I’ve been spending a lot of time working on other things for my blog like t-shirts, writing new songs, and some other stuff. I’ve also been hit with a minor case of writer’s block. This would normally be bad for someone who posts a new article every day, but then it hit me: I can share the stuff I wrote about seven months ago when I only had four readers!
So if you’ve been reading my blog since the very beginning, this will be a repeat for you. For the other 98% of you, enjoy this story about saving money on going out to eat by going out to eat twice. I know, it sounds confusing, just check it out.
How to Save Money on Lunch with Friends or Co-Workers
I’m starting to notice a theme in my blog. First I talk about how a grilled cheese sandwich can grant wishes. Then I post about my unnatural love affair with provel cheese. And here I am, talking about food again! I love food, but I love my Mom too and I haven’t even posted about her once. (sorry Mom, love you) I really need to get this food thing in check. Tomorrow!
Because today I want to tell you a story about me and a little thing I like to call “overpriced food that’s not even very good and usually has disgusting vegetables in it but my friends like it because it’s from another country.”
On Monday, I still had some friends in town from the wedding I wrote about on Monday, and I wanted to meet up with them for lunch. My friends are weird because they like vegetables. Who does that?
Anyway, they wanted to meet for lunch at a place called Blue Ginger. I don’t even know what country the food is from, but I do know it’s not American burgers and fries or pizza so I’m not really interested. I also know that a meal there is going to cost around $10-15 when I’ll certainly enjoy a $4 value meal better. I was in a pickle. Not literally inside a pickle; but I had a problem that needed to be fixed.
I wanted to have lunch with my friends, but I didn’t want to spend $15 on food that I don’t even really like.
My solution: I left about 20 minutes early for lunch, went to Wendy’s and smashed a Chicken Deluxe Value Meal (the one for $2.99) and then sped off to Blue Ginger to sit with my friends and socialize, but not actually partake in the eating or paying of the vegetable laced lunches.
I sat there at the restaurant and politely declined a water or a menu from the waiter and she happily ignored me for the rest of the afternoon. I had a great time with my friends, and when lunch was over we all went on our merry way. As I was leaving, I saw a bowl of candy and mints at the front of the restaurant and I almost grabbed one, but then I remembered I hadn’t given them any money, so I was a good boy and didn’t take a piece.
This may sound crazy, but it works very well when you have friends that eat like adults while you still eat like a five-year-old. Or maybe your friends like to spend a lot more money than you do. Either way, next time you are invited to lunch or dinner somewhere that you don’t want to pay for, just eat beforehand and save yourself some money.
If you do this twice a month and save $10 each time, that’s $240 a year. That’s enough to buy half an iPad!
P.S. This doesn’t work at your girlfriend’s parent’s house. You have to eat her mom’s cooking. Sorry.
Kevin McKee is an entrepreneur, IT guru, and personal finance leader. In addition to his writing, Kevin is the head of IT at Buildingstars, Co-Founder of Padmission, and organizer of Laravel STL. He is also the creator of www.contributetoopensource.com. When he’s not working, Kevin enjoys podcasting about movies and spending time with his wife and four children.
>this will be a repeat for you.
If you didn’t post a new article every day I wouldn’t visit your site everyday.
The other daily update sites rehash the same things over and over again anyway. Then they bring in guest writers to rehash some more.
I don’t need to read another article about Roth IRAs, or 401Ks, or emergency funds, or budgets, or whatever. However, a new fun interpretation is always refreshing and worth reading. … So keep up the fun daily articles. Even if they are just a rehash or are vaguely related to personal finance!
I really appreciate your feedback. I feel the same way; there’s only so many times I can read about 401k’s before I want to explode. I try to post at least one “informative” article a week, and I just haven’t really thought of anything new (or something old that can be said in a more fun way) in the last few weeks.
That’s why I felt stumped last night; it’s because I was trying to think of something strongly related to personal finance. Thanks again for your comment. You’ve renewed my faith in trusting my article ideas, even when they have almost nothing to do with personal finance!
I haven’t seen this repost so it’s good for me. I’m sure most of us cheap dudes are used to pounding cheap beers before we go out clubbing. 😉 Same concept right? I don’t go out to lunch much anymore so….
Ha, I’m basically the opposite. I’d really rather not go out to eat if burgers, fries or pizza are what’s on the menu.
I’ve done this before. I tend to bring my own lunch and then just order a side salad or an appetizer when I go to lunch. Speaking of…I probably better go back my lunch now before I forget!
Ha, I do this all the time. In the city I live people love paying for ridiculously overpriced food and $12 drinks which I can’t muster up the might to do. If it’s close friends I’m just honest about it, but if it’s a gathering where I don’t know the people very well or it’s business related, what I usually do is just pretend I’m coming from another dinner, a BBQ, or somewhere else where I already ate and that’s why I’m not eating… it works as a good excuse.