Frugal's Bugle: LONG ON MONTH, SHORT ON MONEY

Mornings are a hectic part of my day. I suspect they are for many of us. It must be true. As I make my morning commute, I pass various coffee and breakfast drive-thru windows. I can’t help but notice the parade of cars lined up waiting to place an order or pay at the window.

Some in need of their daily morning jolt of java. Others need a more substantial morning meal.

An English muffin with a slice of cheese and an egg seems to cost about $2.79, if one orders only the English muffin with a slice of cheese and an egg. That is almost $14/week. The financial hit for the month is $55.80. No coffee, just the morning English muffin breakfast item.

A toasted bagel without cream cheese seems to find itself on the dollar menu. That would be a financial cost of $20 month. Again, the coffee/beverage hasn’t been factored into the equation. Buying any combination of the two items, daily for the month, can deplete your wallet anywhere from $20 to $55.80 per month. The same applies for the cost of a daily cup of coffee.

For a small investment of $4.95, I purchased a 4” round frying pan. Coincidentally, it is the perfect size to cook eggs that fits nicely between two slices of an English muffin or a bagel.

My price point for eggs, discounted English muffins, and Swiss cheese makes the total cost of my homemade, Egg McFrugal about 64 cents. A month’s worth will cost me $12.80. Hmmm…pay $55.80 or $12.80?

To be frugal with my time and my money, I make a week’s worth of these egg whites in advance on Sunday morning. The time spent on line at the drive-thru burning fuel can easily be longer and more costly than toasting my English muffin at home. The quality of real cheese from home is better than the processed cheese food atop the restaurant item.

Yes, I have to say, I do like having it my way… much better!

SOUND THE BULGE! Today’s tip: Discretionary income is money that you spend on non-essentials. If you are habitually long on month and short on money, review where you are spending your discretionary income. Cutting back on non-essentials is one step to help you to get to the end of the month with money in your wallet.

4" FRYING PAN