My friend E. challenged me to feed my shopping habit by cutting my lunch bill. This week went well: I brought my brownbag three times, had one free lunch, and grabbed a quick bite for under $10 one day.

The free lunch was courtesy of E., who had an inaguration party on Tuesday. I had some delicious egg white quiche.

My lunches have been healthier, too: turkey or ham sandwich on whole wheat bread and an apple. I added low-fat chips and pretzels to make my lunches more interesting.

So far, I have $31 for my shopping kitty, based on $10 for each lunch I brought to work and $1 for the Starbucks lunch, which cost me about $9 (with coffee).

I'm still a long way from a shopping spree at Sawgrass Mall, but it's a start. -- Marcia "Bargain Hunter" Pounds

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