I wear my "cheap ass" badge proudly
Since moving to Arkansas, our monthly financial output is
significantly lower. Not just because we don't have a mortgage payment but we also chose to pay off our truck as well.
The biggest difference since coming here is that we RARELY eat out anymore. In Los Angeles, it was nothing for us to eat out 2 - 3 times a week. Being in the sticks like we are here, we can't just run down to the nearest Outback Steakhouse and drop $60 on a meal. Nope. It's more like I buy groceries once a week and we eat at home every night....AND we eat much better.
I have my favorite "cheap ass" discussion every night with Jack over dinner (I dont know how she tolerates me). It goes like this:
Me: "Honey, you will never guess how cheap this dinner is!"
Jack: "I'm sure you're gonna tell me!"
Me: "Well, this piece of roast is HALF of the roast we ate last week that I froze, so that part is $2! The potatoes and carrots are another $2! The onion and gravy MIGHT come out to $1! And the rolls come out to .25 each! So that means that for $6, we are going to get TWO meals EACH. WEEEEEEEEEEE - BABE! THAT COMES OUT TO $1.50 PER MEAL!"
And really, when you think about easily spending $6 for a sack of crap from McDonalds or Wendys -its fabulous!