If you follow me on Twitter, you may know that I have been a little obsessed with food trucks lately…because they are amazing! Just around the corner from my new office is a food truck lot and every day there are three different trucks, usually two food and one treat. And I have been taking full advantage of the trucks. Just one more reason to love living in a big city. Here’s a little look at the delicious treats:
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| Kimchi Taco |
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| VanLeeuwen |
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| Desi |
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| Je and Jo |
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| Rickshaw |
And then, the other day, I realized that I was eating out breakfast (okay, it doesn’t really count because I just buy a banana from the fruit guy by my building for $0.25, but I’m still eating out), lunch, and dinner. Almost every day. Almost every meal. Not only is this not the best idea for my waistline…it’s also not the best idea for my bank account. I have a weekly budget and I was blowing it. Every. Week. And then this whole hurricane thing happened and I thought about food storage, and how I need to keep on top of it and rotating through the food…which would require me eating that food.
So, an idea was born and a resolution was made. For the month of September (well, really from yesterday until I fly to Utah the first week of October) I am not going to eat out. At all. (Although the fruit in the morning after my run I’m not counting because it’s as cheap as the grocery store.)
I went grocery shopping Monday night, and even with shopping at Whole Foods and purchasing organic whenever possible…I was well under my weekly budget. I know I’m only on day two, but already I feel better and I’m less stressed about money. It might put a little bit of a wrench in my social life this month, but it also means I’ll be a little more creative when it comes to time with friends.
I realize that this would not be a big deal for some of you…but until you’ve lived in New York as a singleton, I don’t know that you can understand just how dependent you can become on restaurants for your survival (okay…maybe that’s a little dramatic, but you get it is kind of dramatic). So, don’t judge me or think that this will be easy. Just wish me luck. It’s going to be…interesting. And at the end of the month, maybe I’ll have a new plan. One that’s a little less extreme, but that helps me stay on track, both physically and financially. Maybe?
Oh, and I’ve also cut out Diet Coke. Now do you feel concerned for my survival?
existential dilemmas 
You're an inspiration! 🙂
It is really really tough to not eat out as a single person in NY, especially if you don't drink. It's easy to stay social if you drink because so many people will just meet up for a drink, but if you don't, you end up going out to eat. Or for dessert.My backup social plan frequently will be a walk. Let's do that sometime. 🙂
the food looks so yummy! good luck on your resolution.
Oh man, the food pictured on this post looks so amazing. I'm kind of in the same boat, although unwillingly. Back in the states we went out to eat for pretty much two meals a day, but here there are very few restaurants that are remotely decent, and of those, only one of them actually tastes good, so we don't really eat out either. Good luck this month! Oh, and if you come across any great recipes along the way, be sure to pass them along!
Way to go! We were eating out or getting take out way too much as well and I felt like it was killing our budget, so for the last two weeks I've committed us to only eating out ONE meal each week. So far so good, and like you said I have felt so much better about our budget and our overall health. Keep us posted how it goes and good luck!!
good for you… but the only survival i worry about is others…re: no diet coke 🙂 you can do it!!
You can do it!
wow. cold turkey? you're brave. and i wish you lots and lots of luck. you can do it! AND thanks for the offer to stay with you! we really want to get down there. ryan mentioned maybe sometime in october, but i also wanted to come down solo in october for my birthday. and then we definitely want to come around the holidays. hooray!