What has happened to me? Last night we went out to dinner. It has been a while since we've been out and we just had the twins home. No one wanted to get dressed up(it was cold and rainy here) so we decided to try a newer, casual restaurant, The Counter. I believe it is a chain, perhaps you've been to one. It is, for lack of better description, a burger joint. Very casual(although they do have a bar) but just a couple of steps up from fast food. The really great part is that they are committed to buying fresh, locally sourced meat and vegetables. Great idea and I loved that you basically made your own burger, picking exactly what you wanted on it. Here's what I didn't like: the bill. We had a nice dinner but uneventful. The bill, for the four of us(including 2 glasses of wine) was $76 plus tip.(Doesn't my $32 steak dinner from last week look like a bargain?) As we walked out I remarked that although it was good, there wasn't anything we ate that I couldn't have done as well or better at home. (Even the onion straws! Remember them from my earlier posts?!) It struck me that prior to Cooking to Save we ate like this at least 2 or 3 nights a week!! No wonder money was running out of my checking account. I just don't get the joy in eating out much anymore. :( To be honest, it's kind of a bummer. I think I have become a spoilsport. Who would believe that this could happen in a few short months? I think it comes down to liking money and liking more of it in my bank account! I haven't sworn off eating out again of course. I've decided that if we eat out with the kids it has to be a restaurant where I can't (ok, don't want to) replicate the food; hibachi would be a good example. I still really enjoy going out with friends sometimes; that becomes less about the meal and more about enjoying time out. So we'll continue to do that. But for the rest of it, we're home. Spring is here and we'll be cooking out a lot. We still have New Years as a goal and I am finding myself reenergized to continue saving. It is definitely feeling more like a life choice then a sacrifice. Tonight, my choice is to light the coals ......(well, actually I am hoping that Mart is going to do that!)
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