A Month Without

Oprah ruined my life.

Again.

A couple of weeks back, Oprah's frequent guest (and TV personality in her own right), Suze Orman, gave Oprah's viewing audience three challenges to help them deal with their debt and manage their money. Sherry saw the show and suggested we try them.

1. Go a day without spending any money. I can see how this might be difficult for some people; especially the 'buy a latte every day and go shopping for the fun of it' crowd. For us, this was a very easy task. Pick a Sunday. Don't buy lunch on the way home from church. Done. I suppose we should have picked a weekday, but even that would have been somewhat easy this month. You'll see why.
2. Go a week without using your credit card. Now, this challenge seems very good for many people. Shoot, the Oprah studio audience on that day averaged over $10,000 per person in credit card debt! (Gulp!) Now, this particular challenge doesn't help us with reducing our debt, since we never carry a credit card balance, but it did make us think a little more when we shopped. We used cash and I used my debit card once, but we made it. I don't want to live that way, since credit cards are so handy, but it was not much of a hassle for a week. But now we get to our third challenge.
3. Go a month without eating out.

What? What!?! Gentle readers, every work day, I look forward to my lunch break. I am not able to get free every single day, but most days, I do. And when I take my lunch break, it is rare that I have packed a lunch from home. I eat out!

Oh, I have tried, at times, to bring an inexpensive, nutritious lunch. When I do, my "Dude Lunch Buddies" have to indulge me by eating in the Apache Mall food court, where I can legally join them with my sandwich and carrot sticks. So, normally, we just choose a fast food joint and we take our break there. And I eat out!

But it's a good idea. It's healthy. It's cheaper. I get it! Really, I do! But, but, but...

[Sigh]

So, for the entire month of February, I am forgoing my Wendy's, Fazoli's, Great China, Quizno's, Panera Bread, Taco John's, Chipotle and Roscoe's Barbeque. Oh, the deprivation! It's almost like Lent! (Oh my! I just realized! Lent starts before February ends! I might end up getting trapped by even more sacrifice! My heart will get so healthy, it will kill me!)

Ye Gods, Oprah! What you've done to me! Me, and all the other men whose wives have become such devotees of your cult!

You better make it up to us with some good shows close to Valentine's Day.

'Nuff said.

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No, Oprah didn't ruin my life. That was hyperbole.

It is amazing, however, how many changes in our life are attempted because of that woman's television show.