I miss brunch. Specifically I miss “eggs on the bayou” with a mimosa from Beach Diner in Atlantic Beach. Not eating out has been my biggest hurdle with the Living Well Spending Zero Challenge.
My first obstacle came before the challenge even started. As I was trying to make plans with a friend, I realized our normal going for dinner was out, so I planned a walk on the beach instead.
After that bump the first week itself was a breeze. We had plenty of kale, beans, salad toppings, nut butter and organic whole grain bread and we were happy to eat it. We also didn’t have any specific plans involving food. The rest of the month has not been so easy. I love going out to eat and relaxing. Between date nights with Jimmy and regular outings with friends I know my restaurant habit is causing one of the biggest problems in my budget.
I used to never eat out. I felt if I was going to spend money I would rather allot it to something other than food. Then I started working in Key West. Since I flew down for work I expensed my meals. I started small, just eating at my hotel or pick up food somewhere near work, but then I made friends and started to explore the island.
I fell in love with the best food Key West has to offer. From Hogfish Bar and Grill to Louie’s Backyard I knew where to find the best of everything. I loved the time with friends, and my evenings felt like little vacations. The best part was everything went on my company credit card. I never had to actually pay attention to my bill.
When my company found someone who lived closer to the account to cover it, I still craved the fun atmosphere and delicious food I had grown accustomed to. This “craving” lead to more nice meals out at home, and choosing what I wanted to eat with little regard for the price. Initially this wasn’t a bad thing. Jimmy and I went on more dates and I relaxed about spending money. The problem came in when I started caring more about the relaxation than the health of my bank account.
Around the same time I had also become very addicted to the happiness high I got from buying Lilly Pulitzer, and was trying to use my money to invest in continuing education and my new business. Needless to say this became a lethal combination for my finances and I am still working at picking up the pieces.
I got serious about picking them up faster eight months ago. I had stressed over my finances, but not enough to make the drastic changes that needed to occur. As I started to heal mentally and spiritually I stopped relying on outside highs. I began to crave a simpler life and a cleaner living space. I started running more at the beach and stopped buying so many workout DVDs. God became a bigger focus and outside factors weren’t as important in making me happy.
I know with time my cravings for “mini restaurant vacations” will decrease too; it’s just the next step in this journey.
Until next time,
Kaycee
P.S. my favorite song today is How Far We’ve Come by Matchbox Twenty
Photo Credit: http://www.livingwellspendingless.com