A Burrito Without Meat!!!

This Five Dollar Diet has really changed the way I look at Lunch. It has made me re-think the Big Lunch philosophy and has even influenced me into doing something I otherwise never would have done on my own: have a Lunch without meat!

You see, to the average American dude such as myself (I consider myself average), Lunchtime is synonymous with eating meat. However, when I walked into a restaurant called La Salsa today, there was not a single meal with meat on the menu for under $5!

I was shocked by this! The cheapest meal on the menu was a cheese quesadilla for $4.95, and I was not about to eat a quesadilla for lunch, and so I ordered the next least-expensive meal on the menu: a bean & rice burrito for $5.05.

The burrito was big! It was actually very tasty with their mild salsa. I could not afford a soft drink, so I got a cup of water. In the end I felt that my meal was missing something... what was it?  Oh, yeah, the meat!!!  Oh, well, what can you expect when you're eating out on a $5 budget?

Ace

A Steakhouse Burger Under $5

Coupons are great. They allow us to maximize our spending power and often entice us into buying what we would otherwise not even think about purchasing.

So when my buddy Z found out that I am on the Five Dollar Diet, he offered me a coupon to Burger King. So today I went to a local BK and decided to take advantage of my friend's generosity. At first I looked at the dollar menu, but none of the items were as good as the coupon for a free order of fries and a drink with the purchase of a Steakhouse XT Burger. Niiiiiice! You see, this is not your typical fast food burger. It Is made with an extra-thick, seasoned all-beef patty topped with crisp lettuce, red-ripe tomatoes, onions, ketchup and mayo... all tucked inside a sesame-seed bun.

Just thinking about it made my mouth water!

So I ordered the meal and was charged $3.99 for the burger, $1.89 for the fries and $1.89 for the drink, but then a $3.78 discount was applied to bring the total back down to $3.99 plus $0.35 in taxes equalled a cool $4.34 for the entire meal. Veeeery Niiiiiiiice! I handed the cashier a crisp $5 bill and he returned $0.66 in change.

Now, let me just say that the Steakhouse XT Burger is HUGE!!! It was also delicious and very satisfying, and thanks to the coupon it was under five bucks!

Ace

A Huge Meal @ Paul's Place

Paul's Place is a restaurant reminiscent of a 1950's American Diner.  They serve a variety of food ranging from salads to burgers to burritos.  I decided to go to see if there is anything I could get for under five bucks.

So I walked into the restaurant with high hopes, but was quickly reminded of how much restaurants have bloated their prices.  There was hardly any meal for under five bucks!  There was NOTHING for under a dollar - even the sides were expensive.  For example, an order of onion rings cost $3.99!!!

"Wow," I thought to myself.

To make things worse, the cashier just kept staring at me as if to say, "Make up your mind already!"  I almost gave in to the pressure and ordered a steak sandwich, but then I remembered that I am on the Five Dollar Diet, and gathered my wits about.

I saw one item on the menu that I could have, but I wouldn't be able to get fries or even a beverage!  It was the only item available for under five bucks, and so I had no other choice... so I ordered it: a massive carne asada burrito!

This burrito was massive!  It must have had about half a pound of meat in it, along with some beans - all wrapped up in a soft, warm flour tortilla.  They also served some salsa on the side, and so it was hammer time!  Time to eat up.

The burrito was delicious!  I put some of the salsa on it just to see what it would taste like, and I discovered a world of flavors as the diced tomatoes, onions and cilantro blended perfectly with the meat and beans.  Since I couldn't afford a drink, I had a cup with ice and water, but to be honest I really didn't miss the sugary drink that I used to have with every meal.

In the end I spent $4.49 for the colossal burrito, $0 for the drink, and $0.39 in taxes... which brought it all to a grand total of $4.88 leaving 12 cents for change... but wait!

Out of the blue, a girl came to my table.  It was one of the servers, and she asked me if I was done with my meal.  I said yes, and she courteously took the plate from my table.  That was so nice of her!

I didn't know whether to tip her or not, and since I did not want to go beyond my $5 budget for this meal, I decided to be generous and leave the twelve cents that I had left over from the meal as a tip.  Aren't I a generous person?

Ace

A Fine Meal @ El Pollo Loco

The longer I am on this $5 diet, the more I start to feel as if it is actually working!  I don't feel bloated all the time like I used to, and I can actually flex my six pack once in a while (it's in there somewhere).

Okay, so today I went to El Pollo Loco for lunch and the funniest thing happened!  As I was examining their Loco Value Menu, I raised my iPhone to take a picture, and this short, Latino guy yelled out, "We don't allow you to take pictures here!"

I felt like clobbering the little guy, but I instead played the dummy card and pretended not to hear him, and he left me alone.

So I was about to order three items from their $1 menu, but then a picture caught my eye, it was the image of a delicious grilled steak taco, and I just had to have one!  So I ordered the grilled steak taco, a BRC burrito and a small beverage.

I must say that the taco was exquisite!  The blend of steak with guacamole, diced tomatoes and onion was brilliant!  Yes, I said onions!  No, I don't usually eat them, but in this case they were so good!  Wow.  Or, perhaps I was just starving so much it tasted like a five-star gourmet dish?  The only bad thing about it was the price: $2.49.  FOR A TACO!!!

The BRC burrito, on the other hand, was bland and unimaginative.  They basically slapped together some beans, rice and cheese, wrapped it up in a flour tortilla and called it a BRC burrito.  BORING!!!  The good thing, though, is that it was only a buck.

So the total for the entire meal was $2.49 for the steak taco, $1.00 for the BRC burrito, and $1.59 for the drink.  That is $5.08 for the meal, plus $0.44 in taxes equals $5.52.  I know, I know, I have to keep it under five bucks... otherwise what is the point of a five dollar diet?

Well, IT'S NOT MY FAULT WE HAVE TO PAY TAXES!!!  Is it really fair that I should have to include taxes when calculating my meal options?  Aaaargh!!!  It's so annoying!

Oh, well, at least I got my pictures!!!

Ace

Eating @ Panda Express for $5

When my co-worker asked me if I wanted to have lunch with him, I got nervous.  You see, in the past when I would go to lunch with my co-workers, I always ended up spending $10, $12, and sometimes as much as $20!!!  So I quickly intervened for the sake of my five dollar diet.

"You wanna go to Panda Express?" I asked.

Fortunately for me, he loves Panda Express, and I knew that it was my only option for a low-cost meal.  So we drove to a nearby Panda and as we were waiting in line, I inspected the menu.  I was surprised that there was NOT A SINGLE MENU ITEM UNDER $5!!!

I was appalled at this... I was in shock!!!  How could this be?  "What is this world coming to when a man can't even get a meal for under five bucks?" I thought to myself.

Fortunately for me, there was a combo meal just a hair under five bucks, their "One Entree Plate".  So when the server asked me what I wanted, I told him that I wanted chow mein, a little bit of rice, and mandarin chicken.  I continued down what seemed like an assembly line and watched the food being served right before my very eyes!  I was then greeted by a cheerful cashier who packaged my meal in a bag and asked what I was going to drink.  Since the meal was going to cost me $4.99, I did not have any money for a drink, and so I asked for a cup with water.

The meal itself was huge!  It definitely filled me up, but I was kind of annoyed that it cost so much!  I mean, how much does rice, noodles and chicken really cost?  The total for the entire meal was actually $5.43 when you factor in the taxes, but the meal itself was only $4.99.  So what do you think?  Does this qualify as a $5 meal?  Let me know in the comments below.

Ace

Taco Bell's Awesome Value Meal

In these difficult times we must do all that we can to ensure the survival of the human race.  Sacrifices must be made for the good of mankind.  New an ingenious ways to generate low-cost energy solutions must be developed.  That is why I came up with The Five Dollar Diet.  When people randomly ask me on the streets, why do I do it?  I tell them that I am just doing my part in the Global Cause for Survival.  Am I the first to attempt this great feat?  Undoubtedly, no.  Am I the last?  Definitely not!  I am, however, determined to make my mark in history.  I won't be denied the opportunity to help countless future generations ... and in the process save millions of lives.

Okay, okay, I know that sounded a little melodramatic, but I was really inspired today by my visit to Taco Bell.  I went to a location I had never been to before.  It looked small, and I thought it would be cramped inside, but to my surprise it was really nice!  It was very private and clean.  So I looked at the menu and thought I might be able to score one of their regular combos for under $5, but I could not find anything in that price range!  So I looked at the value menu, and everything was under a buck!  Yes!!!

So I ordered a Chicken Burrito, a Bean Burrito, a Soft Taco and a Medium Beverage.  I asked the cashier how big the drink was in ounces, and she said it was a 20oz cup (for my own reference).  I must say that Taco Bell *arguably* has the best dollar menu anywhere!  I mean, for the price you get a full meal!  It was very satisfying, tasty and definitely worth every penny!

Speaking of pennies, I almost hit the $5 mark spot on.  Each item was $0.99, plus the beverage which was $1.59, which totaled $4.56 plus $0.40 in taxes gave me a grand total of $4.96!  I handed the cashier a crisp $5 bill and received four pennies in change.

So there you have it, a delicious, satisfying dollar value meal at a fraction of the cost elsewhere.

Ace

An Ice Test

Okay, so yesterday's trip to Food 4 Less got me thinking about the cost of food, and how much money we needlessly spend when  eating out.  So today I did sort of a drink test, an ice test if you will.

The way that it works is you get two 16oz plastic cups and fill one of them up with ice.  Then, you take your favorite beverage and fill the other cup with it as in the picture to the left.

Finally, you pour the drink into the cup with ice.  It may sound simple, but you are actually doing something revolutionary!  You are measuring the amount of your beverage that you are LOSING when you order your drink with ice.

In this example, I noticed that I still had over 50% of my beverage left over in the non-iced cup!  What this essentially means is that when you order your beverage with ice you are actually losing 50%-60% of your beverage!  So, although you may have ordered a "medium" drink, say, of about 16oz, in reality you got a "small" drink of about 6-8oz.

Now, this may not seem like a big deal given the fact that most restaurants offer UNLIMITED beverage refills, but think of THAT the next time you order drive-thru (and can't get refills).  Or better yet, when you order a glass of that expensive margarita or other favorite liquor!  How about when you grab an iced latte from Starbucks?  It can really add up!

Yes, these are the little, insignificant subtle things that companies do to make sure they get as much profit as possible, at OUR expense.  The solution, then, is to order your drink without ice... but if the thought of warm coca-cola disgusts you, then simply order it with no ice, and then ask for a cup of ice!  That will truly confuse your server and you will be entertained by the look on his/her face!  It's like ordering a burger with no onions, and then ordering onion rings on the side!  Ha!

So that was my ice test.  I hope you enjoyed it!

Ace

My Trip to Food 4 Less

When my wife asked me to go to Food 4 Less to buy something to drink, I immediately saw this as an opportunity to analyze and compare the cost of eating at home vs. eating out.  So I jumped into my car and hurried over to the Supermarket giant.  Boy was I in for a surprise!

Now, keep in mind that I am not a supermarket type of guy.  In the past I had dreaded going there with my wife because of the sheer amount of raw time that was wasted going up and down each aisle in search of the elusive plastic cups.  You know what I mean?  Yes, that one last item that you simply MUST FIND, but CANNOT LOCATE!!!  It's like trying to find a lost treasure!  Lifetimes have been wasted searching for it I tell you!!!

So I mustered up as much courage as I could and I entered the food store looking all around like a tourist visiting a strange land for the first time...

I finally got to the beverages aisle and saw the many types of water that could be purchased.  There were all kinds of brands, in several configurations and flavors!  What was I to do?  Well, to make a long story short, I spent about an hour there!!!  In the end I spent about $47 in beverages ranging from Aquafina water to Kerns Horchata.  I even got a pack of danish desserts.  Yummy!

So I hurried home and my wife prepared a deli-style sandwich with some bread that her mother had given to her.  It was pretty good!  It had two slices of ham, cheese and some mayonnaise with mustard.  I also served myself a 16 oz cup of Tropicana Fruit Punch that I had purchased at Food 4 Less.  It was so good I had to serve myself another 16 oz cup!  Then, to top it all off, I served myself a 16 oz cup of milk and ate a sweet cheese danish for dessert.  It was SO GOOD!!!

The most impressive thing, though, was the overall cost.  I calculated all of the food and drinks that were part of this meal to have totaled about $3.18!!!  It does not include the cost of the bread or condiments, since I do not have that data at my disposal, but this gives us an idea of the amount of money that is being wasted by eating out!

Just to give you an idea of what I mean, I used to go to a restaurant called Paul's Place for lunch with my co-workers every day and spend $10-12 every single day for a steak sandwich, fries and a coke.  If you only count work days, that equals $200 - $240 per month!!!  Of course, this does not mean that I am going to stop going to restaurants, but it at least motivates me to continue to find low cost solutions for my dietary needs.  Just imagine if you could cut that cost in half, by spending less than $5 for lunch every day, you would save $100-$140 per month!  Cha-ching!!!

I hope my trip to Food 4 Less was as interesting to you as it was for me!

Ace

A Toasty $5 Meal at Quiznos

I have to admit, ever since I began the five dollar diet I've had to get accustomed to being hungry... ALL THE TIME.  However, it does make the meal that much better because man, the food always tastes so good!  So that brings up a good point:  what is better?  Is it better to eat an expensive meal full of flavor, but not appreciate it to the fullest, or to eat a good, cheap meal when you're starving, and have it taste exquisitely delicious?

Ha ha, that is what I experienced today at Quiznos!

Quiznos is known for their delicious, toasty subs.  Now, a lot of people consider Quiznos to be an expensive place to eat.  That may have been the case years ago, but ever since the Quiznos-Subway war both companies have lowered their prices and produced some very interesting and clever meal options.

That is the case with the Quiznos Torpedo subs.  These subs are miniature versions of their famous full-sized subs, served on a slim & soft deli baguette.  I had never tried one before, but since my budget did not allow me to purchase a full-sized sub, I was directed to the Torpedo subs by necessity.  Boy, am I glad it turned out that way!

I quickly scanned the menu and decided to order the Italian Torpedo, which contains Ham, Salami, Pepperoni, Capicola Ham, Mozzarella Cheese, Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Red Wine Vinaigrette.  Now, this delicacy came at a price: I did not have enough money left over for a beverage!  This is the first time it had happened since going on the $5 diet, and so I simply ordered a cup of water with the meal.

The moment I sank my teeth into the scrumptious Torpedo sub, I was treated to a blast of flavors that amazed me and inspired me.  I realized that if the food is good, you really don't need a sweet beverage.  Water will do just fine!  The meal was so delicious, and the total cost was a dismal $4.35 with taxes.

So that was my toasty $5 meal at Quizno's.  Don't forget to leave a comment below.  Let me know what your favorite dish is at Quizno's.  Oh, and if you're wondering about my iPhone, I was able to get it fixed.  It now looks like new!  I am sooooo happy!

Ace

B-Ball @ LA Fitness

So I got up early today (and by early I mean 4:30 AM!), got into my basketball clothes and drove to LA Fitness to play a few games.  I did it to increase my chances of losing weight while on my five dollar diet.  I mean, seriously, you can't expect to lose weight by dieting alone.  Yes, it can be done, but the key to weight loss is to combine both diet and exercise.

When I arrived at the gym there were about 11 guys there, and a game was in session.  Fortunately for me, they were a bunch of 40+ year old men.  "This should be easy," I thought, but when I stepped on the floor those middle aged men clowned me!  I ended up losing all three games!!!  That just goes to show that basketball is not just a physical game, but a mental game as well.  It was youth versus experience, and experience won this time.

The good thing is that I got a nice workout and it felt good to be running again!

Ace

My Free Lunch @ Chili's

Okay, okay, I have a confession to make.  I cheated on my diet.  Yes, I know it's barely my second day, but I got an offer I just couldn't refuse!  My boss at work had a $100 gift card to Chili's restaurant, and had invited me and two other co-workers to lunch... so what was I to do?  Of course, I accepted.  When we got there I still wanted to stay true to my diet, and so I looked for the cheapest item on the menu, but I could not find anything under $5!!!  "Oh, well, I guess I'd better make the most of this!", I thought to myself.

I thought about ordering a juicy cheeseburger, but being as how I am on a diet, I at least wanted to order something more or less healthy, and so I went for Chili's Fajita Trio combo, a dish that includes grilled steak, mouth-watering chicken and spicy garlic and lime shrimp.  Yummy!  The waiter asked if I wanted beans and fries to go along with that and you know I said yes!!!  All that goodness and a giant-sized beverage cost me a whopping $0!!!  Okay, okay, so technically it wasn't truly a $5 lunch, but hey, it was under $5 for me!!!  So in a way, I didn't break my diet... but yeah, I cheated!

I have to admit, though, it was worth it!  The food was delicious and the service was decent... and as far as the price, you can't get any better than FREE!!!

I didn't get a chance to see how much the meal cost (my boss snatched the bill as soon as the waiter brought it over), but I can imagine that it would have cost me at least $15.  My other co-workers and I thanked my boss for his generosity and we were off to work for another day.

Oh yeah, and sorry for the low-quality pictures.  I accidentally dropped my iPhone yesterday and cracked the screen!!!  So right now it's in the shop getting repaired, and I had to take these pictures with a cheap cell phone that they loaned me while the iPhone gets fixed, but I wanted to show you a picture of what my iPhone looked like when it was shattered below... see you later!

Ace

My $5 Meal @ Carl's Jr

Alright, so to start off my new diet I went to Carl's Jr for lunch, and I already knew what I wanted to order: A juicy Famous Star hamburger and a medium soft drink.  It was so good!  I realize that I may have been able to get a combo for under five bucks, but I really don't like the new and improved fries from CJ, so I just got the burger and drink.

Okay, now I do want to point out that this is one of the best burgers in town for the price!  It might even be one of the top 10 burgers of all time!  I might do a review later... hehehe!  For now, just keep in mind that I come from the generation where we used to get these Famous Star burgers for 99 cents!  Yes, I remember those glorious days, and so you can understand why I was stunned when I looked at my receipt and saw that it now costs a whopping $2.49!  The medium beverage cost me another $1.69, and when you add $0.37 in taxes, you get a total of $4.55, which is the entire cost of the meal.

Then, something really weird happened that had never happened to me before at a Carl's Jr.  The restaurant manager went around asking people if they wanted to try a sample of their new chicken strips.  I immediately grabbed one (hey, it was free!), and tried it.  It was golden brown and very tasty, and I even scored a $1 off coupon!  Hey, times are tough, and every penny counts!!!

So that is it, my very first $5 meal.  I plan to weigh myself again on October 1st to see if I am able to lose any weight at all.  At this point, whatever amount of weight I lose counts as a positive.  So stay tuned!

Ace.

Introduction to the Five Dollar Diet

Hello, and welcome to my blog!  Like many Americans, I have been trying to lose weight now for several years without success, but finally I have devised a method for me to shed the extra weight off for good!

I call it The Five Dollar Diet.

The way that it works is that you can eat whatever you want, but you cannot spend more than $5 on a single meal.  So when I woke up today I decided to weigh myself to find out how much weight I have to lose, and I discovered that I weigh a hefty 272.0 lbs!  Since I am about 6'-0" tall, according to several sources, I should weigh about 180.0 lbs, and so I need to lose almost 100 lbs to be at my ideal weight!!!

I will be using an app called WeightBot to track my weight on my iPhone 4 (pictured on the left).  My goal will be to reach my target weight by the end of next year, 2011.  It should be an exciting journey!

Disclaimer:  The Five Dollar Diet is purely meant for personal and entertainment purposes.  I make no claim whatsoever that it can help you lose weight, or that it will lead to a healthy lifestyle.  Therefore, I cannot be held liable for any damages arising from the use or misuse, whether intentional or not, of any of the ideas or techniques described in this blog.  If you desire to lose weight you should consult a professional.  I also do not promote any of the products or services mentioned in this blog and I am not affiliated to any of the companies mentioned herein.  Oh, yeah, and all of the content in this blog, including all the articles, images and videos are the intellectual property of me, the owner of this blog, operating under the alias "Ace".  By reading this blog you understand all of this and agree to its terms and conditions.

Ace