intro essay

Money Fasting

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “In 2015, the average American household spent $2,787 a year on restaurant meals and takeout” Meanwhile my budget on outside food seems to be off by a couple thousand. On average, I spend around $5200 a year which translates to about $100 a week. I’ve been aware of this problem for a while, but always procrastinate in fixing it. I had seen online a while ago that it takes 30 days to break a habit, so I’m forcing myself to try it out. This addiction was mainly caused by my lack of patience and temptation anytime I think about food I’ve seen on commercials or on social media. So for my 30 day challenge, I’m going to cut all my funds towards any dining out in order to save money and end my addiction of binge spending.

Even after hearing all these other great 30 day challenges I asked myself, why did I pick this one? I could have went with a workout challenge to bulk myself up to a summer body, or a diet challenge to get my body energized every day. In the end I thought of what matters to me the most, and that is my money. Without it you can’t do much in this world. Money does wonders and that can be either good bad. It’s the reason most people live for but it’s also the reason a lot of them die for. The money I was spending on food these years could have been saved towards my tuition or books, but my love for food got to me first. I realized I was spending way too much on unnecessary food, around $100 dollars a week. I can’t help but spend when a friend talks about Red Lobster’s warm and crispy cheddar biscuits, or when I think about asada tacos from the taco stand on Evans and Sheridan. I just can’t help it, but I’m determined to do something about it.

I never really thought my spending was that important until I really added up all my expenses and almost had a stroke when I realized I had a problem. This challenge really means something to me because it is a chance at potentially getting all my finances in order while teaching me responsibility I can use in the future.

Although personally this is really hard to accomplish considering I love food, I’m motivated to get it done. I keep in mind how much more money I’ll have if I don’t spend 10 dollars on a Baconator with large fries and lemonade. I also keep in mind all the other meals I could be having at home like Carne con Chile or a warm bowl of Pozole. Another way I get motivated would be by my mom, because I get a speech anytime I spend money on outside food. With my challenge there is not much motivation that is needed to achieve it, but rather suppressing myself.

My expectation for this challenge is for it to be tough and rewarding with a lesson I can keep forever. My errors in spending led me to finally change my ways for the better. I want to learn the importance of personal finance in order to make wiser decisions in the future whether that be buying a house, taking out a loan, etc. Although I know money isn’t everything, I know being a wiser person is. That is why I am so driven to do this money fasting. With that being said, in 30 days I will not have spent a dime on any outside food.