We are talking about saving money this month with the Fast Track Saving Challenge and one of the best ways to cut your expenses is to eat at home. You can use better ingredients and spend 50% to 75% less than you would in a restaurant. As a family we rarely eat out unless we have a gift certificate or a free meal.
BUT…
My husband and I have decided that we will be spending MORE on eating out.
Here’s why.
We believe strongly that money should be spent according to our values. The main reason we do everything we can to NOT spend money is because we want me to be able to stay home with our children and have my husband work only ONE job, not two or three so that he also has time with our family.
We realized recently that spending a small amount of money to take our 19 year old son out to eat is a wise move.
Food is his love language.
We all know that the way to a young man’s heart is through his stomach and my son is no different. He LOVES to eat and his current job requires physical labor so he needs to eat more. Taking him out for a meal makes him feel loved in a way that other activities do not.
Restaurants are a neutral location.
Going out to a location away from our home relaxes all of us. We as the parents are not looking at the trash that he forgot to take out and he is away from the prying ears of his younger sisters. This creates an atmosphere in which he feels free to share what is really going on in his life and he is more open to listening to us because he feels heard.
We want to be an influence in our son’s life.
Now that my son has graduated and is moving into adulthood we are getting to know him in a different context. Spending time with him in a relaxed setting enables us to learn more about how he thinks, what he enjoys and why. If we want to continue to have influence in his life we need to invest the time and energy to enter HIS world, not just assume that everything is the same just because he is still living at home.
Of course our spending has to be inline with our budget and if we spend money on eating out we have to cut spending in another area. We will assess our budget week by week to determine where the money comes from and how much we have to spend.
Money is a tool to live out our values and because our relationship with God and others is the only truly eternal part of life, we need to invest our time and money there. For our family that means heading to the local burger joint or Mexican restaurant with our son a couple of times a month to “spend foolishly” but invest wisely.
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photo credit: tiverylucky, freedigitalphotos.net
Awesome idea – to me it’s the grown up version of figuring out your child’s ‘currency’. We have three sons – for one eating out is a big boost. The other two could not care less.
So true Connie – you have to find what speaks to each child. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
So true Connie – you have to find what speaks to each child. Thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
As long as it fits in your budget eating out can be a great way to spend time with your family. Thanks for taking the time to comment Cheryl.
You are very wise, Kimberlee! I’ve recently learned how saving money can become an idol in our lives. If we think about it constantly, that is what we are bowing down to. Couponing, cutting costs, thrift shopping – all are good things, but can become a kind of addiction. If we are always putting those things above the needs of our families, then our priorities are messed up. Thanks for the reminder to put first things first. He who dies with the most money is still dead!
That is exactly my story Robyn (you can read about it in my Save More Clip Less ebook). I became addicted to deals and coupons, but I have thankfully recovered. Thanks for your encouragement.
You are very wise, Kimberlee! I’ve recently learned how saving money can become an idol in our lives. If we think about it constantly, that is what we are bowing down to. Couponing, cutting costs, thrift shopping – all are good things, but can become a kind of addiction. If we are always putting those things above the needs of our families, then our priorities are messed up. Thanks for the reminder to put first things first. He who dies with the most money is still dead!
That is exactly my story Robyn (you can read about it in my Save More Clip Less ebook). I became addicted to deals and coupons, but I have thankfully recovered. Thanks for your encouragement.
We eat out often but it is in order for us to spend more time together as a family enjoying life. There are few hours of awake time between work and bedtime. I learned long ago that this time is not always best in the busyness of household work.
That is wonderful, and I think you are making a wise choice!
I love this: “spend foolishly” but invest wisely.
Thanks Kristine!
Thanks Kristine!
I love it! “Spend Foolishly But Invest Wisely”. Thank you for validating the way we feel about spending money. This is exactly why a one size fits all plan does not work.
My pleasure Rhonda. Personal finance is definitely personal. 🙂
I agree. When you have more than one child, taking them out on a one on one basis is necessary. Our older sons are always hungry, and we try to utilize fast food coupons to feed them “second” dinner. Fortunately, we live super close to many chain restaurants so it is easy to pick up sandwiches late in the evening. We often watch a show together while the younger sleep.
That sounds fun Jennifer!