...30 day fast...

Can you avoid eating out for 30 days??

These are interesting times! It's safe to say that the world (even my little piece in Naperville) is undergoing serious change. My "safe" financial approach as I took the steps toward retirement really paid off last year. You can call it lucky or blessed, whichever you prefer, but we avoided most of the financial ugliness as much of my portfolio was in CDs and not the stock market.

I've always been a fan of Suze Orman and she has really been on a roll these last few months. She may not be as entertaining as that crazy screamer "mad" guy, but she often brings up good things to consider. On a recent show she suggested that everyone try not to eat out for 30 days. Sue and I were up for a challenge! Heck, it would give me a chance to better control how I fuel this body of mine, so we started right after Pat returned to Purdue after his Winter break. When you are empty nester's it's too easy to just drive-thru.

We did 30 days, did our trip to Ireland, and then did another 30 days just for fun. We learned some interesting things:

Healthy - It is easier to eat healthy at home (daa). You know what you are putting into everything. I probably don't want to know what goes into all of the dishes at restaurants. We even cut a few lbs from our frames.

Shopping - The notion of keeping fresh food in the house requires a bit more planning. It's not as simple as making sure there is plenty of Ramen and Mac & Cheese. Produce goes bad so some vision of upcoming meals sure helps.

Creativity - The food can be made to match my taste. I love pepper and Sue loves Chili oil...done. My mom carries a shaker of garlic salt in her purse allowing for customization on the road. I just don't want to have to carry a pepper mill in my back pocket (I don't even have a wallet back there).

Savings - I can't put an exact number on it, but there are certainly some real savings eating at home. You'll drop $20 to $30 minimum if you go to a place that doesn't have a drive-thru. Consider that half the world lives on less than $2 per day. You can also get some great buys on meat if you take advantage of specials. Though some of the cuts I've purchased have gotten raised brows from Sue as she tries to teach me that big, red and cheap aren't always the best criteria.

Fun - I know fun is in the eye of the beholder..and I'm having a blast Sue might have a slightly different take on the experience.

I've learned to appreciate a good home cooked meal and a good meal at a restaurant. We went to Nick's Cozy Corner (one of our favorites) and really enjoyed it. If you aren't really doing anything over the next 30 days, why not give it a try??