Stop eating at chain resturants

I haven’t eaten at a chain restuarant since I left Phoenix and it’s great. In fact, I was in Portland for 2 weeks before I even saw a sign of fast food (there are absolutely zero in my ‘hood!) and literally, it was just a sign, I never actually saw the building! So, of course, I took a picture. =)

what an awesome concept!

I just learned about a book with that theme as the basis for a financial plan. Stay tuned for more details as I have a librarian working on finding the exact title of the book.

As a part of my “workout” at Toastmasters I plan to do several “technical” yet engaging speeches; some will be scheduled, others will be back up speeches in case someone doesn’t show.

But back to the main point, avoiding chains and eating better as a weigh loss and wealth increase strategy – how awesome is that!

Most chain restaurant food isn’t very real. It’s all prepackaged in some corporate commisary and then reassembled at the restaurant. (It’s a lot like that semi-home-made show on the Food Network). Lots of salt, lots of corn syrup in everything, lots of artificial flavors. Between the money you spend, the excess calories you take on, and the culture you are missing out on they are best to be avoided.

I love locally owned restaurants and bistros. They are fabulous!

I rarely eat at chain restaurants anymore, and at fast food places even less. So, although I haven’t cut either completely out, I’m close enough (but not close enough to say I’ve “done it”).

it makes it more difficult when friends choose fast food & yer the odd man out, but it’s worth it for sure:

wayyy healthier food (in general)

wayyy good for your hometown (yay for supporting the local economy! – your money actually gets REinvested back into your town, and not shipped out to the corporate headquarters or spent on produce from halfway across the globe!)

wayyy good for for personal relationships (acquaintances with the dudes who run local restaurants = the shit, heh)

just wayyy better. period. heh

There is something SO REPULSIVE about the email I just received advertising Papa Johns special blackberry deal: add this and this to your regular order and, after rebate and 2 year contract, you get this handy-dandy gadget absolutely FREE!! woooo!! yay, let’s hop on the phone and eat pizzas and typey on our blackberries and order more pizzas!

Now, if I lived in a less developed city with fewer food options, I would have a hard time with this goal. But Boston has a ton of options, many of them independently owned. I’d like to start putting my money into better, more worthwhile pockets.

It’s so easy/comfortable to rely on old standards. Time to branch out.