Jul. 7, 2009 - Packing a lunch and running errands
DD and I needed to run several errands one day. I knew we would still be busy at lunch time. I had 
moment and thought, "Why don't I use my insulated lunch bag and take sandwiches for us?" I have a few smaller ice pouches I use to keep my food cold every day for work. I just added those with our pb&j sandwiches. I also reused the styrofoam cup I brought home from work. That way my drink stayed cold, even when the car was turned off and the windows were up.
It was a cheap meal, but quite tasty since we were both very hungry after a couple of hours of running our errands and trying on clothing. 
For those of you who may also be struggling financially, I want to share a neat story with you. Our pastor had the opportunity to meet John Trent. John shared a story about how poor they were when growing up. If I remember correctly, his mom may have been a single parent. Anyway, she knew the only thing they could afford to eat was pb&j sandwiches. She decided to try to make it look as if the kids were really special because they got to eat this every night. She invented the "PB&J club" and told the kids that their family was extra special since they were in this "club." He said they never realized that they were dirt-poor and couldn't afford anything better. He just thought they were extra special because they belonged to this exclusive club. You gotta love a creative mom like that!
I told someone just a couple of weeks ago that I never thought that in my mid 40s I would learn to love pb&j's, but I do. 
I try to eat them once or twice a week when I am at work. To make it even more special, I usually include some kind of "treat." It might be crackers, pudding, fresh fruit, or even a cookie, but I do something to make the meal a bit more interesting. When eating them, I always remind myself that I saved my family quite a bit of $ by choosing not to eat at the cafeteria.
It could be so easy to fall into the trap of eating at the cafeteria because you don't have to have cash. You just swipe your name badge, and it is deducted from your paycheck. In the two months that I have worked at the hospital, I have spent less than $13 in the cafeteria. Most of that $13 was spent in the early weeks on coffee or diet pepsi to give me a needed boost since I was having to get up at 5AM. That isn't the case now except for when I work weekends, so I rarely go down there.
Comments
Jul. 7, 2009 - Untitled Comment
Posted by AnnieKate
Good for you! It's the little things that count financially. And remember that bag lunches are often more healthy than cafeteria food. You're winning in two ways. :)
