Yesterday, I mentioned that we're looking at our bills and budget for 2009. Typically, we don't pay too much attention to that type of stuff (yeah, I know, really smart, right?), but with the economy slowdown, it seemed like a good time to start planning on saving money and paying down our debt.

I've cut a few costs, here and there. We stopped Netflix, because we really weren't making the most use out of it. My wife's gym membership has been canceled, because she just hasn't had time to go. I even canceled the company that comes and sprays fertilizer on our shrubs and grass, figuring that the lawn guy can do the minimal stuff that we need. Of course, I can't cancel the lawn guy or the pool guy – that would mean I'd have to go out there and do it. That's ludicrous.

There's one other thing that I refuse to give up, too – my meals out.

I see eating out as my way of supporting the local economy. I'm helping to keep all of these local restaurants in business, which benefits me directly because it keeps property values higher. There's nothing that devalues property like a bunch of abandoned buildings from business that went bankrupt.

"But, wondrous Avitable," you might say, "how much help could you really be providing to the local economy just by eating meals out?"

Ah, dear reader, that's what I just calculated!

In the average month, I spend about $2,500 on dining out (not counting lunch I buy for employees). That's $30,000 a year – pretty much enough to pay for the salary of a server, hostess or cook.

Most people would say that if we just spent $300 every two weeks on groceries and ate our meals at home, we'd save almost $2,000 a month. I say that plan sucks! First, we'd have to cook, and then that would require cleaning up, too. Secondly, my absence from the restaurants locally would cause the Altamonte Springs economy to spiral downward and before long, our house would be worth less than we paid for it, and our neighborhood would be filled with all types of miscreants who park their car on the yard and drive big trucks and use food stamps.

So, instead of taking the easy way out and cooking at home, I'm making this sacrifice for the betterment of my local economy.

Some people might say that I'm selfless. Others might say I'm a hero.

Me? I think I'll go with selfless hero.