How to avoid the lure of free food...?

dinkydudette
dinkydudette Posts: 71
edited December 24 in Motivation and Support
I'm quite poor at the moment and am saving money so I've been keeping my eye out for coupons and offers...and amazingly, there's more offers than I can shake a stick at. The last few days I've had an entirely free lunch (can't believe how many calories in a club baguette...!) and today I got a free mint frappaccino. I've also found a free pizza offer...
I'm so tempted to get it, as it would mean that I don't have to cook dinner tonight and it's a free meal...coming from a poor faily, I think this mentality of grab what you can when you can has been engraved into my mind. But...it's a pizza, and that's not good.
How can I motivate myself to not go crazy on the free food deals?

Replies

  • ldyminerva
    ldyminerva Posts: 21
    I feel ya! Work potlucks are my downfall! We are poor too, and I honestly think that downfall of the poor is that all the affordable food is so bad for you. If I could afford all the healthy tasty things I honestly believe it would be so much more easy to loose weight.

    So for me, I've decided that I have to eat what I have to eat, and if a free pizza comes along, I'm going to get the free pizza...BUT I'm going to only eat a few slices AND I'm going to make sure I burn off the extra calories with squeezing in a few extra minutes of working out to make up for that.
  • dinkydudette
    dinkydudette Posts: 71
    I think that's a good plan, plus free pizza can be microwaved as left overs or given to housemates as brownie points. Free pizza and excercise it is. :)
  • Tropical_Turtle
    Tropical_Turtle Posts: 2,236 Member
    How can free pizza be bad?? Didn't congress decide pizza was a vegetable??

    Really though, moderation, eat and work it off.
  • sunnyshine1313
    sunnyshine1313 Posts: 112 Member
    I would get the pizza, just because I am a sucker for it, it's my fav! What I have learned though is moderation, not too much of it and save the rest for later in the week. If I eat more than I should, I know it's time to work super hard at the gym or go on a nice long walk. Can't beat free!
  • jesusHchris
    jesusHchris Posts: 1,405 Member
    It's easy to perpetuate generations of financial difficulty by staying in that mindset. People who are constantly focused on ways to save money and scrape by are not focused on ways to advance themselves and their finances.

    I was raised the same way. I hated it.

    Try devoting some of the time you do to saving money instead to creative ways to make more money.

    Also, use the word "broke". "Broke" is a temporary situation and "poor" is a permanent state of being.

    / my completely un-humble opinion.
  • dinkydudette
    dinkydudette Posts: 71
    It's easy to perpetuate generations of financial difficulty by staying in that mindset. People who are constantly focused on ways to save money and scrape by are not focused on ways to advance themselves and their finances.

    I was raised the same way. I hated it.

    Try devoting some of the time you do to saving money instead to creative ways to make more money.

    Also, use the word "broke". "Broke" is a temporary situation and "poor" is a permanent state of being.

    / my completely un-humble opinion.

    Wow, that's a really great way of thinking of things! Positive thinking...I like it! :)
  • dinkydudette
    dinkydudette Posts: 71
    How can free pizza be bad?? Didn't congress decide pizza was a vegetable??

    Really though, moderation, eat and work it off.

    Did they? I wonder what the pizza plant looks like :p
  • dinkydudette
    dinkydudette Posts: 71
    The came company that are giving the free pizza vouchers are also giving away a month's free gym membership...I should take that offer too to make me feel less guilty. :)
  • jesusHchris
    jesusHchris Posts: 1,405 Member

    Wow, that's a really great way of thinking of things! Positive thinking...I like it! :)

    It's actually made a big difference in my life. I know I sound like an *** saying it on a fitness site, but I did mean it in a helpful way.

    Good luck to you!
  • Megabot
    Megabot Posts: 173 Member
    I work crazy crazy hours and sometimes they provide food for us, sometimes lunch and dinner. It is almost impossible to resist free food - even when it's all the crap pasta and sauces and cheap carbs filled with huge calorie hits. Ugh.

    My solution is still to try to stay eating my own foods. My biggest problem is that I find it hard to not choose the super tasty looking stuff everyone else is eating. :( It looks so good.

    When I was broke, I'd buy staples like a huge jar of peanut butter on sale for peanut butter sandwiches with whole grain bread. Try eating a hard boiled egg - eggs are cheap and they keep you full a bit longer with the protein. Just stick to it, you'll get through. And you'll also eventually get out of the financial doldrums, and be able to splurge on all the pricey fresh good fruits and snacks and meats in the world! Like raspberries and pomegranates and almonds and salmon and the list goes on!
  • martinierin84
    martinierin84 Posts: 15
    Honestly, I love this topic! I gained 20 lbs back this year at my school because of all the free foods in the staff room!

    What I reccomend: SAY NO! Just stay solid. If its not healthy, and your not wealthy, turn to other non-costly items that also have protein: beans, veggies, fruits, cereals...

    Not sure if you qualify..but foot bank maybe?

    Its so expensive to eat healthy, and believe me, I'm not rich by any means. $50 weekly gets my boyfriend and I by eating vegetarian . I found when we ate meat the bill was way up because of how costly meat is..
  • 00fat2fit00
    00fat2fit00 Posts: 7 Member
    Free food is my downfall too. I go to lots of events with tables and tables of crap. So I'm still working out how to be strong in those situations. But as far as not having a lot of money and wanting to eat healthy there are tons of healthy cheap options out there. In fact buying less processed foods and making them from scratch at home can save a lot. Learning how make extra and freeze things, shopping at local discounted stores (we have mexican and korean grocery stores that sell produce for crazy cheap, you just have to make sure to eat it soon before it goes bad), and learning tips online. There are tons of stay at home moms who post tips and recipes to stretch their buck. I've learned a lot from them. Also, making weekly and monthly food plans really helps save a ton!! That's what I'm working towards, so I always have a healthy meal option waiting for me when I want to cave.
  • dinkydudette
    dinkydudette Posts: 71
    Honestly, I love this topic! I gained 20 lbs back this year at my school because of all the free foods in the staff room!

    What I reccomend: SAY NO! Just stay solid. If its not healthy, and your not wealthy, turn to other non-costly items that also have protein: beans, veggies, fruits, cereals...

    I caved I caved! :( Oh well. I'll definitely go to the market this weekend. Veggies at £1 a bowl, the only problem is getting it all back home! :)
  • dinkydudette
    dinkydudette Posts: 71
    Free food is my downfall too. I go to lots of events with tables and tables of crap. So I'm still working out how to be strong in those situations. But as far as not having a lot of money and wanting to eat healthy there are tons of healthy cheap options out there. In fact buying less processed foods and making them from scratch at home can save a lot. Learning how make extra and freeze things, shopping at local discounted stores (we have mexican and korean grocery stores that sell produce for crazy cheap, you just have to make sure to eat it soon before it goes bad), and learning tips online. There are tons of stay at home moms who post tips and recipes to stretch their buck. I've learned a lot from them. Also, making weekly and monthly food plans really helps save a ton!! That's what I'm working towards, so I always have a healthy meal option waiting for me when I want to cave.

    Ahh, have you ever been to events where there's 200 people fighting over one tray of canape's? No problems avoiding food there.
  • jkmr4
    jkmr4 Posts: 1
    Eat the pizza - but only limited amount. Freeze the rest for another time. It microwaves well. Lord, it is sooooo hard.
  • dinkydudette
    dinkydudette Posts: 71
    Eat the pizza - but only limited amount. Freeze the rest for another time. It microwaves well. Lord, it is sooooo hard.

    I've never thought about freezing pizza. This might be the solution I've been looking for all these years! Thank you!!
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