It’s hard to refrain from falling in love—the fluffy French toast drenched in syrup and topped with fresh fruit, the orange juice splashed with sparkling champagne, and fellowship that has the power to lift us into the highs of the upcoming week. Most call this epic experience that we encounter between the hours of 10 to 3, brunch—while others know it infamously by “thirty dollars that disappeared from my wallet.”
It can seem unfair that we must choose between something so near and dear to our weekend activities and our monthly budget. Yet, even though sometimes we must pick our wallets over our wants—there is always a way to be the brunch queen you are without dropping tons of cash every Sunday afternoon.
Brunch In
It’s true that the brunch experience is unmatched, but who says you can’t create it for yourself in your own kitchen? If you’re craving the delicious breakfast food, it’s probably cheaper to get what you need from the grocery store and make it for yourself. The only thing it could cost you more of is your time. If you feel the need for bottomless mimosas, get yourself some orange juice and your favorite bottle—there’s no rule against pouring your own glass. Want the fellowship you enjoy so much from your girlfriends? Invite them over for a pot-luck brunch, that way everyone can complete the meal and fill the seats at the table. While the brunch spirit was created in the restaurants we love so much, it’s easy to replicate them in our own spaces.
Treat yourself when you deserve it
You don’t have to completely cut out brunching at your favorite place to save your pockets. As “self-care” makes its way throughout our timelines, it’s good to take a step back and reward yourself—when you deserve it. If you’re a regular brunch-goer, try to limit yourself to make one weekend out of the month where you go out for brunch. Practice making space in your written or digital monthly budget for the things you don’t specifically need. Challenge yourself to see how long you can go without waiting for your money every weekend on eggs-benedict and toast that are going to be in the same spot every weekend at the same given time, unlike the cash that would magically disappear after your visit.
Don’t let your eyes get bigger than your wallet
When you go out with your friends on that sunny Sunday afternoon, stay true to your stomach and your wallet. Oftentimes when we go out to eat with others, we tend to choose more than we can take—resulting in doggie bags that take up space in our fridges until we admit that we aren’t going to finish what we ordered earlier. Here’s a money-saver tip! Order your drinks after you’ve gotten your food. We can fill our stomachs up on bottomless mimosas before we even take a bite of what we want. This causes us to spend extra on drinks we don’t need and waste money on food we aren’t going to finish. Sometimes when we go for brunch, we aren’t as hungry as we think we are! Try to only order filling sides like bacon, grits, or eggs when you find that you aren’t starving—which most of the time, we aren’t. Also, as much as we hate to admit it, every time we go out, we don’t need the booze—save the extra fifteen dollars for a rainy day.
Every weekend doesn’t have to result in money going down the drain for breakfast and a conversation. It’s easy to get lost and go broke in brunch culture—especially when they make your French toast just the way you like it. Yet, we must realize that our money is as valuable as the activities we love so much. It is always possible to be a brunch queen on a budget.
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