The Savings of Being a Shut-In

Whenever people make the bold decision to slash their spending and live a frugal life in the most extreme manner, they usually stop going out.  After all, socializing is expensive. One drink leads to two, which leads to a need for a late-night snack.  Going out a lot requires outfits, which require shoes--it's a whole, expensive cans of worms!

I can now officially say that yes, the best way to save money is by not leaving the house, but also, it's totally not worth it.

Let me back up for a moment and take you back to the beginning of the month/ end of last month.  Life has been pretty sweet.  Work has shifted from being student focused to summer project focused, which is equally interesting, but a little less frantic; I've been taking rowing lessons, which I love; running has been going really well and I logged nearly 100 miles in May; weather has been mild enough that just having the windows open has been comfortable.  In short, everything was hunky-dory.

Then I got Mono.

That's right--the kissing disease.  The scourge of the Junior High School set. The disease that I was actually a bit smug about never having to deal with way back when, and that I kind of didn't realize that adults can get.

Symptoms of mono, for the unfamiliar include:

• Extreme fatigue--like sleeping 18 hours a day or more fatigue
• Sore throat--like swallowing knives
• Loss of appetite--best diet ever!

That's it.  Lather, rinse repeat for about 4-6 weeks.

So far, the savings have been impressive.  I have zero interest in food and everything I eat tastes terrible to me, so I haven't been to the grocery store except to deploy bf to buy me the occasional jug of juice and a few other things.  I also haven't been out to eat, though I have ordered a couple pizzas (if I'm craving something, I'm going to go for it, even if I can only eat half a slice). I can't really drive, so that saves money on gas and wear and tear on my vehicle.  Drinking is just as out of the picture as eating. As much as I yearn to enjoy a beer, in practice, I do not. 

So there you go.  The theory that you will save money by never eating out and staying in all the time is true!  I've tested and verified it, though I will say, it is not worth it.  Despite the fact that I sleep 18 hours a day, I still have a fair amount of partly awake/drowsy time that needs to be filled with something non-strenuous.  I can't read, because I fall asleep immediately, but I can watch TV.  And I have, I have watched ALL the TV.  I am now officially sick of watching TV, which is something I didn't really know was possible.

So yes, staying home all the time will save you money, but it may also make you a crazy person.  At least I know I am getting the most out of my Netflix subscription!