How A Morning Routine Can Save You Money

I love to sleep. I do. I always have.  I love going to bed early and getting up later.  I love a good nap, too.  I am good at sleeping, and I am a firm believer in sticking to what you are good at.  But, I also love to save my families’ money.  I may enjoy that more than sleep.  So I choose to get up earlier to make that happen.  My morning routine saves me money.

My husband has to be at work by 6 am.  This means he leaves the house by 5:30. He is up at 5:15 to get ready but this doesn’t give him time to eat.  His job allows him the flexibility to stop someplace as needed for breakfast, lunch, and coffee as he is traveling around the area visiting job sites. So this means, he could swing into a sub place or go to a drive-through or a coffee shop to grab his meals when he is ready.  However, those purchases add up!

Let’s do some math.

The cheapest cup of coffee that I am aware of is $1.  A breakfast sandwich ranges from $3- $6 so let’s go with the lowest price.  Throw in a hashbrown for another $1.50. There is $5.50 for breakfast at 6 am.

Grab a coffee, and a muffin at 9 am $4

Lunch. You are quickly looking at $10.  A salad and iced tea at Panera is $12.  A sub, chips and a drink is almost $10.  So for lunch, let’s put $10 on it at noon.

At 3 pm, you might stop for an iced tea and a granola bar. There is another $4.

That totals $23.50 PER DAY!!!  $117.50 per week.  $470 per month!!!!  I just increased my grocery budget to $400 for the summer per month for a family of 4!!  That is less than buying food every day for one person!!!

Guys, that is A LOT of money!!!

I would encourage you to take a minute and figure out how much money you may be spending each day for food if you are working outside of the home.  The numbers may surprise you.

The Maker of the Food.

I am the shopper of the food and the maker of the food.  I am the planner and the preparer.  Some may say I am the controller of the food ut that sounds a little harsh.  Nobody complains when their bellies are full so something must be going ok!  They are healthy and happy, and there is almost always something to eat!

Husband.

I make breakfast and lunch for my husband.  I make breakfast and lunch for my oldest son.  He is in a special program and eats both breakfast and lunch at school as part of that program.  Then, I make my youngest’s lunch.  That is five meals before 7:30 am.

My husband gets a breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee as he heads out the door and lunch all packed.  He doesn’t have the opportunity to reheat any leftovers so finding cold lunches for him can be a challenge.  Sandwiches don’t do it for him all the time, so creativity comes into play.

In the winter, I can warm up soups, stews, leftover pasta dishes and put them in a thermos. (Note about warming things up: they seem to stay hotter when warmed on the stove as opposed to the microwave.). In these warmer months, he likes salads.  Today, he got a nice salad filled with veggies, leftover chicken, and cheese with Thousand Island dressing.  I usually chop up whatever meat I have leftover for a salad.

He then has some yogurt, berries, and granola for a mid-morning snack.  A piece of fruit and a granola bar just in case he needs something else.

Boys.

My oldest has special dietary needs, so he typically has scrambled eggs or oatmeal, yogurt, banana, and juice for breakfast.  Lunch is usually some type of pasta, maybe sweet potatoes or squash, some homemade apple berry sauce or another fruit puree and then some cookies or bar and milk.  That boy eats a LOT!

My youngest has eaten the same lunch since preschool!  He is going to be a Senior next year!  Peanut butter sandwich, fruit (mostly grapes), and a snack.  Water to drink!  That is it!  He is almost 6 foot tall.  I don’t know how he can last through the day on so little food!  By 3 when he gets home, he is eating again!

My Morning Routine.

5:10 Wake and make breakfast and lunch for husband

5:30 Coffee and computer time

6:00 Make oldest breakfast and lunch

6:30 Get oldest up, ready and out the door by 7

6:45 Make sure youngest is up and getting in the shower

7:00 Make the youngest lunch

7:15 More coffee and eat breakfast with youngest

7:45 Send the youngest off to school

By 8:00, I can start my house morning routine which could entail things like floors, laundry, dishes, and any special projects that need attention.  That typically takes me about an hour.  After that, I can jump right into the blog or whatever else I have on the calendar!

Preparation and Planning.

Prep and planning is the key to a smooth morning routine.  What can you do the night before to help?  It only takes a few minutes to plan the morning.  Are you and your family creatures of habit that normally eat the same 2 to 3 foods for breakfast and lunch?  As you can see, we are.  This makes packing these meals easier. Pick a couple of things to always have on hand, so the process goes smoother and quicker.

I understand many are not morning people, but you could be.  Changing your mindset and getting excited about it could change how you view the early morning!  Right now, it is Summer break, and I got my husband off to work, and the boys are still sleeping. It is 6:40 and I am on coffee number 2 while I am writing this.  It’s so quiet, and there’s this fantastic stillness that you cant find in any other part of the day.

If you are a reader, check out The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod.  Some pretty inspirational words in there.  I will put a link to it on my Bookshelf for you (top of the page or found here).  There are some fantastic pointers in there on how to become a morning person.  Not only will you save money by getting up a little earlier, but your day will not feel rushed and will seem to go smoother.

Write It Down.

Take some time over the weekend and write down some ideas for the week.  Not only for you but for your family.  If you work outside the home, you can do this for yourself as well.

I enjoy prepping on Sundays for the week.  I don’t always do it.  When I don’t, I can feel the difference in the way things run for me in the morning.  It always feels smoother when I prepare some things ahead of time.

Even the night before, pull out the stuff you know you will need and have it ready.  Of course, not the perishables. Having to dig through the bottom cupboard for those plastic boxes for sandwiches at the last minute can be frustrating.  Check your list to see if last minute changes need to be made.  Get a good night sleep!  We all know that a good morning routine begins with a good night’s sleep!

 

 

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