Written by Lyn Brooks, Staff Writer
Sometimes, it's hard to get motivated to save money. Even when your finances are in a shambles and you know you need to take some drastic actions to get a better handle on your money. Finding the inspiration to save is especially difficult around the holidays. Even when it's not a "major" holiday, like Christmas, or New Year's Eve, the minor holidays that are "sprinkled" throughout the year can be especially dangerous and tempt you to go off your budget and spend. Parties and other celebrations are especially hazardous to our budget's health.
Last night was not only the New Hampshire primary, it was also Mardi Gras, the last night of festivities for Carnival. Sadly, I didn't get to enjoy any King Cakes this year, or go to any parties. I've not even made any gumbo or jambalaya, which is really pitiful when you consider how frugal and low cost these great dishes can be!
In addition to Mardi Gras, this week was also the start of the Chinese New Year, another holiday with plenty of temptations to spend!
Today, however, is the date of a much more subdued tradition. For Catholics, today is Ash Wednesday, and the start of the Lenten season. Traditionally people give up something that is seen as an indulgence or temptation for them during Lent.
Even though I am not a member of this particular faith, I often feel led during this time of year to increase my prayers and to give up something meaningful in the days and weeks that lead up to the celebration of Christ's resurrection. As with many things, you don't have to be Catholic or even particularly religious, to observe Lent, or even any other holiday. Holidays are what you make of them.
So as I was thinking about what I should give up for Lent this year, I also began to think about how to use this holiday to increase my focus on improving our finances, rather than blowing our budget by throwing a party.
Even though we've started this year out well and truly broke, there is one area of our finances where we still splurge a little from time to time, and that is on eating breakfast out.
Two to three days of the week, my husband and I enjoy eating breakfast out together. Whether we go in and sit across the table from one another waiting on our order, or, just go through the drive through and order biscuits, coffee and tea off of the dollar menu, it's nice to have something hot and warm to eat and drink first thing in the morning that we didn't have to prepare ourselves.
We spend about $17 a week, each week, doing this. Quite frankly, that's $17 that could be used to increase our weekly savings, or in keeping with the theme of the Lenten season, that's $17 we could donate to charity!
Still, it's awfully tempting to continue eating breakfast out so that we don't have to get out of bed so early in the morning to make it ourselves. This is something that is meaningful for us and that won't be so easy to give up. That is why we have decided that eating breakfast out is our little indulgence that we are giving up for Lent this season.
Our local McDonalds' had the following special this week: two bacon, egg and cheese biscuits for $3. We got the special, a coffee for my husband and a sweet tea for myself as our last breakfast out before the start of Lent. They now serve breakfast all day, so I am already tempted to cheat on my resolution. It's a whole 46 days until Easter, so we'll see how it goes over the next few weeks,
If we are successful with this challenge, who knows, maybe we will stay on the straight and narrow and continue this new tradition long after Lent ends.
Do you observe Lent? If you do, what did you decide to give up this year?
Photo Credit: Flickr, Randy Heinitz
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