Conviction

I'm going through the class by Dave Ramsey called Financial Peace. The discussions that have resulted have been very telling of our current life choices. My husband and I are both very much people people. We LOVE hanging out with friends, mentoring other couples, playing games with teens, sharing meals and just general fellowship kinds of things. We are using this as an "excuse" to spend more money than we ought to. Our society is one of convenience, of instant gratification as well as one of autonomy. When we choose to go out to eat instead of sharing a meal at home with friends and family we are not only blowing at least $15.00 to feed our little family of five, but we are creating habits that are inhospitable. I want to teach our children that our home is a place for all, a place where Jesus can be seen, heard and touched. He is present here and not only do I want to honor Him with our finances, I want to instill gratitude in my children.
Eating out was once a luxury, a special occasion and a treat for most everyone. Now it has become so common place we have an attitude of entitlement toward the convenience. When I was growing up there was a family at Church whose mom made pot roast, potatoes, and carrots EVERY Sunday for lunch. She had it perfected! I loved going to Betsy's house... I want to be that house. The house where you know that when you pull yourself up to the table the meal is not only hot and delicious, but made with love and with family in mind. I want my kids to experience the joy of a special treat.
Which leads me to my frugal tip for today. Eat out less. Or better yet, don't eat out at all! What's your favorite dish at a restaurant? I bet you can make it at home for 1/4 of the price (maybe less!) and 1/2 the calories and it will taste better! Challenge me... you put out the request and I will find or make the recipe. You make it at home and see how much it cost you to fix one serving...(plus the advantage of this is that you get more leftovers than a little dogie bag!) To figure this out add up the cost of all the ingredients you purchased to make it, then divide it by how many servings you made. I typically don't include spices or things I already have in my pantry such as flour.
I want to hear from you! Let me know what you do to save on your monthly spending for food. Tell me your favorite hospitality story from your childhood! Let's make memories together...