Debt Diet -- For your wallet and waistline

    I’ve got some tips for trimming your expenses that also trim your waistline.
    You may have read some of these before, but if you’ve ever wondered if they work, I’ll tell you they do. I’ve lost 10 pounds in the last six months because I was being cheap, not because I was trying to lose weight. (Although, honestly, I hope I don’t lose anymore! I don’t want to lose any padding where it counts!)

Skip the soda, sweet tea, smoothies, gigantor sweet cocktails, appetizers and dessert when eating out.
You could easily save $13 on a single meal this way. Eat dessert at home where it’s cheaper or skip it altogether.

Eat half your meal at the restaurant and save the rest for lunch or dinner the next day.
Doggie bags save time and money. Not to mention calories – the average restaurant entree is 1000 calories, half the calories you need all day long.

Drink more water.
I know people say water fills you up so you eat less, but I don’t think that’s true… not for me anyway. But water is free and with a squeeze of lemon, it’s quite refreshing.

Don’t drink with dinner at home or with lunch at work.
Individual bottles or cans of soda or drinks are expensive. Bottles of juice (or juice drink, more appropriately) are expensive too. When I was a kid, My brother and I could polish off 64 ounces of fruit drink in a single meal. When I grew up and started shopping for myself, my jaw dropped at how expensive that stuff is! Now I drink 6 to 8 ounces after I’ve had dinner as kind of a treat. Saves money, and about 300 calories.

Swap out meat for beans or veggies.
Beans are cheap, dried, in a can, whatever. Cheap. And cooked up right you won't miss the meat. Beans have protein, like meat, but with fiber and without the cholesterol and fat. I try to make vegetarian lunches and save the meat for dinners at home (or eating out).
   If you need some suggestions, email me, I've got great suggestions for veggie cous cous, veggie burritos, avocado and white bean tortillas, veggie chili with cornbread, yummy!

Spread out the snacks.
I’m a cookie fiend. I’m the Cookie Monster. For a long time, I wouldn’t let my fridge be devoid of those cookies you break off and bake. But, those things aren’t cheap. So, I only buy them on sale and I’ll make a package last for weeks. I stopped eating cookies and milk every night to save the money. That alone probably accounts for half the weight I lost!

Bring your snacks to work.
Don't bother with those pre-packed, 100 calories deals. They cost more than just buying a regular bag and portioning it out in smaller sandwich bags yourself. There's also the healthy options  like apples and bananas. I also like snacking on pomegranate seeds.
    A richer indulgence is Newman’s Own Organic dark chocolate bar, eating just one or two squares a day. It’s just 50 to 100 calories and if you eat it slow enough, it soothes the choco-monster inside. Trust me, if I can eat just one square, you can too!

    Give them a try for fiscal and physical health! If you have any more suggestions, please share them.

    DH

Comments

[Digerati]

Just cutting out caloric drinks can make you lose dozens of pounds per year. Soda's the big one, but there are many more. http://www.catchagideon.com/2007/01/21/how-to-easily-reduce-calories/

[Clink]

Try vegweb.com for veggie recipes, too. They're a vegan site, but many of the vegan options (soy "dairy") can be replaced with reg things. People are extremely creative on that site, plus, there are reviews of almost every recipe, so you know which ones are good.

[debt free dave]

It will also save your waistline. $1 for a beer at home or the cost of a six pack out... it's a no brainer.

http://getprequalified.com/article/104773/real_estate_buying_a_home/give_up_the_escalade_and_starbucks_to_buy_a_home.html

[debt free dave]

A lot of people mistake being thirsty for being hungry. They eat when in fact they are just thirsty. It took me a while to see that. If you can distinguish this for yourself I think you will see something interesting.

[Liz]

I would love some of your veggie recipes. They sound really yummy!