(What DOESN'T look good about this?)
Why does their food have to be so good? Couldn't they overcook their chicken, or use some moldy cheese, or a stale burrito?
Rebekah and I go to Chipolte probably once a week. We spend $15.09 for a chicken and veggie burrito (sometimes a bowl when feeling healthy) and one drink that we share to save money. That is $60.36 a month on Chipolte or $724.34 a year! I think we practically keep the place running. We have been doing a lot better about not visiting Chipolte more than once a week, but it is tough! Having an extra $60 would certainly help us get out of debt faster, but we do enjoy having some semblance of a life. Rebekah and I go out to eat once a week (sometimes twice) to reward ourselves for making it through the week. Being teachers, this is no easy task.
This is an area that Dave Ramsey and I disagree on. Dave says you should not step foot inside of a restaurant while you are paying off debt. You should eat rice and beans and beans and rice. I think you should reward yourself for working hard to pay off debt. Otherwise, you may lose motivation and ultimately quit. Paying off debt is certainly no easy task and having something to look forward to every Saturday night makes the week a little easier.
We have some more loan payments coming up on the 15th. I will try to do a post before then on income. I hope everyone has a great end to their week and a wonderful weekend!
Chipotle is yummy. I think 15 bucks for a dinner out is a sweet deal. Very sensible. You're making good progress on your debt, so enjoy your weekly burrito with an easy conscience.
ReplyDeleteP.S. I'm a Dave fan myself but I think maybe the rice and beans, beans and rice scenario is for those in seriously dire financial situations. The kind where you wake up screaming in the middle of the night. If that's not you, bon apetit!
Thank you for your comment. We are not in seriously dire financial straits (yet), so we do enjoy our burrito once a week. However, if we get to the point we can no longer afford a $15 dinner, then we might be doing the rice and beans for dinner. We would be screaming a lot more than just at night. As always, thank you for reading.
ReplyDeleteI am more a follower of Gail Vax Oxlade. She is quite insistent about putting a small % each week towards 'entertainment'. People need to learn to budget and plan for their fun, and no fun, forever, is....well...no fun.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this. We have just started to follow Gail's blog. We have been loving her ideas so far. We are definitely trying to budget for our fun. However, it can be difficult in the middle of the month after a long day at work. Thank you for sharing!
DeleteI'm not much of a fan of rice on my wraps/food other than as a side (and trust me, 95% of what I ate back home while growing up had rice as a side). I agree with you that some money has to be set aside for entertainment. I myself dont really spend a lot on that (can't remember the last time I did!), but when the opportunity does come, I dont feel bad or guilty to take advantage of it and have some fun. I've said before that when I look back to these years, I dont want to say "I paid debt off". I want to be able to say "I did X, Y and Z and had fun". That's my philosophy.
ReplyDeleteThat is a great view to have. I certainly do not want to look back and think I paid off debt instead of going to Chipolte or the movies. However, I want my kids to be able to enjoy those things on a regular basis. If my wife and I have debt, I do not think these entertainment activities will be a viable option. Thank you for your comment and reading!
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