When is it worth it to let someone else do the work of preparing a meal? When do you allow yourself to celebrate Good Times? Well, when it feels warranted and you have the cash for it! Saving money isn’t about torturing yourself. It’s about getting the most bang for your buck so that you have more bucks to bang with. You can plan ahead for Good Times and Celebrations and then you don’t have to feel guilty about those indulgences.
We’ve spent the past week moving, so we are definitely in Relaxation mode.
We recommend treat nights: sometimes you just want to relax and not think about cooking. If this is a once in a while occurrence, it’s totally manageable. We work some special nights into our Menu Planner to keep things under control. It’s when every night is treat night that you will begin down a path of overspending. When the whole family has had a killer day, acknowledge the stress with a treat of some sort. It doesn’t have to be a big spend – just enough to say, “Hey that was a busy/stressful/crazy day!”
For example, our kids love eggrolls but we haven’t yet learned how to make them from scratch. So when the kids need an eggroll, we get takeout. It’s a special treat that they know doesn’t come every day and they really enjoy it.
Adult treats can include premixed drinks. A lot of premixes are cheaper than buying the ingredients separately. Our favorite choices include Smirnoff Mojito and Skinny Girl Margarita.
Tip: For extra fun- put your Smirnoff Mojito or Skinny Girl Margarita bottles in the freezer about 3 hours prior to indulging – (put your glasses in too). Viola – frozen, deliciously slushy drinks! After you get the kids to sleep, include a DVD that isn’t family friendly (be it Forgetting Sarah Marshall or Resident Evil) into the experience and you almost have a date night!