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Chris Baldwin

February, 16 2016

Eng121/Ccr094

Denise Richter

Thirty Day Challenge

It seems like these days all I eat is fast food, why not though? It's easy, fast, and convenient, which is going to make these next thirty days a real challenge for me. This thirty-day challenge will show me just how much fast food I really eat, and how much money I can save. Depending on exactly how much money I save, I could potentially buy a new motorcycle. After some calculations, I consume fast food about six times a week, and I don’t just visit the good old dollar menu at McDonalds’s. My favorites include: Goodtimes, Chick-fil-a, and Popeyes.  Now, if you’ve ever had dinner at any of these locations, you know that it can get expensive quickly.  Unfortunately, the fast food chains that do carry a value menu of some sort, tend to be the least satisfactory.  Although it will be difficult for me to give up the Big Daddy Bacon Cheeseburger, and Spicy Chicken Sandwiches I’m determined to see where this challenge will take me.  

Eating fast food six days a week for a month equals about two-hundred and forty dollars. Not even including the days where I eat fast food twice. In total, I spend three hundred dollars a month on fast food.  Convenience is the most appealing thing about fast food; however, spending three hundred dollars a month on just fast food is not convenient or appealing.  My goal is to only spend half of what I normally do on fast food, and save the other one hundred and fifty towards a new motorcycle.  Who knows, maybe I’ll even be able to save more than that? Between being a part time student and working an inconsistent schedule, buying and preparing my own meals will be no easy task. 

First, I must organize my time.  When will I buy groceries? When will I have time cook? I Attend school twice a week and work the other three.  Luckily, I have weekends off, so I plan to use those few days to do any shopping I might need to do, and plan my meals for the week.  Fresh produce is affordable, and I just so happen to enjoy many fresh fruits and vegetable: apples, oranges, bell peppers, and carrots. This in addition to plenty of access to the internet I can quickly search some fast, easy, and delicious recipes to do throughout the week. 

I’m confident that I will not only accomplish this challenge, but will also save as much as I expect too. Through buying groceries, preparing meals, and planning out my time, I am certain I’ll be able to reach my goal for buying a motorcycle.  I hope to take away from this challenge more cost effective eating habits, finding new foods to call my favorite, and learning better time management skills.