The Essential Bachelor Diet

Your place probably came with a fridge, right? So stock it with beer and a bottle of ketchup and all's right with the world, huh?

Wrong.

Sure, you can live on delivery pizza, Chinese (or if you're really hip, VietNamese) carryout, and microwave burritos. Hell, I did, until I realized that half of my disposable income went into inflating my waistline.

The trick is to eat simply, cheaply, and well. A buddy of mine, after his 4th divorce, claimed that he just couldn't survive on less than $200 per week for food. His diet was Chinese (at a very modest place in Houston's Bellaire Chinatown, Breakfast at Mickey D's, and pizza or carryout Mexican every day.

Let's break it out. EggaMuffin plus hashbrowns about $5, plus $3 for a coffee at Starbucks. (But you write off the Starbucks 'cause of the free internet and maybe you can meet a contact there, right? Tell it to the IRS auditor)<

$6 for lunch (the $3.99 special, plus iced tea, plus a buck tip).

$8 for the pizza, 'cause you've got a coupon, but a 2 dollar tip, 'cause, really, you can't give less than that.

So we've got 24 dollars in food. For one day. And you still haven't had a really nice meal.

Now let's compare and contrast.

Oatmeal with cream and brown sugar (under one dollar)

Leftovers microwaved for lunch (on a pro rata, call it 3 bucks), with iced tea made on site (by submerging tea bags in a bottle of water).

And then a steak dinner with baked potato and salad (about $7)

Ok, let's hear the totals!
$24 for the carryout and drive through
$11 for the DIY routine

BUT I CAN'T DO THAT!

I hear your screams. And I know the guys that paid for designer gourmet kitchens covered with carryout boxes, And I know that some of you are the same people.

Rest easy, for more will be revealed.