Fast Food Frenzy

How can something so awful for you be so good?! That's always my question when I go to pretty much any fast food place. Mmmmm. Delicious. And SO cheap-- or so it seems.

That's the interesting part-- it seems like such a deal, but when you really break it down, you are majorly getting ripped off. That double cheeseburger and fries? If you made it at home, it would be way cheaper-- and most likely healthier too. Your taco-- LOADS cheaper if you made it at home, and you'd probably have leftovers to eat in the future. Seriously... think about it!

Trust me, I get the convenience. I get that sometimes it's delicious and you don't care. I'm in the same exact boat. There's days that I get off work and absolutely don't want to cook. There's days that nothing can fill my craving like a trip to the golden arches.

BUT what I try to remember is how much money I'm spending that I wouldn't have to. If I made that sandwich myself, I'd spend quite a bit less. That extra money could go then to paying debt, a trip, or who knows what. And it adds up so fast.

Corey and I started awhile back trying to limit all going out to once a week (and in all honesty, I think that's even quite a bit!). It isn't easy, and there's been a few weeks that we've failed miserably. But the other night I went through and looked at home much money we've spent recently on fast food-- holy cow! I seriously probably could have bought a holy cow! Okay, maybe not... but you get the point. It's craziness. Such a waste of money!

So here's my pointers:

1) Limit yourself. Try not to go more than once a week, or actually even once every two weeks. Corey and I are trying to work on that one-- yikes!

2) Think cheap. Seriously try to figure out how much it would cost you to make the same thing at home. Make sure it's worth it to you. And if you decide going to the fast food joint is worth it, don't order extravagantly. For one person five dollars should be MORE than enough.

3) Don't foresake your health/diet. I've noticed fast food isn't quite as appealing when I think about the health impact. I recently started weight watchers-- wow. When I see that that double cheesburger is over 10 points compared to the more "healthier" choices, it's a lot easier to order something different, or just altogether pass it up. Granted that might not work for you, but it certainly has helped me!

4) Think about what you're teaching your kids (if you have them). I'll admit it-- Tate loves chicken nuggets and fast fries. He knows the golden arches the second he sees them. And when I think about it, it's kind of sad. I'm not exactly being a good example to him. Definitely something to work on!

Anyway, I hope my little thoughts help-- nothing major or earth-shattering, but hopefully just a friendly little reminder that there probably are better ways to spend that hard earned money of yours!