Breaking the fast food habit

The only eating out spending we have done this month has been fast food breakfasts because we overslept.  But, you know what?  That is not fun and I want to have money for fun.  I like going to nice restaurants or out to a movie.  Wasting my money on fast food does not make me happy.  But what could I do?  I could not be late, and I needed to eat.  I made my grocery list before I went shopping on Friday and we had an extra $40 after buying all our needs ($10 had rolled over from the week before).  We do try to save up so we can buy meat and soda as a stockpile when  the deals are good so that was not that unexpected.  But it made me think that maybe I should buy the meat need for breakfast sandwiches and see how it goes.  So far we have needed to make breakfast on the go once this week.  It normally cost us about ten dollars, and the sausage cost us eleven and we still have about two and half pounds left.  I think this is looking like a good idea and we will keep it up. 

Has anyone else been struck by the amount they were spending and an easy fix they had not previously thought of?

Saving money on food without being bored

Our biggest struggle in our budget is eating out.  I get bored with the food and home and badger my husband into going out.  He loves going out as well, but for some reason, has more self-control as long as I don't bring it up.  So how to solve this?  Well, while my mom was visiting, she cooked all week and I got to try new meals, and learn how to cook them.  I loved the new meals and each one was cheap.

Of the meals she made, my favorites were spaghetti sauce with ground beef, chicken stir-fry with rice, pho, and a chicken tortilla bake.  These all cost about $2 a serving and are delicious.  My mother also left me most of the ingredients for the pho is that makes it even cheaper right now. 

By her coming and cooking as well as teaching me new recipes, I have not even wanted to go out to eat except for once and I was able to avoid it.  With our new daughter, saving our fun money is a must.  Also, she has introduced me to a site I did not know about Campbell's Recipes and I have started looking there for new ideas, since we have a ton of tomato soup cans in our cupboard.

Does anyone else have easy, new, cheap recipes to share or sites which help them find new ideas?  I'd love to read them.

Millionaire Update February

I now have $14,179 in my invesments.  Because of the cost of school I have not been able to invest lately except for credit card rewards from FIA card services (https://www.fidelity.com/cash-management/american-express-cards).  February we deposited $59.45 that we earned from the credit card into my husband's Roth IRA, however most of the increase was just from the market.  We still have a long way until I reach my next mini-goal of $25,000 but we are inching towards it.  We are also $821 short of having six months worth of expenses in our investment account, and given that Fidelity recommends having one year worth of your income at 35, I think we are doing alright for now. 

I should be done with my Master's in August so either I will continue on with my PhD which will mean a paycheck, giving us money to invest or we will be done with daycare, again, giving us more money to invest.  If I do not go on to my PhD, I am going to try to find a community college or two that will hire me to teach night classes. I prefer older students when tutoring so I assume I will prefer them while teaching as well and it will allow us not to pay for daycare which will save a ton. 
I have also thought about teaching online classes but I don't know much about them, maybe someone on here has an idea on where I can look. 

But for now, life is just staying busy with our new baby, classes and trying to get some writing done on my thesis, so I can graduate in August.