The beauty of a PLAN!

Jessica at Life As Mom is posting on today's Frugal Friday about how to eat at home and save money.

How I have learned that lesson.

And I've learned how important it can be to share the plan.

My husband loves to go out to eat.  It is one of the ways he copes with stress.  This can be tough on the budget.  So I've had to come up with some creative ways to help him feel nourished emotionally and physically in the kitchen, where it's cheaper to relieve stress!!

All of Jessica's tips are right on target, and I've learned the beauty in each one.  This very week, even.

Hubs loves to eat out, especially at lunch time.
And he has a favorite restaurant, where he loves to eat a salad bar.
So.... I intentionally purchased salad items that I don't normally have on hand to satisfy that 'salad bar' craving.  And it cost less than one trip to said salad bar.  One day at lunchtime, hubs was feeling the need to go out.  I told him of my stock-up, and threw together lovingly prepared his salad.  Which was perfect (he had seconds).  Success!

We had two unplanned events come up this week.  Ds#3 spent the night with a friend, leaving hubby & I alone for a rare date night, but I did not want to spend money out.  Then we were invited to some friends' house for dinner.  This means we had a dinner that I needed to make date-worthy, and then a dinner I didn't have to make.  These were fairly easy adjustments, but if I hadn't had a plan, we would end up spending money to go out for the date night (nothing wrong with that at all, just better for our budget right now to stay in), and I would have had to spend money to purchase items to take a dessert to our friends' home.

The plan is flexible, and can be changed, but it provides a framework for success!

Check out Frugal Friday on Life As Mom for money-saving inspiration.