Here\u2019s my resolution for 2026: Cut back on dinners ordered to the house.<\/p>\n
It won\u2019t be easy because inertia is a powerful force. But I have a proven approach that should help.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m paying myself to cook.<\/p>\n
I took a similar approach last year when I reduced my alcohol consumption to something below two drinks a week. I paid myself $2 for every day of abstinence. Each drink cost me a full day.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a twist on the old swear jar, which I\u2019ve mentioned here before<\/a>.<\/p>\n It worked wonderfully. At the end of the year, I had several hundred dollars in savings in a virtual account I like to call Discretionary Plus. I can \u2013 and should \u2013 blow this money on something fun as a reward. <\/p>\n I tracked everything on a calendar on my phone. I got a bit obsessive about it. <\/p>\n New year, new plan, new obsession: I\u2019m paying myself $5 for every meal I make at home. Or to be precise, $5 for every dinner we \u2013 my family and I \u2013 don\u2019t order to the house.<\/p>\n According to these rules, if I make an elaborate dinner from Julia Child\u2019s Mastering the Art of French Cooking (yeah, right), I move five bucks into the Discretionary Plus account.<\/p>\n Leftovers the next day? That\u2019s another five bucks. And if I take it easy and throw a frozen pizza into the oven on a Friday night, that\u2019s another five bucks.<\/p>\n If my partner or daughter cooks dinner, I still get $5 \u2013 my resolution, my rules \u2013 but let\u2019s keep that between us. <\/p>\n I figure that even if this approach removes just one meal ordered to the house each week, we can cut the cost of our food orders by $50 a week, net of groceries, for total savings of $2,600 a year. <\/p>\n Sorry, restaurateurs and Uber Eats delivery people! <\/p>\n If I add $5 a day, five days a week, to my Discretionary Plus account, I\u2019ll have $1,300 at the end of the year to do what I want (more on that in a bit). <\/p>\n My family saves money, I spend money, we eat healthier. Win, win, win.<\/p>\n The snag here is that if I cooked just two meals a week, I\u2019d still make money. But I\u2019m hoping that the $5 provides sufficient incentive to get ambitious. <\/p>\n I\u2019m only five days into this resolution but I\u2019m encouraged with the results so far. I\u2019ve made four meals in a row and there\u2019s leftover chili in the fridge as I write, bringing the total payoff to $25. I\u2019m totally psyched to hit the grocery store.<\/p>\n The money saved is only half of the motivation. <\/p>\n What\u2019s equally important is the spending part. Keeping a goal in mind is what should encourage me to tie on an apron. <\/p>\n This year, I\u2019m focused on buying vinyl records. I grew up with records, then abandoned them for CDs and, later, streaming. <\/p>\n Now I\u2019m going backward: I reacquainted myself with CDs a couple of years ago. And over the past month, I\u2019ve returned to vinyl, attracted to the beauty of turntables and cover art, as well as the delightful ritual of dropping the needle.<\/p>\n New vinyl records aren\u2019t cheap, though \u2013 do you see where this is going? \u2013 running anywhere from $30 to $40 and more. <\/p>\n I find that hard to justify, when I have tons of music already. But with a Discretionary Plus account, fed regularly by healthy homecooked meals, my guilt disappears. (Let\u2019s just forget about the cost of a new turntable, which kicked off 2026….)<\/p>\n Can this approach to saving money work for anyone<\/a>? <\/p>\n I think so. The trick is picking a dollar amount that will provide sufficient motivation, without robbing yourself (or your family). <\/p>\n You can target an unwanted expense. You can pay yourself to cut an unwanted activity, such as smoking, drinking or doomscrolling. <\/p>\n Or, you can encourage yourself to walk more, learn a new language or \u2013 note to self \u2013 read more fiction.<\/p>\n As for the spending part, pick any guilty pleasure. Save for a vacation, pay down debt or increase your charitable donations. Anything that gives purpose to the money you are saving.<\/p>\n Do you have a savings goal for 2026? Let me know at dberman@globeandmail.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Subscribe to the On Money newsletter<\/p>\n Are you reading this newsletter on the web or did someone forward the e-mail version to you? If so, you can sign up for On Money here<\/a>.<\/p>\n David Berman\u2019s personal finance reading list<\/p>\n Trump administration\u2019s threat sparks warnings about Fed independence<\/a><\/p>\n This could be a big story, with an impact well beyond Washington. As U.S. President Donald Trump threatens to prosecute the chairman of the Federal Reserve, questions arise about the central bank\u2019s ability to set interest rates based on economic data. That\u2019s affecting the U.S. dollar, gold prices and potentially a whole lot more if markets believe Mr. Trump will prevail.<\/p>\n Good luck finding those vintage clothes at thrift prices<\/a><\/p>\n Oh no. Even prices at thrift stores are rising, as secondhand shopping goes mainstream and owners contend with higher operating expenses. \u201cYour cost of labour goes up every year,\u201d says one owner. \u201cWhen you have 60, 70, 80 employees, that adds up quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n Venezuela\u2019s oil is coming back. So, stick with Suncor<\/a><\/p>\n Shameless plug: I wrote this one. It is a follow-up to last week\u2019s On Money newsletter, when I asked you for your thoughts on whether U.S. control of Venezuela\u2019s oil is scaring you off Canadian energy stocks. Many of you said you are sticking with the home team, which is looking like a good call.<\/p>\n Oil: The hits keep on coming<\/a><\/p>\n The price of crude oil has fallen to a five-year low, but that has some contrarian market watchers expecting a rebound. \u201cVenezuelan developments add a smidge more risk, but at this point, we wouldn\u2019t overreact and would view equity weakness as an opportunity,\u201d argues Craig Basinger, chief market strategist at Purpose Investments.<\/p>\n Chart of the day<\/p>\n New products that caught my eye<\/p>\n Reading before bed is a great way to relax your mind before turning in for \u2013 we hope \u2013 eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. But tech enthusiasts are looking for an edge<\/a> (for subscribers to The Wall Street Journal) with a sophisticated \u201csleep stack,\u201d or gadgets such as sleep trackers and temperature-adjusting mattress pads. If you balk at the $3,649 price for the Pod 5 Core<\/a>, from Eight Sleep, maybe start with an eye mask.<\/p>\n ICYMI<\/p>\n A well-timed entry<\/a> to investing helped this Calgary couple buy a $550,000 townhouse Taking weight-loss drugs like Ozempic means spending less on food, but is it worth it<\/a>? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s my resolution for 2026: Cut back on dinners ordered to the house. 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