Our family is on a strict budget because we have a goal of being rid of student loan and car loan debt 4 years from now. It means that a lot of luxuries that we absolutely could afford have to be put aside, while keeping our eyes on the bigger picture. But sometimes it hurts! Dining out is one of those things. Both my wife and I enjoy dining out for a lot of the same reasons:

• You get to eat something really tasty you didn’t have to prepare and cook
• You get to eat it hot
• You get to eat it at a pace of your choosing
• You don’t have to get up to get something, because your server brings it to you
• You don’t have to wash the dishes, pots or pans when you’re done

Problem is, they charge you money for all that nice service. (The nerve!) So our dining out experiences number only a handful of times a year. A lot of those times involve my children. I love my kiddos, but they don’t make meal time easy, at home or out. Sure I want to treat the kids now and then, but it’s not the relaxing experience I crave.

What I’m talking about here is just me and my wife. I would love to be able to take Bethany out once a week. The ability to do that may not happen for years, but it is a goal I am reaching for. We don’t have really expensive tastes, though those kinds of places are nice once a year. No, for us, a nice dish of pasta at the Olive Garden with a glass of wine and some uninterrupted conversation is a nice little window into the peace that awaits us in heaven.

So that’s another thing I’d rather be doing now, dining out.