I love food too much!

Did you watch the hot dog eating contest this past weekend? Glorious... Welcome to America !!!!

Now that I am on my debt payoff journey, I have tried to look for ways to cut back on spending. I think one of the major culprit is eating out. It's not because I am lazy to cook (maybe a little), but I am not the type who cant "Meal Prep" the week (or month) and just expect to be satisfied with the same old food every day.... I need variety! Most of my meals are a 'game day decision' - which means, I usually do not plan my meals and just go after my gut (or stomach).

Also, I think I eat out more when I am stressed. I just feel so deprived on everything else that I just dont even look at the refrigerator and just go out. This week was a major test and a major fail on my part - not only on the shopping department, but also on the food department. We were out and about the whole time trying to do last minute shopping (since this whole week will be busy with work) - we ate out... A LOT! I have been trying for a couple of weeks on cutting back with eating out and I need to get back to this since this is a major fail this week.

Below are a few reminders of what I have done to cut back...

Cook for a group - Depending on your living situation... if you live alone or live with your SO - I would usually cook a bigger portion so I can bring it to work the next day.

Order the dinner portion - I cant usually finish them, so I am able to save half of it for lunch tomorrow or dinner the next night. You can usually tell by the type of food if its a good option to have as a leftover the next day.

Sharing is caring - It's hard to hang out with friends without spending a lot. I know most of the PF communities would tell us to learn how to say NO, but I think in moderation its good to meet up with friends or coworkers (keep my sanity also) and stay under budget by sharing. Just do your research in your neighborhood - There are a lot of places that offer food and drinks for under $5 under a certain timeframe on weekdays (happy hour menus)

Special Offers or Deals - If its a place that you go to almost everyday - you can check to see if they have a member deal or gather points everytime you go there (ie. Starbucks Card). There are also places where they give you a stamp card where you can get your 5th or 10th meal for free.

I still have a couple more days and I will really try my best not to spend anymore money on food

Independence Day

Happy Independence Day or Happy 4th of July to everyone in the US.

Have fun and be safe!!! I hope you get to see an amazing fireworks show, eat lots of hot dogs, drink lots of beers, have fun with your family and friends

Don't forget to be grateful - we are so lucky and blessed to live in such an amazing county!

USA! USA! USA!

Long Distance on the Cheap

Now how about a little background about my personal relationship...

We have been doing the 'Long Distance' for almost a year now since I moved for a job to OC. Prior to that we lived together - imagine the CHANGE in that. But, I must say, its freaking hard we have been managing this quite well. Between our work schedules, classes, homework etc. we have tried to be in constant communication (thank you technology!) and make the most of the short weekends or days off that we can spend time together.

Now that I am on a quest to be debt free - he's slowly learning to change his spending lifestyle as well - we have been trying to look for options to still enjoy an active life while together but on a budget.

Here are some of the things we enjoy that are budget friendly

• Walk/Bike around the beach/pier - The perks of living along the coast
• Walk/Bike around the park - There are so many gorgeous parks out here... Jay is lucky enough to live close to Balboa Park
• Gym Dates - We usually try to go to the gym first before breakfast/brunch on the weekends. This helps keep us motivated, plus, I we tend to eat healthier after a gym session
• Grocery Shopping - Its a prelude to staying in and also spend some time in the kitchen
• Movies - We found a really cheap theater by our parents house. Last movie we saw was Adam Sandler's Blended and it was only $12 total for the both of us. It was a matinee weekend ticket. Score! 
• Redbox night - I usually just want to stay in after dealing with traffic to see each other on weekends. We usually pick up a movie after going grocery shopping. Oh... you should try to Text to 727272 to get some free/discounted deals lol not really an ad, but that's what we use to get some free movies

How do you budget spending time with your significant other?

I hate Traffic!

What the heck is the Orange Crush?

Unfortunately I am one of the few people who drive down THIS FUN ROUTE every morning for work. I now check Google Maps on my phone before leaving the house to give me an idea how long I will be stuck on the road. If it’s raining/drizzling, forget about it – its going to be an hour minimum drive tops for a 15 mile trek. But why does this have to directly alter my mood when I start my day... Although, I still do not enjoy driving this route – here are a couple of things that I do to SHIFT my mood in the morning.

Always carry a fully loaded I-pod with NEW SONGS
I never know what mood I will be in driving in the morning. So I keep my i-pod stocked with classical music to hip hop music. Music never fails me.

Listen to an audio book
I cant listen to an actual novel. My imagination isn't really at its peak in the morning - especially when there is a jerkoff pissing me off  rude person on the road. I TRY to supress my road rage by listening to self-help/motivational books. I feel so much more accomplished in the morning listening to them.
A couple of my favorites are:

• The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
• Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey
• Lean in by Sheryl Sandburg
• The Success Principles by Jack Canfield
• Get the Edge by Tony Robbins

TIP: You can also check out your local library and burn it into your ipod and borrow an audio book.

Try different routes
There's probably three different freeways (lol California) I can take to head to work and I try to change my daily route whenever traffic allows. I feel like it gives me another side of the city/area I live in. I am not as stressed as just concentrating on the traffic ahead, but focused more on discovering a new cafe or restaurant that I pass by...

Get your workouts out of the way
This will help if there's a gym close by to your work. If not, I buy groupons for Barre classes, Yoga or Bootcamp thats close by my work. I feel like this keeps my energy level at peak during work hours. Plus, I dont have any excuse not working out just because I was tired or stressed out from driving.

If work is flexible, try to come in a little earlier (or a little later)
There's a certain time frame when the traffic congestion builds up. If you have lived in the area or have done this commute multiple times – you would’ve figured out this time already. I can leave my house at 6:50 and be ok - not hit as much traffic, but once I leave after 7am traffic gets congested by then.

How is traffic around your area? What do you do daily to beat the stress driving?