Comments on: Frugality Meets Reality.

By: Menu Plan 2/1 | Frugal Upstate

Menu Plan 2/1 | Frugal Upstate — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 12:26:15 +0000

[...] heading out to Nashville to speak at and attend the Blissdom conference! I have learned to accept reality when I go out of town-Yankee Bill is just not going to cook. Freezer meals will cost more than [...]

By: Jenn

Jenn — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:19:00 +0000

Oh MY! I had no idea that husbands and leftovers (or lunches) were such a hot topic. I think that this deserves its own post in a week or so. Maybe I should even do a Mr.Linky so folks can post tips and ideas for how to tackle this. . . .gears turning in brain.. . .

By: Micki

Micki — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 12:54:00 +0000

It took ten years to make my husband even look at leftovers, there is hope, Now at almost 15 years, I refuse to make anything else until the leftovers have been conquered. he can eat, or not.

By: Leanne

Leanne — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:54:00 +0000

I've managed to get the husband to eat the lunch I pack everyday, breakfast is another thing.

I refuses to get up a little earlier to have something before he leaves the house. I've tried making granola bars or something similar for him to take with him (he's on the road all day) and I always give him a thermos cup of coffee in the morning to take with him but he'll still stop at a bakery and buy something for his breakfast.

If I could learn how to make danish pastry or even a good baked doughnut I'd win this one, but I haven't had much success yet.

By: momstheword

momstheword — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:17:00 +0000

Over the last two years (this year will be the third) several of our friends have had children graduate. Some of these kids we've known from birth (and before!) and some are very good friends with our oldest son.

When our 20 yr old graduated two years ago, he received cards with money inside the envelope, he also received a few gifts as well.

That is a big deal in our budget to either give cash or buy several gifts each June. This spring there will be several more graduations. (And more still when our youngest graduates).

After this our friend's children will marry (more gifts), and then have children of their own (still more).

I guess it's kind of full circle, starting when I attended the engagement parties and weddings of my friends, and then the 1st birthday of their child.

By: TJ

TJ — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:23:00 +0000

When I travel, I too have to accept that hubby will take the path of least resistance. I do buy canned soups and frozen dinners, but he will still hit McD’s or BK for a burger. At least we don’t have to throw the frozen food out.

There are also the many lunches I make, that he chooses not to eat and then forgets to put the food into the fridge when he gets home. I have cried before while throwing away cheese and mayo and other foods I would have eaten.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:51:00 +0000

I fight to save money. I shop with coupons, buy marked down meat and shop at the cheapest grocery stores like Aldis. I take my lunch when I go to work or school. My husband blows 60 or 70 dollars a week on lunch at work and sodas (oh and let’s not forget breakfast as well which half the time is from 7-11). This is depsite my many attempts to make him lunch and buying him bottled soda to take to work (and yes he has a fridge and microwave there). I won’t say this is a compromise as I just haven’t won yet! He finally did come round to my way of eating on vacation (ie getting a place with a kitchenette and cooking in breakfast and lunch), so I have hope I will win the lunch battle with time!
Candi

By: Marcia

Marcia — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 21:08:00 +0000

We used to have the "lunch out" problem too. My husband loves to eat out (so did I, but I got fat doing it). We compromised with once/week. He goes to lunch on Friday with friends. Sometimes, he gets a better offer during the week, and will leave the lunch I packed for the next day.

One way that I got him to carry a lunch more often is to make sure they were tasty. If we have 2 different kinds of leftovers, I ask him which one he wants, and I take the other.

For dinners, I hear you there too. My hubby is going on a trip for three days next week. I know after working a (part-time) day and spending the rest of the day with my almost-3 year old, there's no way I'm cooking. So I'm making soup and beans and rice this weekend, and just going to suck it up and eat those for three straight days. It only requires a microwave.

By: foamfan

foamfan — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 19:24:00 +0000

I can be frugal at home, but I find it harder to be “cheap” when traveling. So many tourist spots are nowhere near a Walmart or other economical venue.
Sometimes, you just have to throw up your hands, and go, “okay…just this once…I’ll buy one of the hotel’s pricey danish pastries for breakfast…”

By: Heather

Heather — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 18:36:00 +0000

I can totally relate to Joanna’s comment. My hubby much prefers eating out with coworkers than brown-bagging leftover and eating in his cubicle. I can’t say I blame him. Another smack of reality was cloth diapers. I fully intended to go the cloth diaper route, but after reading the washing details, etc. that are involved, I went with disposables.