Are you kidding me?!

Over the last several years, mostly because I've lived alone for a while, I've developed a really bad habit of rarely eating meals at home. I decided last night that I'd take a look at my last few bank statements and see just how much I'm spending to eat four or five lunches and three or four dinners out, whether fast food or otherwise ... and the result was ASTONISHING. Are you kidding me?! Almost embarrassing! I'll spare you the ridiculous number, but let me tell you - when I multiplied the weekly result by 52 I realized that I would be much closer to clearing some of my credit card debt if I'd take a few minutes each morning to make my lunch and cook myself a home-cooked dinner each (or most) night. The sad part about it all is that what I just said is so obvious.

So add this to the list - one of my new goals for this year is to eat out less and eat at home, or home-made lunches, more. I'm sure it won't be easy, and I know it won't happen for every meal (there are a few places that I just love to go to for lunch), but I have to start somewhere, and even a small change will be better!

One of the worst parts about it is realizing what it is that I've actually been eating. Trust me. It's not healthy. So, if somehow this plan doesn't manage to save me money in the long run, although I'm sure it will, it will definitely get me eating healthier. Definitely.

I happen to really enjoy cooking, but I feel like I really just don't have the time for it. The bigger problem, I guess, is that I currently have so little structure in my life that it just feels like I don't have the time, but really ... I do. While we're at it, let's add that to the list, too. I need to structure my days. I need a plan for each day (with room for changes, of course). Adding a little structure to my life would probably help put into motion many of the other goals I have for myself this year.

What an enlightening day I've had so far :)