Hi Tammy,
I'm in a dilemma right now that you or some of your readers might have some solutions for. I would like to prepare nourishing and cost-saaving meals for my dear hubby. But, DH co-owns his own small company and has to be available to distributors and customers at all times. He is constantly bombarded by phone calls, emails, crises to solve, etc. So, he really needs to get out of the office for lunch in order to have any kind of breathing room at all (and even then, he has to carry his cell phone/pocket computer with him. The building where his company is housed doesn't have a nice quiet room or a picnic area where he could get away for a few moments. So, he ends up eating out most days -- which isn't so good for his health or our budget. Any ideas about how I can help him cut costs and eat better, yet provide a way for him to get out of the office. In warmer weather, I can always carry a picnic down to his office a few times a week and we can go over to a park. But, in inclement weather, I'm a little stumped for ideas.
So, my dear readers, do you have any ideas? This is a tricky balancing situation. For myself, I often leave the office during my lunch break and visit the library or take a walk. But, if one has to leave a cell phone on, the librarians would frown at that. *Grin*
Elisabeth, one possibility is that he eats a packed lunch at the office, and then takes a walk or stops in to a library or place where he can have a few moments quiet--maybe at a coffee shop where he buys a cup of tea or some such drink (I realize that suggestion means buying something, but it would be much less than lunch out!). If one bundles up enough, even frigid weather isn't that bad for a short walk! I often took walks during my lunch break last winter. Another suggestion is that he and the other co-owner implement a lunch break. ;-) As his helpmeet, I hope that you are able to help him have a less stressful lunch break!
4 comments:
We actually moved house because of this, to be within walking distance of hubby's work. Now he comes home for lunch much more, and can relax for half an hour in a stress-free environment, plus he eats healthy home-cooked food:) This may sound an extreme solution, but it has paid huge dividends for hubby's well-being.
how about eating in his car... just park somewhere like a park or another parking lot and turn on the radio.
YOu can even recline the seat and take a nap.
I was going to suggest something similar to Richard. We've had car picnics with Dad before and it is fun - not so nice for the car perhaps but it is a nice break for hubby. We usually just do it in his business parking lot but I often see many people in our area who simply park by the lake, river, creek, or park. Everyone from businessmen to the local utilities employees do it. Then even though you are in the confines of your vehicle you at least have a scenic view and unless the weather is completely unreasonable you can open a window completely or just a crack and get some fresh air.
Plus you can listen to some soothing music too.
If he co-owns the business, is there not someone else, e.g. the other owner, who could rotate with him and cover for him for an hour so he could have lunch, without him having to take calls, etc. Or is it possible that he could return the calls immediately after lunch. I would hope that no one is that indispensible that they couldn't at least have a little free time to take a break. If these aren't possibilities, I guess packing a lunch would be a possibility. I know how expensive it can get to "eat out" everyday and there are many healthy choices available these days for a brown bag lunch. Hope you can come up with a solution soon, so your husband doesn't get burned out!
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