Need some budget board motivation to eat at home!

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Hi budget boarders! I need some motivation to start eating at home again!

Work has been crazy lately (and I HATE cooking) so I've gotten into the habit of eating out all the time again.

I was batch cooking so I always had something vacuum sealed ready to go in the freezer so I was doing well...for awhile lol.

I eat clean/Paleo so visiting farm to table local places that use those type of ingredients is not cheap (at least I tell myself I didn't derail my health, only my cc lol)!

I just looked at my statement this month and I spent nearly $500 on eating out (this is for just me, even worse I know)!!!!!!! Please don't judge or do...maybe that's what I need haha

Help motivate me into the kitchen!! How do you make yourself cook? Any tips for people who hate to cook?

TIA

 

[Katy Belle]

I took my 2 sons to Buffalo Wild Wings the other night. It was $54 before tip, and we all drank water! That was motivation to me to cook at home!

One thing I like to do is to grill several chicken breasts at a time. You could reheat the chicken while cooking a veg, and have a quick, easy meal.

 

[managerdreamer]

Look in to freezer crockpot meals. Pintrest has them easy to prep and it is cooked when you get home! Cut quantities down since it is just you!!

 

[natfrac]

I try to keep the pantry and freezer stocked with things to make quick and easy meals. With Paleo this may be a challenge, but try to think of a handful of dinners that can be fixed in15 minutes or less. I've always been way too disorganized in the morning for a crock pot, so throwing something together after work was my only option.

 

[pjlla]

My first recommendation would be to PLAN ahead. If you have a menu plan and the groceries are bought, it is a lot easier to get dinner on the table .

Next... find recipes that are SUPER easy.... 5-7 ingredients or less tends to be a good rule for me. If I look at a recipe and the ingredients list overwhelms me....I move on.

Look for meal IDEAS sometimes rather than straight up recipes. I love the idea of throwing chicken breast or lean boneless pork loin chops into a crockpot and then adding different ingredients with it for a different flavor combo. It gets to be kind of a "no brainer" and I can use up things that I need to and use things that are on sale. Most recently here we had ratatouille stew (tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, onions, garlic and mushrooms.... in to the crockpot with lean meat and a can/jar of all natural spaghetti sauce... YUMMY!).

Cook ahead!! You said you've done some batch cooking in the past. Time to get back to it. Set aside ONE DAY and you could probably get a month's worth of dinners into the freezer.

Think of much less COMPLICATED dinners (especially easy if you ONLY need to please yourself).... veggie burger on a whole wheat roll topped with tomato and avocado, side salad or side hot veggie... Dinner is DONE! Brown rice and beans with salsa.... done! Scrambled eggs with onions and peppers, maybe a slice of Ezekial bread toasted... done!

Cut yourself some slack and buy some stuff pre-prepared.... rotisserie chicken warm from the store, frozen meatballs, frozen chopped veggies. Sure, they aren't always the best option (as far as health is concerned) and I'm sure they wouldn't even come CLOSE to comparing to the nice stuff from the Farmer's Market.... but eating out isn't particularly healthy either.

Make it into a bit of a GAME to see how LITTLE you can spend on food for October... and then plan to spend HALF of the savings on a treat... and of course, BANK the other half! Best of luck................P

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Thanks for all the ideas so far! I've always said that if I ever came into excessive money the first thing I'd do is hire a chef lol.

I really like the idea of tracking what I save and then buying something I normally wouldn't with it! Part of my problem is that I can afford it so in the moment it's easy to rationalize. But then I get buyers remorse and always feel like it could have towards something better than going out to eat!

 

[Nicoleinwi]

Motivation for me to cook at home isn't necessarily budget related, it's the quality of what you are getting. I know my food is cooked the way I like (proper doneness on steak, etc). I know my food is washed beforehand. I know my hands are clean when I touch the food.

 

[Happyjen27]

We were getting up there once my DH and I both worked the same shift, and our kids are so easy to take out to eat because they enjoy it and have great table manners.

So, we were up in the 600-500 a month--yikes!!

So, I wrote a dollar amount on the white board, and that was how much we were spending on dining out that month. It was there for everyone to see. First we selected $250. Each time we went out to eat, we deducted from that amount. Times when we knew we were going out to eat for someone's birthday celebration or something we had to plan for that. Once that amount read zero, we were done with going out to eat that month. Period.

It worked great!! We got down as low as $150, and that's pretty much our normal now, although we don't track now that we've broken the habit.

For me, the thing that's most motivating, beyond the money, is that I know what goes into my food. Whole, organic ingredients. No surprises, nothing I wouldn't want in there. Even the restaurants that practice farm to table, you give up some of your control to them, so maybe that will motivate you to cook more? I also enjoy having a relationship with my food, cooking it, chopping it, all of that "slow food" type stuff. I do a lot of prep-cooking on the weekends, like making soups, slaw for fish tacos, things like that. DH and I both work full time, so I know it's hard, but, it is worth it.

 

[crisi]

If you eat clean at home - do you do the same thing dining out?

For me - its really hard where I live to eat farm to table dining out. Dining out - which I enjoy - usually involves a lot more salt and MSG than I want. It tends to be carb heavy and fats heavy - if I want to avoid junk - then eating out becomes very time consuming - it involves going to the type of place that cooks healthy. I avoid gluten - which is far easier out than it used to be - but still a headache.

If you are living to two different standards - willing to overlook the healthiness of easier food while dining out while holding yourself to farm to table paleo at home - drop your standards at home or up your standards out. You'll likely find that if you try and keep the same standards, eating out is a bigger pain than eating in.

(Its possible you live in a neighborhood like my mother in law does - in her neighborhood its difficult to eat junk out - its a neighborhood of old hippies with a lot of organic cafes, vegetarian diners, and ethnic restaurants that have high food standards - all reasonably affordable. In her neighborhood, I'd eat out all the time and not feel a bit guilty if I could afford it.)

 

[Marionnette]

Hi budget boarders! I need some motivation to start eating at home again!

Work has been crazy lately (and I HATE cooking) so I've gotten into the habit of eating out all the time again.

I was batch cooking so I always had something vacuum sealed ready to go in the freezer so I was doing well...for awhile lol.

I eat clean/Paleo so visiting farm to table local places that use those type of ingredients is not cheap (at least I tell myself I didn't derail my health, only my cc lol)!

I just looked at my statement this month and I spent nearly $500 on eating out (this is for just me, even worse I know)!!!!!!! Please don't judge or do...maybe that's what I need haha

Help motivate me into the kitchen!! How do you make yourself cook? Any tips for people who hate to cook?

TIA

You already know about planning ahead, preparing ahead of time, etc. You just don't like to cook. All of us have things that we don't like to do and we willingly pay someone else to do them. That's why lawn and maid services thrive.

My advice is going to be different - throw the CC in a drawer and go with cash. CCs make it easy to spend without thinking and it sounds as if you were surprised to see how much you have spent on dining out. It's not because you're reckless with your spending or have dug yourself deep into a hole. It's because going with a cash system will make you think about how you're spending your money each and every time you decide to eat out.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

If you eat clean at home - do you do the same thing dining out? For me - its really hard where I live to eat farm to table dining out. Dining out - which I enjoy - usually involves a lot more salt and MSG than I want. It tends to be carb heavy and fats heavy - if I want to avoid junk - then eating out becomes very time consuming - it involves going to the type of place that cooks healthy. I avoid gluten - which is far easier out than it used to be - but still a headache. If you are living to two different standards - willing to overlook the healthiness of easier food while dining out while holding yourself to farm to table paleo at home - drop your standards at home or up your standards out. You'll likely find that if you try and keep the same standards, eating out is a bigger pain than eating in. (Its possible you live in a neighborhood like my mother in law does - in her neighborhood its difficult to eat junk out - its a neighborhood of old hippies with a lot of organic cafes, vegetarian diners, and ethnic restaurants that have high food standards - all reasonably affordable. In her neighborhood, I'd eat out all the time and not feel a bit guilty if I could afford it.)

Yes, I do keep the same standards eating out. It's a little more costly than McDonald's lol but not time consuming, I have lots of choices around me.

I don't eat carbs out or at home and eat a lot of fat, meat, and veg. In both cases.

As others have pointed out, even at farm to table places you give up a bit of control.

When I was batch cooking and eating in, it was very simple foods (which I like just fine), but I'm always amazed at what a skilled person who likes the cooking process can do with simple foods. Mine always taste so boring and bland and just not very good.

Everything I make in the crockpot no matter what I do tastes like school cafeteria food lol.

I think I need to get more inventive or creative with seasoning or do more seasoning. How do you all cook chicken? Salmon? Luckily I like red meat with just butter, salt, pepper and a good char so I can usually handle that. But as an avid red meat eater, I can't even do that all the time.

It's so frustrating because cooking is one of those things that just isn't a life skill for me and despite following recipes and meal ideas, they never turn out well. It would be so much easier if I didn't like good food! Lol

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Good tips above!

An idea I had was to pick one day a week where you just do NOT eat out. If you have that in mind, it sort of forces you to plan better. Eventually, add a second day & a third.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

You already know about planning ahead, preparing ahead of time, etc. You just don't like to cook. All of us have things that we don't like to do and we willingly pay someone else to do them. That's why lawn and maid services thrive. My advice is going to be different - throw the CC in a drawer and go with cash. CCs make it easy to spend without thinking and it sounds as if you were surprised to see how much you have spent on dining out. It's not because you're reckless with your spending or have dug yourself deep into a hole. It's because going with a cash system will make you think about how you're spending your money each and every time you decide to eat out.

That's good!! More than the thinking about the money, it would be the not getting miles or points that would be the biggest deterrent. I don't buy anything that doesn't go on a miles/points cc.

Having to carry cash and see the points going down the drain would kill me! I'm addicted to the miles I think.

I've always joked that I was born in the right era because I'm so not domestic! You'd have to pry my maid service out of my cold dead (or broke lol) hands. I'm clutter free and clean before the maid but the deep scrubbing of tubs and dusting is where I fall down!

 

[Marionnette]

That's good!! More than the thinking about the money, it would be the not getting miles or points that would be the biggest deterrent. I don't buy anything that doesn't go on a miles/points cc.

Having to carry cash and see the points going down the drain would kill me! I'm addicted to the miles I think.

I've always joked that I was born in the right era because I'm so not domestic! You'd have to pry my maid service out of my cold dead (or broke lol) hands. I'm clutter free and clean before the maid but the deep scrubbing of tubs and dusting is where I fall down!

Try ditching the CC for a month. Keep track of what you end up spending on food (either at home or eating out) and subtract it from $500. Ask yourself how many flights that money would get you vs. how far the FF miles earned on $500 would get you.

It's not always about what you make. It's about what you keep.

 

[FairestOfThemAll37]

Try ditching the CC for a month. Keep track of what you end up spending on food (either at home or eating out) and subtract it from $500. Ask yourself how many flights that money would get you vs. how far the FF miles earned on $500 would get you. It's not always about what you make. It's about what you keep.

I probably won't stop putting my groceries on a cc because like I said, I'm addicted and that would just be too much.

But for non homemade food that would be a great thing to do for me.

 

[pryncess527]

(Please do not take the following as harsh -- this is what I say to MYSELF when I'm having trouble motivating myself to cook).

JUST GET OFF YOUR A** AND DO IT.
It's really not that bad. It's always worse in your head than it is in reality. All I really have to do is <insert steps>. The longer I sit here agonizing over this, the worse it gets. So stop, just stand up and go make dinner.



And really, the more I just do it, the better it gets. Some things I actually like making. And that's made it easier for me to plan, which has in turn made the decision process/cooking even easier, removing another obstacle.

We too, have the money to eat out. We budget some money to dining every month, yet I still challenge myself not to use it. At least, not on "convenience" meals. Money we don't spend on restaurants this month, stays in the category and continues to grow. My secret goal is to have enough "leftover" in restaurants to cover a very nice meal at Victoria and Albert's when we make it to Disney.

 

[crisi]

Yes, I do keep the same standards eating out. It's a little more costly than McDonald's lol but not time consuming, I have lots of choices around me.

I don't eat carbs out or at home and eat a lot of fat, meat, and veg. In both cases.

As others have pointed out, even at farm to table places you give up a bit of control.

When I was batch cooking and eating in, it was very simple foods (which I like just fine), but I'm always amazed at what a skilled person who likes the cooking process can do with simple foods. Mine always taste so boring and bland and just not very good.

Everything I make in the crockpot no matter what I do tastes like school cafeteria food lol.

I think I need to get more inventive or creative with seasoning or do more seasoning. How do you all cook chicken? Salmon? Luckily I like red meat with just butter, salt, pepper and a good char so I can usually handle that. But as an avid red meat eater, I can't even do that all the time.

It's so frustrating because cooking is one of those things that just isn't a life skill for me and despite following recipes and meal ideas, they never turn out well. It would be so much easier if I didn't like good food! Lol

You need spices - other than salt and pepper. What are your favorite dishes out? What flavorings do they use. Talk to the chefs at the restaurants you go to. Find the flavors you like. Pay attention to the descriptions in menus - make notes - and then try and recreate it at home. Cook with a meat thermometer so you don't over cook and end up with dry meat. Subscribe to a cooking magazine for a year (my mother in law gives me Fine Cooking) and make one recipe from each issue until you build up eight or nine recipes you enjoy. Work from the same two dozen recipes for 90% of your meals - you won't get bored with two dozen dishes and it won't be overwhelming to plan if you pick five recipes a week from your repertoire with one night for eating out and one night for something new.

I like salmon with maple syrup. Or lemon and dill. Or a wasabi and soy marinade. I like chicken roasted with a lemon in it. Or rubbed down with cumin and chili powder. Or stuffed with garlic and onion. Or cooked on a bed of tomatoes and spinach. Pork I think works really well with a sweet compliment - pineapple or applesauce is traditional. For me, beef is not something we eat often, and stands alone when we eat it.

We eat a minimum of meat around here and probably more carbs (lots of polenta and rice and quinoa since I avoid gluten). We do lots of chilis and stews because they combine easy and healthy and cheap and are simple to change up.

And honestly, decide if you really want to do this - you like good food - you can afford to eat out - and you do so in a manner that you find healthy. You don't enjoy cooking and have never been good at it. Do you really want to change? Maybe this is just something you accept - that this will be where you spend your disposable income.

There is the anti-motivation to eat at home. But from what you've said - why would you eat at home? - I'd motivate myself to get over the guilt.

 

[ebradley23]

You should look into Wildtree. It's company specializing in organic culinary blends which offers meal planning tools. I became a rep just for my own discount. You can pm me if you want more details.

 

[threeboysmom]

I'm with you! I spend $400/month on eating out alone just for 2 people! From October-December, I've made a commitment to NOT eat out - not even fast food. Not sure if I can make it, but it's worth a try - that's $1200 into savings if I can manage it!!

Difficult because I hate food shopping & I hate cooking even more, lol.

 

[threeboysmom]

It's so frustrating because cooking is one of those things that just isn't a life skill for me and despite following recipes and meal ideas, they never turn out well. It would be so much easier if I didn't like good food! Lol

Haha, this sounds so much like me!! Can't offer you any advice though because I'm in the same boat...