Closed, closed, closed

Is it just me, or is it incredibly expensive to take your kids out to eat these days? Eating out really isn't in our budget, but, I do want my kids to know that restaurants exist. Last night was what I thought was going to be a perfect chance to be frugal and extravagant all at the same time. The children each got a certificate for reading (fill in the blank because I forgot) number of books, each certificate is good for one free personal pizza at Pizza Hut. So, the plan was to eat at Pizza Hut. Hubby and I would get the buffet, I helped myself to JB's certificate for H to use since JB spent last night with a friend. It was going to be about $25.00 including the tip.

Except...our Pizza Hut has closed down. This would not be particularly notable, but, this is the third place we used to frequent that we have tried to visit in the last week, that is now closed. Two of our favorite ice cream shops have locked their doors and now Pizza Hut. Ugh. So, we went to plan B (which of course we didn't actually have) and drove towards Wal-Mart, where we needed to visit for litter boxes (which were out of stock) and found that one of my favorite pizza places from my working lunch years has a new location. Yeah!!! So we stopped there for dinner. Holy Hell. Pizza for two adults and three kids, with three kiddie drinks and one adult beverage (water for me) came to fifty flipping dollars. A full quarter of what I spent at the grocery store yesterday...just for pizza.

I am shocked to admit that I am traumatized. Not having an income of my own has apparently given me a different perspective about spending money. While I still spend too much, it isn't with the same abandon that I used to. *Maybe this is why all our favorite places have gone belly up?* Today we are having oven fried chicken for dinner. I am using chicken that has been hanging out in the freezer waiting for me to get desperate, and it is already languishing in lowfat buttermilk, waiting to be dipped in spices and whole wheat panko. I am also making mashed potatoes with the remainder of what was starting to go bad in my pantry. Can you say guilt anyone?