, I’m probably working on my blog. We could run out to buy a takeout pizza. (The cheapest ones now cost more than $5.) We could call out for a pizza. That would cost a lot more than $5, plus there’s the driver’s tip. Or, you could have one in the freezer, but the one from name your favorite place tastes so much better. That’s because you can get the toppings you want. Here is your lucky break. The next time you shop buy a fairly cheap frozen pizza (or two). If you don’t already have them in your pantry or ’fridge, pick up the items you like to have on your pizza: garlic salt, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, onions, cheese—whatever you’d like. The next time you have a “pizza attack” you can pull a basic one out of the freezer, add whatever you’d like, and cook it per package directions—probably while continuing to watch your show. It will be less expensive than delivery, and certainly more convenient that takeout. (As for leftover toppings? Most of those keep for quite awhile; try freezing any you have questions about.) By the way, one of my favorite toppings is ranch dressing, drizzled on after the pizza after it comes out of the oven.
Me musing:
If you eat out it will cost you more money than if you eat at home. If you are after a quick something to eat you will save a lot of money when you eat at home.
Conclusion
Save Money Avoid Fast Food. Fast food is so expensive. With a little bit of planning, we can keep the need to buy fast food to a minimum. Preparing and keeping on hand our own stash of tasty fast food ought to help with any self-discipline issues. I’ve given you the recipes for some of the food I keep on hand for when I need something quick, but you really should check the internet for simple, homemade substitutes for your favorite fast foods. Having them available at home is a frugal move. It can save you a lot of money. You can eat at home and save money.
