A Week Without Spending $$

   Saving money is a habit. It's a mindset you have in the "on" position. If you don't practice it for a while, you get out of the habit. We did that for a while. You're hungry on the way to work? Pull in the drive thru. Want something specific for dinner? Buy whatever you want, putting aside sales, coupons, menu planning, etc. My favorite thing to do to jump start the habit again is a little something I call the Fiscal Fast. It's literally a week-long spending freeze on your household. No drive thru, no grocery store, no lunch money, na-da.
    The only thing I recommend doing to prepare for this week is to fill your gas tank. If one tank of gas won't get you to and from work for the week, this is the ONLY area you can "cheat." But, do be mindful of where you're going each day and the gas it will consume to get there. Limit your transportation to work only. Just for a week. It won't kill you. Consider carpooling if possible.
   Brew your own coffee at home or the office. Make some toast or a bowl of cereal instead of hitting the drive thru on the way to work. Pack your lunch every day. If your kids typically take lunch money, pack their lunch too. These are just a few things you can do to eliminate spending for the week.
   DO NOT go grocery shopping the day before you start. This defeats the purpose of saving money if you drop $200 in Publix on fresh produce and new shampoo. You might be panicking about what you'll eat for 7 days. I can almost guarantee, you have enough non-perishables stashed in your pantry to last you a week. And with the help from a few things in the freezer, you can survive. Use as many fresh ingredients from your fridge as possible to avoid waste and clean it out!
   Sometimes, you can even make a meal with leftovers for lunch or to freeze for another day. Here's what I made for dinner last night with only items currently in my fridge, pantry and freezer:

Mexican Tomale Casserole                               

• lb. ground beef, cook/drain
• 1 - 8 ox. pkg of corn muffin mix
• 1.5 C. of water
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Tablespoon chili powder
• 2 C. Salsa
• 2 C. shredded cheddar, divided 
• 1 C. corn canned or frozen
• 1 C. black beans, drain/rinse
• Chopped Romaine lettuce

   In a large bowl, combine muffin mix, water, eggs and chili powder. Add beef, salsa, corn, and 1 cup of cheese. Mix well and pour in greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Top with remaining cheese and bake additional 5 minutes. Serve over lettuce and top with sour cream.

   I used a package of frozen venison from last hunting season. I also had extra of all of the above ingredients so I made a double recipe with plans to freeze the second dish for dinner on another day. I didn't have salsa, but I did have a can of Mexican seasoned diced tomatoes and half an onion in the fridge. I also added a piece of green bell pepper (chopped) I had left from a previous meal. Boom. Dinner is done. And so is lunch tomorrow and a future quick dinner in the microwave.