Confession: I’m a millennial and I LOVE avocado toast. I’ve even bought it out at a restaurant (twice, for happy hour, and it was fantastic – but still $7).
Strangely enough though, my love of avocado toast has actually helped me with my financial goals – but only when I started making it at home.
I have always been a big lover of breakfast in general and especially going out to eat. Breakfast and brunch at a restaurant used to be reserved only for a special event, usually for a birthday or some other kind of celebration because we were broke and newly married and definitely didn’t have the money to buy a prepared meal and then tip on top of that.
However, we slowly got paid more at our jobs and I paid off my student loans. Suddenly, we found ourselves with a lot more disposable income, and eating out became a more regular event because it was fun and not THAT expensive compared to the new cars our friends were buying.
And then it became every weekend.
Sometimes we would go just the three of us, sometimes with a big group, but pretty much every weekend. We made a habit out of sitting down at a restaurant or at least heading to the coffee shop for a quick breakfast before going for a walk through the park.
At least the walk afterward was free!It was a quick, laid back way to enjoy the weekend with a baby, but it definitely wasn’t cheap (or necessarily healthy).
Avocado toast isn’t usually on the menu though, and I love avocado toast. Hence, if I was going to eat it somewhat regularly, I was going to make it at home.
Avocados aren’t that cheap up here in the northwest, so this breakfast doesn’t come in at under $1 a serving, but it definitely saves quite a bit over going out to eat.
- 1/3 large vocado: $1
- 2 slices of toast: 20¢
- Pat of local butter: 5¢
- Two (free range) eggs: 50¢
- Coffee w/half and half: 75¢
$2.50/person x 3 = $7.50
(toddler eats a lot, but not quite as much as a whole adult, and my husband eats a lot – construction worker – so they average out to two adults)
An average breakfast out usually costs us $15/person plus 10% tax and 20% tip = $59.40. Yikes.
Multiply that by 8, and the relatively expensive avocado toast at home saves us $415.20 a month, or $4,982.40 a year. Ouch.
Thankfully, we’ve cut our weekend breakfasts out to maybe twice a month now. Avocado toast (along with bacon and eggs, from scratch pancakes, French toast on brioche, etc) help to make it so it doesn’t feel like we’re “missing out” by eating breakfast at home, but instead it’s something to look forward to.
Banana pancakes with honey instead of syrupThe biggest pieces of this puzzle for us have been 1) break the habit of eating out as our weekend routine 2) making sure we have all the ingredients we need on hand.
If we have to make a list and walk to the grocery store before making our breakfast, odds are we’ll just keep going and have someone else make it for us. Almost without fail, if we already have ingredients on hand to quickly make a great breakfast, we’ll opt to stay in and have a leisurely morning at home.
Bonus points: the toddler can run around the house and make a mess and we don’t have to chase him around a restaurant. He’s a pretty laid back guy, but we’d somehow deluded ourselves into thinking it was easier to have someone else make our food even when we had to entertain a squirmy toddler and keep him in his seat.
Once again, I’m learning that I am a VERY pattern oriented person. Once I got used to eating out all the time, I didn’t even consider having weekend breakfast foods on hand at home. Now that we’ve reversed the habit, I’m loving our quiet mornings at home once again.
We haven’t lost anything, but we have gained some relaxed, peaceful time in our little home in the process. Plus, I like my coffee better.
Omg, controversial!!
Avocado toast is the best. If it’s incompatible with FI (which it’s not!) then I guess I don’t want to be FI! 😂
We may or may not be having avocado toast for dinner tonight (with bacon).
I looooove avocados! I try to buy meals based around what’s on sale or cheapest… with the exception of avocados and a new brand of tomatoes (Kumato). They’re the best tomatoes I’ve tasted, even in the middle of winter!
Your morning routine sounds lovely! Happy you were able to make a habit of eating breakfast at home. It’s so much better than going out. Have you ever tried avocado pancakes?
I have not tried avocado pancakes! Apparently I need to look up a recipe!
I always find it hilarious when there are articles out there saying that millennial’s have no money because of avocado toast, like what? How can a food item be the cause of us struggling? It’s hilarious to me. Anyway, you’re doing awesome! Good work on all the saving
Ha yes – I understand where the articles are attempting to go (little expenses add up) but they don’t get to the heart of the bigger issues at play.
Why are avocados so expensive in the PNW…and the sushi here is pricey AND not as good. (Grumble, grumble…)
But I take avo toast and sushi any day. It’s cheaper than a drug habit – that’s what millennials should bite back with. Like teenagers, “atleast I’m just bored – not high!”
The crazier bit is that avocados are expensive in parts of the southwest as well, and in areas where they’re grown! Visiting Hawaii and buying giant ones for $1 was Heaven.
I have never bought avocado toast in a restaurant but we love making it at home! Avocados have become a staple in our house. They are a great non-dairy source of healthy fats for our kids. I may have to try my avocado toast with bacon sometime. That sounds delicious!
We do love bacon around here as well, so it was a no brainer add for us – especially since my husband complains if there isn’t a meat product involved 😉