A whole 15 days.

The B-Man and I have made it fifteen whole days without eating out. I have no idea how much money this endeavor has saved us, but my best guess tells me that it's a lot. I have no idea what compelled us to take up this challenge, but I am glad that we did.

I drove all over Washington this weekend and because eating out was not an option, all that I spent was what the ferry cost me (less than $25, round trip) because I ate breakfast at home, packed a lunch, dinner at my friend's, breakfast with her, leftover dinner for lunch, and then a home-cooked meal at home when I returned.

It was fantastic. For one thing, I simply sat and visited with one of my favorite people on the planet. There was no pressure, no stress because I was enjoying a weekend that I couldn't afford, and it was relaxing and amazing to get away from home. Our kids love each other and were ridiculously excited to see one another since they are used to seeing each other a lot more than they have lately. I needed to get off of my island and do something on my own.

I also proved to myself that it is possible to take a road trip without spending a boat load of money. I found out that leaving Dave at home without me doesn't mean coming home to a burnt down house. He didn't even break our deal, he ate leftovers and managed to not eat out. Someone should give that man a medal. I am guessing that it would have been the most tempting before I got home on Sunday.

Today was officially our fifteenth day. We are halfway there. I know that we can make it 30 days. I know that we will be happier for it because we will have more money and be healthier. I pride myself on making good choices for my family, but I have found that where food is concerned I sometimes sacrifice for the sake of convenience. Who can fault me? I am a Navy wife, full time student, wife of a full time student, runner, and mom. Convenience is important to me. This lesson is teaching me that I don't have to sacrifice convenience completely for the sake of nutrition.

The bottom line for my family is that we are living on Junior Enlisted pay, in a high cost of living area, in a period where prices are higher than our pay allows. We can't afford to eat out. We could be enjoying other things in life a lot more if we weren't spending money on restaurant food. I think that if we can make it thirty days, we can make it sixty. Now I just need to convince my husband.