The Breeders: So Much for Our Food and Entertainment Budget

When quit his desk job to become a full-time stay-at-home dad and freelance artist, we had to make a few adjustments to our budget. We don't go on expensive vacations or buy designer clothes, so we didn't have to cut back much. Since I've been and intern and grad student for most of my adult life and Adam spent a lot of his twenties as a touring musician, we have learned to live within our means. With one exception: food.

We don't spend $200 on dinner or anything like that. If anything, an expensive bill will run us fifty bucks (the fact that Adam doesn't drink and I was pregnant or trying to be, helps), but we have fallen prey to the siren call of going out to eat. 

It is just too easy when there are so many great affordable restaurants within walking distance. And sharing a meal with friends is a good way to catch up without anyone having to do the dishes.

But it became very apparent that majority of our budget was going toward the luxury of having someone else cook for us. So we made a pact: we'd only go out to eat once a week.

This was pretty easy for the first six months or so of The Kid's life. As baby-friendly as Alameda is, it is just easier to eat at home than wield a stroller through tables and waitstaff, and Adam has become quite adept with the slow cooker — though we had to work really hard at not just picking up and bringing it home.

But, in the last few weeks, The Kid has mastered the art of sitting in a restaurant high chair, and the art of eating solid food. Thanks to Grandma's reassurance that he would not choke on a well-cooked grain of rice, we have begun to give him bits of our meals, as well. 

So a couple of weeks ago we decided to take him to one of our old favorites, . My husband carried him and I carried the baby food, spoon and a teether — no stroller required. 

The only problem is it was a raging success. In the last few weeks, The Kid has become much more socially interactive so he not only loved looking at the pictures of colorful sushi rolls on the menu and the graphic art on the walls, he made friends with the entire restaurant. He loved it. We loved it, too. 

It might be a while until he gets a taste of nigiri, but The Kid loves eating sticky rice (and basmati rice, and Mexican rice, and waffles, and, and, and...). But most of all, he just loves being out. 

And how can we deny him this enriching opportunity? He gets a kick out of watching the waitstaff and other patrons, and we love having him oohed and ahhed over. I also want him to be comfortable and well-behaved in public as he grows older — my sister and I were the five year olds quietly eating ahi at the sushi bar — and this is good practice. 

So the last two weeks we broke our rule. In order to get back within budget maybe we need to make our own menus and get more entertaining.