Saving Money: Restaurants are my Kryptonite

I love eating out. I love the food, I love the social aspect. I love getting out of my house, and not having to clean up or wash dishes. I thought once I had the baby I wouldn't do it anymore, and the budgetary problem would take care of itself, but then I had to go and have a happy, social baby who I could take everywhere. (I know, cry me a river, right?)

We eat out at least once a week. Usually more. I know, I know that the best way to cut down on this expense is just not to do it. I know. But it brings us both such joy that we don't want to cut it out entirely.

When we lived in a college town, it was easy to find cheap casual restaurants and to find coupons and deals for them. Here, not so much. So, in order to subsidize my eating out habit, I've had to get a little more creative. Here are some of the ways I'm trying to make eating out more affordable:

• Drink water. Every single time. When a soda costs as much as a salad, it's just ridiculous. I'm not there for the soft drinks anyway.
  
• Go to lunch. Honestly, with the baby, it's easier anyway, and a lot of the nicer places we go to have a lunch menu with lower prices for the same great food.
  
• Split an entree. Okay, my husband isn't big on "sharing" (did I mention we really like food?), but sometimes if the plates are big enough he can be convinced to split one with me and get a salad or appetizer to go with it.
  
• Get gift cards. I use my My Points and my credit card points to get gift cards for places we typically eat.
  
• Get coupons. I have not had the greatest success with Restaurant.com or Groupon, but some people do. I have had success by signing up for email or mailed coupons from restaurants we regularly go to. I also sign up for frequent visit/stamp clubs.
  

I am so open to tips, as I need to fuel my restaurant habit. How do you save money while eating out?

The state of my money and my life

Money

We are doing pretty well, better than we ever have, but we could do better. We make more than we ever have, and we save more than we ever have, but we spend more than we ever have too. We still have debt, and we need to work on that.

Life

Things have been different around here lately. I've been a SAHM for 9 months now, and it hasn't been at all what I expected. I am both more at peace with my choices and more worried than I have ever been in my life.

I spend most days trying to come up with ways to keep the baby busy, struggling to keep the house clean, and sneaking in as much bloggy time as I can. I still clip coupons and shop sales. I have a routine for hitting the drug store deals. That's about all I have a routine for, LOL.

I don't have much figured out just yet, but I'm working on it, and I'm going to try to share what I have figured out in the hopes that we can all learn together.

Thanks for stopping by.

Ah, those blues

It's raining here again. It's been raining for about a week.

Some mornings, after my husband leaves for work, I convince Baby Girl she wants to go back to bed just so I can go back to bed. On some of those mornings, I take a quick nap and then pop up and carry on with my day. Usually, though, I end up bringing her to my bed to snuggle and play because I have trouble moving or getting out of bed.

I know, know, that what I need to do is get up, get dressed and have a day. I know that I need to turn off my computer, read a book, exercise, get out of the house at least a little. But what I feel like doing and what I'll feel good doing aren't the same.

I'm reading again, which is good - although my last choice, The Last Time They Met: A Novel
, left me in a horrible funk that lasted for days. Next time, I'll look for something more uplifting. Reading, though, makes me feel more like me. It keeps the days from all seeming the same.

And Baby Girl, who is right now sleeping on my chest because when I put her down, she immediately woke up, turned to look at me, furrowed her eyebrows (she did!), and let out a little whimper that clearly said, "Mommy! This is not going to happen"? She can stay right here with me because nothing makes me feel calmer and stronger than loving her.

Things I've learned this week

The Internet tells me there's an 8 month sleep regression. This in no way helps with the waking every 2 hours, but does assure me that Baby Girl and I aren't (too) weird.

When you sleep in 2 hour spurts, it's hard to maintain a train of thought longer than one sentence.

Coupon shopping is still fun with a baby if you go when the stores are empty. Not so much if you're in line behind 3 people with the world's slowest checker and it's lunch time. And nap time.

Coupon shopping is even more fun when it's for a good cause.

Social networking is fun and addictive.

8 month olds think that 3 year olds at the zoo are far more entertaining than lions.

Coffee makes me a better mommy.

The sun is in fact not a mass of incandescent gas. It's a miasma of incandescent plasma.

Bananas taste much better than peas. That's why they end up in Baby Girl's hair less.

Sunlight gives me energy. And gives my leaves their healthy green color.

Free stuff to donate!

Are you getting geared up for the Stamp Out Hunger food drive? What's that, you say, you have nothing to donate? Here are some things you can pick up this week for free that your local food bank would love to have.

Walgreens

Carefree Pantiliners are on sale for $0.99.
Use $1/1 from last Sunday's Smart Source coupon insert.

Tylenol Precise on sale for $7.99. (This is either a cream or a heating pad and is not with the pain relievers in my store, so you know.
Use $5/1 printable coupon.
AND use the $3/1 store coupon from the Walgreens May Coupon Booklet (found in the front of the store)

Nature Made Calcium 120 ct is on sale for $5. This was not marked down in my store but still rung up for $5!
Use $5 printable coupon on the Walgreens facebook page


Target

Aquafresh Extreme Clean .8oz Travel Size regular price .97 (In the travel aisle)
Use $1/1 Any Aquafresh Extreme Clean Product HERE

Reach Floss $1
Use $1/1 Printable coupon (no longer available)

CVS
Similac Ready to Feed Formula (32 oz) – $4.99
Use $5.00/1 Similac Product from 4/3 Smart Source insert

Thanks to Coupon Katarina and Totally Target for finding these deals. If you have more time and more coupons, check out their awesome sites!

Don't forget to join the Facebook cause to ask Campbells to donate a pound of food and like Valpak to donate another $1