This week, I witnessed an intentional act to save money. On Monday around lunchtime, I was waiting in the Chick-fil-a (CFA) drive thru for an unsweetened iced tea and noticed a CenterPoint Energy truck. Side note: My husband and I set aside pocket money each month. Pocket money is intentional money set aside to spend on whatever we would like. Mine is usually spent on unsweetened tea with lemon from CFA as a treat. I make unsweetened tea at home but sometimes it’s nice to have someone else make it! Back to the story. As I was waiting in line, I noticed a young man get out of the passenger side of the work truck and walk around to the opposite side. These work trucks have so many different compartments that house all kinds of tools. I watched him as he opened one of the compartments, removed a large bag, place it on top of the truck, and then proceed to pull out a microwave! A microwave? Yes, a microwave. This certainly piqued my curiosity! What was he doing with a microwave in a work truck? I watched him as he carried it to the tailgate of the truck and place it there. Next, he brought out a portable power station bank that he used to plug in the microwave.
It’s not everyday you see a plugged-in microwave on the back of a truck. But It wasn’t just the sight of it. It was an intentional act to save money. Did I mention I was in a Chick-fil-a drive thru line? The driver of the CenterPoint Energy truck walked inside the Chick-fil-a to get his lunch while his workmate dragged out a microwave and portable power station to heat up his lunch.
I might also mention that the street the work truck was parked on was positioned by not only the CFA, but also a Burger King, a Chipotle, and a Taco Bell. He could have walked to so many options, but instead he chose to make the extra effort with his microwaved lunch.
These are EXACTLY the actions it takes to win with your money.
1. Have a strategy, such as your budget or money plan for the month.
2. Know where your gaps are, such as spending too much on eating out
3. Enable your defenders, such as bringing your lunch to work.
This young man was intentional with his time, energy, and effort. It will all pay off for the young man, especially if he continues these actions each day.
Eating out can be one of our biggest money gaps. Let’s compare a prepared meal at home to take for lunch versus eating out.
Let’s use an example of a pot of chili made at home. I’ve used this recipe many times and it is so good! It makes 6 servings. Plus, I’m adding in Jiffy Cornbread. Each ingredient I’ve included in my breakdown are all organic. Please note that this meal could be more cost effective if you source non-organic ingredients.
4 strips bacon, sliced ½-inch thick – Aldi – $2.20
1 ½ pounds ground beef – Aldi – grass fed beef – $9.86
1 medium yellow onion, diced – $0.37
1 green bell pepper, diced – $1.81
3 garlic cloves, minced – $0.18
2 tablespoon chili powder – $1.00
1 tablespoon cumin powder – $0.85
2 teaspoon paprika – $0.25
1 teaspoon dried oregano – $0.10
1 teaspoon salt – $0.02
2 tablespoon tomato paste – $0.73
1 (28-ounce can) fire roasted diced tomatoes – $3.10
1 (15-ounce can) black beans – $1.55
1 (15-ounce can) red kidney beans – $1.55
2 cups chicken bone broth – $2.59
1 bay leaf – $0.40
Jiffy Cornbread mix – $0.64
1 Egg – $0.57
½ cup milk – $0.30
Grand total: $28.07
Divided by 6 servings = $28.07/6 =$4.67 per serving of chili and cornbread
Given the quality ingredients used in the above recipe, let’s cost compare to a Chicken Burrito Bowl from Chipotle with a drink. See screenshot order below. $15.20 total for one meal
$15.20 – $4.67 = $10.53 in savings by making your food at home
If you change your behavior to making your lunch at home versus buying, you could save $10.53 per day or more. Weekly, that would be a savings of $52.65. Monthly, that would be a savings of $210.60. Yearly, that’s a savings of $2,527.20.
What would $2,527.20 extra this year do for your household? What would it pay off? What goal would that help you save toward?
How are you being intentional today with your money?