Champagne wishes on a beer budget

On a recent trip to Newport Beach, I spotted this adorable little boat. Immediately, I had visions of spending sleepy Sunday afternoons on the boat, reading light-hearted novels and swimming in the ocean. I would love to have a boat like this! It just looks like fun, but then again, who am I to have a boat? I am currently unemployed. Once again, my eyes are bigger than my checking account and I have champagne wishes on a beer budget.

Unemployed

As the last week of August comes to an end, I am faced with the stark reality that I am indeed, unemployed. I must admit that I hate the word. It sounds dark and depressing, and full of negative connotation. Because I am unemployed, I feel the need to do something. The irresponsible part of me wants to sell all of my belongings and set out on a road trip in the Subaru with Chloe. The responsible part of me feels the need to continually update and rewrite my resume and letter of introduction and check the job board every 15 minutes. The realistic part of me helps me to go to the gym and the library, and to spend time relaxing and reflecting. Who knew that not working would be such a struggle?

Spring Break

I am now more than half way through my spring break and it is so bittersweet. I wish life would stop for a moment so that I could just relax and pursue interests besides work and school. Yet, I understand life doesn't work that way! I spent the better part of two days at work trying to catch up on things. I brought home a ton of prep work. I have two schools to complete classroom observations on for the university, and I made time for a bit of fun. Chloe and I made it to the beach once so far. I also squeezed in a little shopping and got my hair done. It's funny how you learn to take on responsibility and the little moments of freedom with a joyful heart.

Transparency

I've been thinking about being "transparent" in life. To me, being transparent means being open, honest, and letting others see what's truly going on in your life- even when it's painful. My $1/day budget was difficult for me, and I didn't always want to share my struggles with the world. Also, admitting that I didn't know how to live on a budget was difficult for me to come to terms with. However, I found peace in knowing that I had nothing to hide and the accountability that comes along with being transparent really helped me keep things in perspective.

I've realized that I want to live a more transparent life. My 30th birthday is just around the corner, and I'm not excited about it. For some reason, each birthday makes me stop and evaluate my life. I've been checking in on my personal goals, and there are a lot of goals that I am nowhere near meeting. I understand that in order to meet one goal, you sometimes need to put other things on hold. But how do you regain balance after that? I think that is my biggest question in life. How do you regain and keep balance in life? I typically find myself teetering between one goal or another, or one crisis or another, and I'd like to have more balance. If anyone has any tips or words of wisdom, please share.

Day 46 and onward

Well, I must say that going back to spending money was more difficult than I expected. I started Day 46 extremely excited and proud to have finished the experiment. I had my heart set on a cup of fancy coffee from Starbucks and I even had a gift card. I ended up stopping at a Starbucks by my work, which is only a few blocks from Disneyland. The Starbucks was associated with a Disneyland hotel, didn't take gift cards, and charged $3.75 for a tall latte. I spent the money, but ended up in tears in my car. I knew I didn't need the latte. I also knew that the money I spent on that latte could have fed me for 4 whole days. On the other hand, the coffee was awesome, and the experiment was over. I had to come to terms with letting go.

I've been struggling with spending money on food since the experiment. I do have a full refrigerator right now, and a lot of produce, but it's a battle at the store. In my heart, I know that I don't need any of it. I have to convince myself that I'm making the right decision in purchasing things I don't need.

I'm still coming to terms with how to take what I learned in the experiment and apply it to my life. A lot of people teased me along the way and told me I was crazy. I don't want to be seen as a crazy lady, nobody does, but I do want to make good choices. I've found some peace in purchasing frozen fruits and veggies because they are so much less expensive. I still eat pb&j for lunch 2-3 times a week, but I now have higher quality ingredients. I continue to look for free produce (and free meals). I have no idea what the future holds, yet I do have some comfort in the fact that I know I can survive on next to nothing if need be.

Day 45

Feels good to be nearing the end of the road on this experiment. I know I've learned a lot and still believe that making sacrifices help us grow as people. I've learned that I can live on a budget! I can set limitations for myself, and although it's not always easy or enjoyable, I can do it-- and it's totally worth it! I've been thinking about all the other things I could spend my money on...and I'd really love to get my hair done and to get a facial, but I would also love to eat something more than ramen and pb&j.

Here is what i spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

pb&j- $0.32

carrot- $0.10

ramen- $0.10

slice of bread w/ pb-$0.07

juice-$0.04

total- $0.70

Day 44

This morning, I was stewing on how to make budgeting a part of my everyday life once the experiment is over. I can't help but think back to something my insurance agent told me a few weeks ago. I had called to ask on how to lower my premium to make my policy more affordable. The agent had told me that I had an excellent policy with a lot of coverage. She said that while it was an excellent policy, and I would be protected if I was in an accident, I needed to think about my own budget and what worked best for me. I feel like this is true in most things in life; For example, is sprouted whole grain better for you? Of course it is, but does that mean you should never eat bulk, bargain bread? Not at all. You need to make the best decisions for yourself based on what is best for you AND based on your own limitations. For me, this means that some weeks, I will splurge on almond butter, and on some other weeks, I will downsize to budget peanut butter. I would love to only eat the highest quality, unprocessed foods, but the truth is, I don't make that much money and most of the money I make goes straight back into my classroom.

Here is what i spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

pb&j- $0.32

ramen- $0.20

slice of bread w/ pb-$0.12

juice-$0.04

total- $0.75

Day 43

I am super excited about nearing the end of the experiment, but am struggling on how I can stay on a budget once the experiment is over. I can't wait to eat whatever I want, but I don't want to spend money. I am going to spend the next few days getting my head around this.

Here is what i spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

pb&j- $0.32

carrot- $0.10

ramen- $0.20

slice of bread w/ pb-$0.12

juice-$0.04

total- $0.85

Day 42

I went to Costco today. My dad sent me a gift card so I could just go in and eat free samples. I was super excited about going and so this morning I made the trek to Costco in Garden Grove. It was a complete zoo, but I managed to get quite a few samples. I had 2 small pastries, a handful of corn chips, few bites of a salad with sesame dressing, and a piece of a cliff bar. I would've loved to have eaten more, but at least I had a little variety. I also bought a huge (10lb) bag of carrots for $4.29. I thought it was a good buy. I came home and divided up the carrots and I have 44 carrots of varying sizes, which means that each carrot is worth about $0.10. This is awesome! I had bought a bag of baby carrots a while ago and I always wanted more than a few. Now, I can have a whole carrot for $0.10, yay!

Last weekend, a friend of mine bought me some produce from the farmer's market. I've been eating just a little bit each day so that I can enjoy it for longer. Today, I used some of the cabbage to make a salad with. I made a bed of greens with cabbage and then chopped up a bit of a tomato and put it on top. Then I cooked up some ramen noodles, drained them, and piled them on top. I squeezed 1/4 of a lemon on top, and added some of the chili seasoning from the ramen package. It turned out pretty good, but it was really spicy. I think because cabbage is bitter on it's own when I added the chili seasoning it really spiced it up. I still ate it though. The spiciness forced me to drink 3 more glasses of water than I normally would have, so that's a bonus if nothing else is.

Here is what i spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

slice of toast- $0.07

carrot- $0.10

ramen- $0.20

total- $0.44

Day 41

So excited that this experiment is almost over! I am chubby from eating whatever I can get my hands on and I'm sick of not being able to have a huge salad or bowl of veggie soup for dinner. The countdown to April 1st has begun. Today, I had to eat one of the granola bars that my dad sent home with me last weekend. I was running late for school and didn't have time to pack my lunch. I had only a granola bar and an orange for lunch, so when I got home from another long day at the university, I was starving! I had a smoothie and a piece of bread. Then, a few hours later, I ate a tomato sandwich with the tomato my friend bought me at the farmer's market.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal; $0.07

bread: $0.07

two more slices of bread: $0.14

juice: $0.12

serving of peanut butter: $0.06

total: $0.46

Day 40

Today was an end of the month celebration at work, and there was free food in the breakroom. I had a half of a bagel with cream cheese, carrots, broccoli, and celery, plus two mini-danish sticks, and two small chocolates. Yum!

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal; $0.07

pb&j: $0.32

two slices of bread: $0.14

juice: $0.12

total: $0.65

Day 39

Thank you, Nancy, for the diet coke!

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal; $0.07

pb&j: $0.32

two slices of bread: $0.14

juice: $0.08

total: $0.61

Day 38

Hooray for peanut butter. The diet just isn't the same without pb&j for lunch. I'm also still enjoying the fresh produce that a friend got me from the farmers market.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal; $0.07

pb&j: $0.32

two slices of bread: $0.14

juice: $0.08

total: $0.61

Day 37

Still no peanut butter. I miss being able to skimp on the peanut butter on my sandwich and then have the chance to indulge in a tablespoon of peanut butter in the evening as dessert. Today, I had ramen for lunch. Luckily, I'm still munching on the produce my friend bought me from the farmer's market. I've been putting cabbage in with the ramen and it seems more like a soup, rather than just noodles. I've also been chowing on avocados. I had an avocado sandwich for dinner. Life is good!

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

ramen- $0.20

bread (2 slices) -$0.14

total- $0.41

Day 36

I've been going through peanut butter like it's the only thing I eat. I have to admit that most days I look forward to pb&j because it tastes better than ramen. Plus, Chloe (my dog) loves peanut butter. And so Chloe gets a tablespoon mixed in with her dry food almost every day, and sometimes, twice a day. Today, I had no peanut butter in the house, and so I packed ramen for lunch.

This afternoon, a friend of me surprised me with two giant avocados that she and her husband had picked for me over the weekend. Hooray for free and organic avocados!

Here is what I spent on food today;

oatmeal: $0.07

ramen: $0.20

slice of bread: $0.07

total: $0.34

Day 35

Oh, Sunday, Sunday! Today was an awesome food day. I am embarrassed to admit this, but a friend bought me some fresh produce from the farmer's market. I treated myself to a strawberry, orange, grapefruit smoothie. I had an avocado sandwich and some ramen with cabbage. Yum, yum! And, I had leftover pizza (from yesterday's meeting at the university) for breakfast. I forgot how awesome pizza for breakfast is!

Here is what I spent on food today:

bread: $0.07

ramen: $0.20

total $0.27

Day 34

I drove up to Claremont today for school and had a chance to walk the neighborhood during lunch break. There were so many orange trees with oranges in full bloom! I convinced a friend to walk with me and we rang someone's doorbell to see if we could pick some oranges off their tree. Unfortunately, no one was home so we didn't get the chance. While on our way back to school, we walked by a small apartment complex and we gleaned a few lemons and an orange off of their trees that bordered the sidewalk. There were several rotting oranges and lemons on the ground, so we figured that no one would miss a few lemons and an orange. Yeah for organic fruit!

After school, there was a meeting to discuss classes next semester and they served pizza and salad. It was awesome! I inhaled two slices and found a ziplock bag to take two more slices home with me. I ate a large serving of caesar salad and drank a diet coke- yum! On the way out of the meeting, I helped myself to another soda that I can drink tomorrow when I'm catching up on homework.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal-$0.07

pb&j- $0.32

juice- $0.04

total-$0.43

Day 33

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal-$0.07

pb&j- $0.32

carrots-$0. 15

juice- $0.04

eggs- $0.30

ramen- $0.10

total-$0.98

Day 32

The hunger continues...I've been eating everything I can get my hands on for about 4 weeks, and I am looking forward to April 1st. Today, I had to go to Walmart to get things for my classroom and it took all of my willpower not to buy food for myself. I did find an orange tree near my apartment and I helped myself to 2 oranges. (I already ate 1/2 of one and it's delicious!)

Today, I had oatmeal for breakfast, pb&j for lunch, carrot sticks for snack, and ramen for dinner. I also snacked on some of the candy in the classroom stash.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal $0.07

pb&j $0.32

carrots $0.15

ramen $0.20

broccoli $0.10

total $0.84

Day 31

Grapefruits are coming in handy! I've been starving lately, and I've found that I can blend a grapefruit with ice cubes and a dash of artificial juice mix to make a killer smoothie. The smoothies are filling and full of vitamin C; plus they feel good on my sore throat.

I had a smoothie this morning instead of oatmeal. I had pb&j for lunch, carrot sticks for snack, and rice and eggs for dinner. I've honestly been so hungry lately, I ate some of the kids cookies at school, and my coworker bought me a soda after school. I feel like a bottomless pit. I had no idea I could eat so many carbs in one day!

Here is what I spent on food today:

pb&j- $0.32

rice- $0.14

egg- $0.30

carrots- $0.15

juice- $0.08

total $0.99

Day 30

I am so thankful for the bagels and granola bars that my dad sent home with me. I had the hardest time waking up this morning and I just couldn't get it together. I didn't have time to make my lunch and I left late. On my way out the door, I grabbed a bagel and a granola bar. I would've had to skip lunch if not for the free goodies. I only ate half of the bagel at lunch and one fruit and nut granola bar. For breakfast, I had oatmeal. For dinner, I ate 1 cup of rice and an egg. I had a piece of bread and 6 carrots as a late night snack.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

rice- $0.14

egg- $0.15

carrots- $0.08

total $0.44

Day 29

Another day, more food, and I really need more sleep. I ate oatmeal for breakfast, pb&j for lunch, and then I had some exciting snacks this afternoon. Thank you dad for the bagels and neighborhood fruit for the grapefruit! I blended up a giant yellow grapefruit in the Vitamix this afternoon and had a grapefruit smoothie. It was so refreshing because it was over 80 degrees today and my classroom doesn't have air conditioning. Later, after I had cooled off, I had about a 1/4 of a bagel. For dinner, I had two scrambled eggs with broccoli. I also snacked on carrot sticks at lunch time ( I ate 10), and I had a few of the kids cookies at morning snack.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal: $0.07

pb&j: $0.32

carrots: $0.13

eggs: $0.30

brocolli: $0.10

total: $0.92

Day 28

Getting out of town was amazing and my family treated me to a big breakfast before I headed home. I was too full to eat peanuts and pretzels on the plane, but I put them in my backpack for later. I drank two cups of juice on the plane: one cranberry and one orange. Yum!

My family sent me home with a half a bag of bagels, several granola bars, and a ziplock bag full of tea. When I got home in the afternoon, I ate half a bagel and drank a cup of tea. It's funny how the little things like a change in the menu make you feel better about your life.

For dinner, I ate the other half of the bagel with peanut butter and drank my artificial juice. I even snacked on my airplane peanuts.

Here is what I spent on food today:

peanut butter: $0.06

juice: $0.08

total: $0.14

Day 27

Well, today I flew into home for my dad's birthday. I knew the airport would be full of temptations, so I packed a pb&j for the trip. I ate oatmeal for breakfast and snacked on peanuts and juice during the flight. When I arrived, my aunt took me out to lunch. I feel like all I did all day today was eat! I grazed on everything at my dad's party- vegetarian egg rolls, sushi, spinach dip and bread, veggies and ranch, chips and dip, and I even had 2 spinach ravolis. I have no idea when my next free meal will come around, so I ate as much as I possibly could. After a break from eating, I went back for ice cream and coffee. Honestly, I feel like a pig, but it was nice to have some freedom.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

pb&j- $0.32

total- $0.39

Day 26

On Wednesday evening, I wandered the isles of the 99 Cents Plus store looking for toys for my classroom. I stumbled into their produce department and I was tempted to buy everything. There was apples, salad, dressing, asparagus, carrot sticks, tomatoes, peppers, and plantains. I had to really think about what would be filling and also what was the largest quantity I could get for the $0.99. I knew I wouldn't be able to eat just one portion of salad, so I settled on carrot sticks. I had put them in the fridge, and tonight, I had the time to portion out the carrots. Each carrot stick costs about $0.013. I was so excited, and I happily munched on 10 carrots knowing it would only cost $0.13. It's nice to have another food to choose from.

Today, I ate oatmeal, pb&j, ramen, and carrot sticks.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

pb&j- $0.32

ramen- $0.20

carrots-$0.13

total- $0.72

Day 25

I'm realizing that if you don't have money to spend, you really need to be prepared. I've never watched what I spent like this before and I still find it hard not to run down to 7-11 for snacks and a soda in the afternoon after a long day. I realize how much I took it for granted in the past that I could always afford a big gulp and a bag of chips. Now, I can't help but think that I could eat for two full days for the same amount of money as I would spend on an afternoon snack.

While the budget is motivating, it doesn't make changing easier. This afternoon, I was feeling overwhelmed. I snacked on some of the classroom stash of candy and nibbled on some popcorn that was leftover from last week's popcorn party. I didn't spend any money, but the I still had the desire to continue with my routine snacking in the afternoon. Tomorrow, I will need to bring a hard-boiled egg or some rice for the afternoon so that I am not hungry and stressed at the same time.

I've really noticed that I am much fuller and more satisfied since I added eggs to my diet. I feel like this is one of the best changes I've made in food selection since the beginning of the experiment. I thought that adding broccoli and fruit would have that effect, but I think the protein of the egg is making me fuller for longer. This evening, I had two scrambled eggs and a piece of toast for dinner and it was awesome! I am stuffed and feeling like I can handle another non-stop day.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

pb&j- $0.32

slice of bread-$0.07

eggs- $0.30

total- $0.76

Day 24

Gotta love Wednesdays and the access to free food. For dinner, I ate homemade potato cheese soup with broccoli, a slice of foccaccia bread, some caramel popcorn, and peanut m&m's. The soup was amazing! I also had fruit salad (that I brought to the potluck). I was reluctant to share my fruit, but I didn't want to show up empty handed. Luckily, no one really ate the fruit salad and I took it home to eat throughout the week. There was also a guest speaker in class, and she handed out little bags of cookies. I'm excited about having cookies available for tomorrow or later in the week.

For breakfast and lunch, I had the standard oatmeal and pb&j.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

pb&j- $0.32

total- $0.39

Day 23

The experiment continues...I had oatmeal for breakfast, pb&j for lunch, and a big dinner. Lately, I've been hungry at night. I had an egg, 1/2 a package of ramen, and a slice of bread. I also snacked some free fruit (grapefruits and strawberries) and some candy I grabbed at a meeting.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

pb&j- $0.32

slice of bread-$0.07

egg- $0.15

juice- $0.08

total- $0.69

Day 22

I went grocery shopping again today for bread and peanut butter. The bread was less expensive, and the peanut butter was more expensive...and I learned that the peanut butter is only on sale for $1/jar for a few weeks, so you have to stock up at that time. Wish I would've bought more last time I was at the store!

This morning, when I was making my sandwich I realized I only had one slice of bread left, so I made a half a sandwich. It was nice to have a little budget flexibility, so I ate a poptart ($0.08) at morning break.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal: $0.07

poptart: $0.08

1/2 pb&j:$0.16

hard boiled egg: $0.15

ramen: $0.10

broccoli: $0.10

scrambled egg: $0.15

total: $0.84

Day 21

Well...I broke my budget today. I had a really good friend in town on vacation and the temptation was too great. We spent the afternoon at the Block at Orange (a very fun mall), and I was actually prepared to spend more. We opted to not have lunch, but to get churros as a snack. I spent a whopping $2 on a churro. The price of the churro plus the oatmeal I had for breakfast and the egg I had for lunch puts me at a grand total of $2.22. I am embarrassed for the slip-up, but it was well worth it to have the company of a good friend from home. Despite being over budget today, I will continue on with the experiment until April 1st. I don't have any other good friends from home visiting or any other extenuating circumstances, so I think I can finish the experiment without any further problems!

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal: $0.07

churro: $2.00

egg: $0.15

total: $2.22

Day 20

This budget experiment has really changed the way I think about money. All of my spending habits have changed. I am so much more conservative in my spending. Yesterday, I got my tax return and I didn't even want to spend it. Today, I decided I could buy a new shirt or scarf since I've been so dedicated to the experiment. I spent $20 on one shirt and I am sick with the thought that I could eat for 20 days with the money I spent on one shirt. Don't get me wrong, I love the shirt, but it was hard to spend the money even though I have a little. I am honestly guilt-ridden right now, but I've gotten work through it.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

pb&j- $0.32

eggs- $0.15

ramen-$0.10

broccoli- $0.10

total- $0.74

Day 19

Another difficult day full of stress really threatened my experiment today. I came in from recess and ate two of poptarts that I had purchased for the class. Generic poptarts are $0.08 each. On top of my daily meals, I barely stayed under $1. Yet, I still did it.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

poptarts-$0.16

pb&j- $0.32

slice of bread-$0.07

eggs- $0.30

total- $0.92

Day 18

I haven't felt like eating all of my oatmeal the last few days. Yesterday and today, I used only 1/4 cup of uncooked oatmeal (or 1 serving), which is $0.07. I didn't realize that I had cut back the cost of breakfast or I probably would have packed more food this morning. Instead, I had my serving of oatmeal for breakfast, pb&j for lunch (1/2 at a.m. snack, 1/2 at lunch), and scrambled eggs (2) for dinner with a piece of toast. I also accepted free snacks throughout the day. My students were eating cookies today, so I had a cookie. I also packed a grapefruit that was part of my free bag from neighborhoodfruit.com. Later this afternoon, my coworker shared her goldfish crackers with me. Overall, I did eat quite a bit, but I was under a lot of stress and felt the need for more. I am so happy the day is coming close to an end, and I can finish out the day within budget. Stressful days really make me want a diet coke and some chips, but alas, I have 27 more days of the experiment. I know I can do it, and I know I must be learning more about life, budgeting, food, portion size, and physical needs than I can see clearly at this time.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.07

pb&j- $0.32

(2) slices of bread-$0.14

eggs- $0.30

total- $0.83

Day 17

Adding new foods to my routine is great! Today, I had oatmeal for breakfast and half of my pb&j that I had prepared for lunch. Then I had a hard boiled egg and the other half of my sandwich at lunchtime. This was one of the first afternoons that I haven't had the munchies. I am going to be eating more eggs because of the protein. At dinner, I had my new version of chicken a la pobre, aka, rice and an egg.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

pb&j- $0.32

rice-$0.14

eggs- $0.30

total- $0.90

Day 16

I am excited that I am 16 days into the project. I realize that I have been eating a lot of free food lately, yet it doesn't change the fact that I would kill for veggie works burrito and a diet coke from Del Taco. As much as I have been enjoying all of the free foods, it is still hard to refrain from purchasing what I would prefer to eat.

I went to the grocery store this evening and I got some eggs. I am excited for a new flavor and some protein in my diet. I also bought another jar of jelly since I've been eating two servings of jelly a day. I also bought 6 more packages of ramen. I am burning through the ramen. I find it is easier to eat than rice because it is seasoned and the rice is bland. I am going to have rice with a fried egg sometime this week. I remember when I was traveling around South America, chicken a la pobre was a very common meal. The meal came with at least portion of chicken, a fried egg, and rice. It was always a very inexpensive, but filling meal. This evening when I was shopping, I thought, I can make chicken a la pobre (without the chicken) and I will be full and nourished.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

pb&j- $0.32

ramen- $0.10

egg- $0.15

rice (1/2 serving)- $0.07

juice-$0.08

total- $0.86

Day 15

I'm feeling pretty good about the $1/day diet with my recent gains of fresh produce. Honestly, with the free fruit and the huge bag of coffee that I've been drinking since Christmas, I'm feeling really blessed. Today was easy to stay within budget. I am used to eating oatmeal, pb&j, and ramen. The strawberries and grapefruit made the day enjoyable, and I even had a slice of bread with peanut butter as a snack. Looks like the next 30 days should go by reasonably fast. I will continue to look for new ways to find free or extremely inexpensive food. I'm looking forward to finding an avocado tree. I think I could live on avocado alone, at least, for a little while.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

pb&j- $0.32

ramen- $0.20

slice of bread with peanut butter- $0.12

total- $0.78

Day 14

I've been putting off opening my mail, and last night I finally looked over everything. My car insurance has gone up substantially since I registered my car in the state of California. I am looking at reducing my plan right now, but I owe $320.00 for the month of February (ouch!). It looks like the $1/day food budget will be continuing until April 1st as a way to cover the increase of my insurance fees.

It's getting easier to be creative on a small budget and I've started thinking of it as a game. The free oranges off the tree yesterday have inspired me to continue to look for free produce here in sunny Southern California. Also, I have a trip to the grocery store planned for later this week and I am excited about getting some new items like eggs. Simple, cheap protein.

This afternoon, I finally met up with one of the parties on neighborhoodfruit.com, and I scored a huge bag of yellow grapefruit! I was so excited, I cut into one right after I took the picture. They are delicious! Also, I scored flat of strawberries! My friend who took me to dinner last night gave me the strawberries as a gift. The strawberries are wonderful and juicy! The oranges I picked are also in the picture.

I'm sure that this week will be easier to stay on target. With the addition of free produce, my diet is looking pretty good and a lot healthier.

It's always fun to snack on the weekends, and I did just that. I ate oatmeal for breakfast, strawberries mid-morning, a slice of bread with peanut butter around noon. Later in the afternoon, I ate a half a package of ramen and a Valentines day cookie (a gift from a coworker on Friday). I had a grapefruit before dinner. Then for dinner, I had more ramen and a small portion of broccoli.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

slice of bread with peanut butter- $0.12

ramen- $0.20

brocolli- $0.10

total- $0.56

Day 13

I've been enjoying more free food today! The university catered lunch for the students in my cohort today, so I had veggie pizza, salad, and soda. It was a really nice treat. After lunch, I went to print out my homework and noticed a few orange trees on campus. I wasn't tall enough to reach the oranges, but I found a couple of students in my cohort who agreed to help. I ended up with four huge oranges that are almost ripe. I am putting them in a paper bag and will check them tomorrow. A nice, juicy orange sounds so good!

I've been checking out neighborhoodfruit.com, and have yet to have any luck. I am still emailing someone with grapefruits and hope to pick up the fruit tomorrow. Also, there is a public avocado tree listed in the city of Claremont. I drove past the address and unfortunately I don't know what an avocado tree looks like. I stopped and looked around, but there weren't any trees with fruit on them in the area. I am hoping that the trees will begin producing fruit in the near future.

In addition to my free lunch, I had oatmeal for breakfast. A friend of mine is taking me out to dinner tonight, so I am way under budget for today.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

total- $0.14

Day 12

It seems that there are opportunities for free food almost daily. I had prepared for today as usual; I had oatmeal for breakfast, packaged up my pb&j, and took my vitamins. During morning break, I went into the employee breakroom and there was a pleathora of food! It was so exciting! There was veggies and dip, apples with an apple slicer, crackers with artichoke dip, and various desserts. I stocked up on fruit and veggies, plus a little bit of everything else. I even took home a few leftover mini-cinammin rolls. (They only had 4 grams of fat for two rolls, so I figured they wouldn't kill me- at least not immediately.) I also scored 2 apples (yeah for fresh produce!)

For dinner, I ate ramen and broccoli. I had dessert too! I had a Valentine's day cookie that one of my coworker's gave me. I was up until midnight working on papers for school, so I had a late night snack of a slice of bread with peanut butter and drank juice. I don't want to think about how many calories I had yesterday...I was pretty excited about the free food in the breakroom, so I went a little overboard.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

pb&j- $0.32

ramen- $0.20

brocolli- $0.10

slice of bread with peanut butter- $0.12

juice- $0.08

total- $0.96

Day 11

There are a lot of opportunities for free food that I am discovering. Today, one of my coworkers brought in orange cranberry muffins to share. Yum! I actually didn't have time to eat mine until 3pm today, but it was so good when I finally got to it. I also found some starburst candy in my school bag that was free at school last week and a few mini candy bars from the stash in the classroom. I love sugar and it came in handy when I was writing my paper this evening.

Despite loving the free food in my life, I realize that I am allowing myself to eat anything that is put in front of me. I haven't eaten this much garbage for so many days in a long time. I remember when I was in college, there was a time when I ate a lot of ramen, pb&j, and french fries. I came home with an extra 15 pounds. I think I may need to exercise restraint when it comes to free food and make healthier food decisions over the next 18 days if I don't want to finish this experiment heavier than I am today.

Today, I also had to purchase more peanut butter. I stopped at Walmart this evening to see if I could afford their peanut butter, and I couldn't. It was almost twice the price of the peanut butter at Food for Less, so I had to put it back and walk out of the store. I've always assumed the food at Walmart was cheaper than other stores, but I was wrong! I made a quick stop at Food 4 Less and bought peanut butter. It is getting easier to walk into a store and only purchase what I had originally intended on buying and nothing else: peanut butter -$1. I've never lived like this...so at least I'm growing as a person if nothing else!

With that thought, here is what I ate and spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

pb&j- $0.32

ramen- $0.20

extra serving of pb as a snack- $0.06

total- $0.72

Day 10

Well, free food Wednesday was nice...but left me wanting more. I was excited about the free snacks at my Wednesday evening seminar. I munched on cheese and crackers, fresh fruit, sunchips, and chocolate kisses. Yet, on my way home, I had the strongest urge to stop at Del Taco for a veggie burrito. Even after two helpings of fruit and sunchips, I just couldn't get full. I ate ramen when I got home from school. I've started draining the water and just eating the noodles with a small portion of the seasoning. I like it because there is more of an opportunity to chew the food, rather than just slurp and swallow. But, it's probably better to eat the noodles with the broth because then the noodles are balanced out with liquid, so you stay hydrated.

In addition to the free snacks and ramen, I also ate oatmeal, pb&j, and a couple of donut wholes that my coworker shared during collaboration. Finally, I ate I a slice of bread and drank juice right after eating ramen in a desperate attempt to get full.

oatmeal- $.014

pb&j- $0.32

ramen -$0.20

powdered juice - $0.04

slice of bread-$0.06

total- $0.76

Day 9

Well, today was a surprisingly exciting food day!

I got up this morning and ate oatmeal, drank iced coffee, and prepared my pb&j for lunch. I also packed rice as an afternoon snack. I worked all morning, and was actually looking forward to my pb&j, but I had a meeting before lunch. After the meeting, my boss surprised us with a trip to lunch! It was very exciting! I realize I sound like a senior citizen, but between work, school, and my budget, a nice lunch out is a big deal. I had salad with honey mustard dressing (so good) and two slices of veggie pizza (delicious!). It tasted amazing! I seriously felt like I ate like a queen.

When I got home from work, I ate what I had prepared for lunch for dinner. I also drank artificial juice. Later on in the evening, I had a slice of bread. I'm not sure if I was really hungry or just hoping it would taste like pizza, but either way, I ate a slice of bread.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

pb&j- $0.32

rice -$0.14

powdered juice - $0.04

slice of bread-$0.06

total- $0.70

Day 8

Weekdays are so much easier to stay on a diet. There is just so much less temptation and the busy-ness of work distracts from what you are eating. Today, I had the standard meals: oatmeal, pb&j, rice, ramen, and lots of water. I also had a slice of bread this evening as a snack. I think I'm bored with my menu, so I have more desire to snack. I am looking forward to obtaining free produce from a woman with neighborhoodfruit.com. She emailed me yesterday to let me know that she has grapefruit, which sounds so awesome, but she has yet to provide me with an address/pick-up information. I'm really excited about the grapefruit! If nothing else, it is something to look forward to.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

pb&j- $0.32

slice of bread- $.006

rice -$0.14

powdered juice - $0.04

ramen- $0.10

total- $0.80

Day 7

I woke up this morning feeling like complete garbage. I think yesterday's influx of exercise, caffeine, and calories really did me in. After vegging out for 2 episodes of "Man vs. Wild," and drinking two glasses of water and a glass of fake juice, I felt a whole lot better. Bear Grylls also has a way of making you feel like a wimp if you're not defending yourself against boa constrictors and eating scorpions. I think that the next time I'm lacking motivation, I'm going to have to watch more "Man vs. Wild" because I seriously felt like a schmuck lying in bed and watching TV.

Once out of bed, I ate my standard breakfast of oatmeal. I've also been drinking my coffee iced, just so that it's a little diluted and less bitter. For lunch, I ate the remainder of my salad from last night's surprise meal. I felt a little guilty eating it because it wasn't part of the plan, but not guilty enough to throw it away. The salad, technically, cost me nothing, and therefore, fits within budget. As an afternoon snack, I ate a slice of bread with a tablespoon of peanut butter. I was evaluating the jar of peanut butter today because it's getting low. Then I realized that the jar was supposed to last at least 8 days, and I'm on day 7, so I have definitely stayed within my goal. Yeah! I have at least enough peanut butter for 2-3 more sandwiches. I'm planning on having ramen with broccoli for dinner. I'm also finishing out the first week of the experiment without any real struggles or issues. I'm feeling pretty proud right now!

I have attached a picture of my receipt from my trip to Food 4 Less on Friday evening. I bought 5 packs of chili ramen, a package of frozen broccoli, and a container of powdered juice mix. I spent $3.96 on Friday, and $9.92 a week ago, for a grand total of $13.88. I have 6 packages of ramen, a huge bag of rice, a loaf and a quarter of bread, a bag of broccoli, 42 servings of powdered juice, a half a jar of jelly, a about 5-6 tablespoons of peanut butter left. The only thing I will need to buy more of in the near future is peanut butter. I am right on target with my supplies and my budget.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal: $0.07

slice of bread with pb: $0.12

ramen:$0.10

broccoli: $0.10

juice: $0.08

total: $0.47

Day 6

I knew when I started this experiment that weekends would be harder because of the temptation to eat out and to treat myself to different foods. Yet, I am still focused and am continuing to stay within budget.

This morning, I looked into finding free fruit in Orange County. Thank you Tony for the link to neighborhoodfruit.com! The website is awesome! I found a few listings for free oranges and am waiting to here back from the other parties. There were only a few listings, but I'm sure there will be more and more as we continue into the Spring/Summer months. I'm super excited about free produce!

Today, I had oatmeal for breakfast and pb&j for lunch. I also drank coffee (that was a Christmas gift from my dad), and my new powdered juice mix. It's funny, but having the choice of drinking the artificial juice is really nice. I was hungrier than usual today since I went bike riding. I had two afternoon snacks: rice with Del Taco mild sauce and a piece of bread with peanut butter. For dinner, I had a small bowl of ramen, and was planning on eating more ramen when I got home this evening, but I had a surprise meal with my friend Kevin. He took me out and treated me to a delicious salad with greek olives, tomatoes, and salmon. Today was the best free food day thus far! Thanks Kevin!

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

pb&j- $0.32

slice of bread with pb- $.012

rice -$0.07

powdered juice - $0.08

ramen- $0.10

total- $0.83

Day 5

I've been getting headaches lately. I had one yesterday and one all day today. I don't think I've been drinking enough water. Also, I think the pure carb diet is sending my body into shock. I'm planning a trip to Food 4 Less to see if I can afford some veggies and/or fruit.

Today, I switched things up and had some rice for dinner. It was definitely a nice change and rice is so inexpensive, that you can eat a lot. I had a cup at 7 pm, and ate more when I came home from the grocery store (with a small serving of broccoli). I ended up going to the store after dinner to purchase more ramen for the weekend. At the store, I scored a bag of frozen broccoli for $0.98, powdered juice mix for $0.98, and 5 packs of chili ramen for $0.20/each. (I will post the receipt tomorrow morning)

Overall, I ate less today than yesterday and was less hungry. I had oatmeal for breakfast, pb&j for lunch, and about 2 servings of rice for dinner with a small portion of broccoli. I also had candy hearts and a mini-candy bar from the free stash in the classroom. I think I'd have a much harder time following this diet if it weren't for the free food along the way!

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

pb&j- $0.32

rice -$0.14

broccoli -$0.10

powdered juice - $0.04

total- $0.74

Day 4

I woke up this morning energized and ready for the day. Fun food Wednesday was definitely a nice treat, and I have to admit that I even hugged my professor last night (I think all the sugar went to my head!). Oh, and my advisor gave me a bag of pita chips that were leftover (double score!). So, I was extra coherent this morning and had the brilliant idea of bringing rice to school with me as an afternoon snack. I ended up cooking a huge pot of white rice while I was getting ready. I took my rice and pb&j to work with me for lunch and afternoon snack. My dog, Chloe, loves rice too, so I let her have about 1/2 cup with her dog food.

Today, I followed the same basic menu: oatmeal for breakfast, pb&j for lunch, ramen for dinner. My coworker gave me a diet coke at lunch today (thank you, Nancy!) and I had way too much candy. One of the worst things about being a teacher is the unlimited access you have to candy! There are stashes of free candy all over my classroom! I have a ton of leftover Valentine's day candy and bag of mini candy bars that my dad bought for the kiddos. I have no idea how much candy I ate today, but someone told me that you need fat to feed your brain...so consider this brain fed! My goal for tomorrow is not only to stay under $1 for food, but to stay away from the free candy.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $.014

pb&j- $0.32

rice -$0.07

ramen- $0.10

(only 1 serving today)

total- $0.63

*p.s. I am drinking coffee, but it was a Christmas gift and is therefore free

(thanks dad!)

Day 3

I've been thinking about my own view of food and eating. In the past, I thought I knew that food was a physical need, when in fact, I've always based my food needs on cravings and desires. For example, when deciding what to eat for a meal, I usually think about what sounds good and what would taste good. These two questions have nothing to do with the physical need for food. Following this idea, on most days, I've taken eating, which is a physical need, and made it emotional and based on what I want. In doing this experiment, I've removed a lot of the emotional desire to eat. Right now, I know what I am allowed to eat and what I eat isn't based on just the desire for a specific food.

It's becoming easier to follow a specific food regime, and I did have some food freedom today. As was expected, my professor brought an array of snacks to our Wednesday night seminar. I nibbled on apples and caramel dip (yum!), pretzels, chips, and coke zero. Wednesday is quickly becoming my favorite day of the week because of the free food!

Besides eating free food, I also had oatmeal for breakfast (and for afternoon snack), pb&j for lunch, and ramen for dinner. One of my coworkers shared some hard candy with me at a meeting this afternoon too, so today was definitely a fun food day.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- $0.14

pb&j- $0.32

ramen- $0.20

total -$0.66

Day 2

I feel like I am already learning so much about saving money and not wasting food!

I'm learning to break down the meals I'm allowed into smaller meals. So today, I ate 6 small meals. I had half of my oatmeal for breakfast, half of my PB&J for morning snack, the other half of my PB&J for lunch, the remaining oatmeal for afternoon snack, a handful of candy hearts (that were left over from Valentine's) at 5:30 p.m., and then ramen for dinner. I am full...not that I wouldn't really love to eat a huge salad and minestrone soup...but, I'm really not hungry or feeling deprived. Oh, and one of my coworkers brought in some tangerines from their tree to share, and I snagged a small one that I ate with the candy hearts (healthy, eh?).

Here's what I spent on food for today:

oatmeal- 1 cup- $0.14

pb&j sandwich- $0.32

(with double the peanut butter and jelly)

ramen- $0.20

total- $0.66

I plan on following the same menu tomorrow, and I have some free snacks to look forward to. On Wednesday evenings, I attend a seminar for the university. My professor always brings veggie trays and assorted goodies. I am definitely looking forward to the free food tomorrow. I realize that it may sound like I am cheating, but the goal of my experiment is to stay within a pre-determined budget ($1/day). The food that will be at the seminar is free and provided by my wonderful professor, so I will enjoy the snacks just like the other students.

One last note, if you must eat ramen, then try the chili flavor. It's by far the best!

Day 1

It's 5:15 pm, and I'm hungry! I just put ramen on the stove and I'm excited for dinner.

Breakfast and lunch today were super easy. I got up and had my oatmeal and coffee with Chloe, and packed our lunches since we were going to the beach. The doubled portion of oatmeal was too much and I ended up sharing it with Chloe. She liked the first bite, and then even she wouldn't eat it. I had my PB&J sandwich at the beach with a bottle of water. When I got home this afternoon, I was dying for a snack. (What was I thinking- I have no snacks!!!) I settled on a teaspoon of peanut butter straight out of the jar. It was not really what I wanted, but it was something to eat.

Later on, I stopped at my work to do a little prepping for tomorrow, and I found a small chocolate heart in my desk (jackpot!). I'm really happy that I'm allowed to eat free food. I definitely felt my spirits lift when I found the chocolate.

I'm getting ready for my final meal for today and drinking more water. This is going to be harder than I anticipated. At least I have work tomorrow, and I will be too busy to think about what I'm eating.

Here is what I spent on food today:

oatmeal- 1 cup- $0.14

pb&j sandwich- $0.32

(with double the peanut butter and jelly)

extra snack of peanut butter - $.06

ramen- $0.20

total- $0.72

Pre-experiment Day 3

Let me just say that I am so excited right now! I just went to the grocery store and got most of the food I will need for the next 30 days and I spent under $10. (Thank you Food 4 Less!) I have high hopes of splurging on some tang and snacks with the remaining money, but want to see how hungry I am with the menu I've planned. Here is a break down of what I bought and the number of servings per container.

Oatmeal (for breakfast)- $1.98= 30 servings

Bread (sandwiches for lunch)- 2 loaves - $2.88= 24 sandwiches

Peanut butter (for sandwiches)-$1.00=16 servings

Jelly (for sandwiches)-$1.68= 45 servings

Rice (for dinner) - $1.38= 20 servings

Ramen (for dinner) - $1.00=10 servings

If I were to only eat one serving for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then technically, I would be able to eat just the items I've already bought with the addition of another jar of peanut butter and that would last for the entire 30 days. However, I've never measured portions at meals, and I suspect that I eat more than one serving at most meals. At this point in time, I'm relieved because I only spent a grand total of $9.92 at the store today. That means that I could go back to the store in 15 days and spend $15 more on food and still be within budget.

Tomorrow is the first day of the experiment. I am planning on eating oatmeal for breakfast, PB&J for lunch, and ramen for dinner. When I broke down the cost of each item per serving and totaled what I would eat in a day, I came up with $.39. This means that I can double the servings of oatmeal, peanut butter, jelly, and ramen and still be at only $.66/day. I will try to eat just the doubled portions (as described above) and see if I am hungry at the end of the day.

I am nervous about starting the experiment, but I think this will be really good for me!

Pre-experiment Day 2

My $1/day food budget experiment is scheduled to start on Monday, and think I need to set some ground rules before the experiment begins. I recently bought some staples like coffee, tea, and pasta. I could set aside these items until after the experiment is over, but I think I'll be tempted to eat them. I've decided that the food that is already in the house is free game during the experiment. My goal in doing this experiment is to minimize my spending, and to live like many people do, on a small budget. That being said, I will be budgeting $1/day for food or $30 for 30 days. I will not be begging for food, but if there is free candy or coffee at school then I will allow myself to have some. The goal is not self-deprivation or starvation, but a greater awareness of food and the time and money I devote to food. The timeline for the experiment is February 15, 2010 to March 16, 2010. I would really like to continue the experiment until April 1, 2010; however, I like the idea of having some flexibility and the chance to re-evaluate where I'm at and what I've learned on March 16, and decide from there if I want to continue.

I talked to some friends from school today about the experiment and they were not excited. They said that I would probably gain weight and become really unhealthy. I, of course, hope that doesn't happen. I'm hoping that the experiment will help me to stop snacking when I'm studying and to pay more attention to portion sizes. I am getting anxious for the experiment to start and anxious to see how frugal I can be.

Pre-experiment

Friday, February 12, 2010

This week I've been stewing on how to live on a budget. Over the last month, I've had unexpected expenses for car repairs and doctors appointments. I am already on a tight budget. I sometimes splurge on clothes and shoes, but after reviewing my bank statements, I saw that I spend most of my money (after rent and credit cards) on food. I love food! I've been a vegetarian for years, and I love organic produce and sprouted grains. On my days off, I love to walk the isles of Whole Foods and sample the newest products. I am becoming a foodie, and my pocketbook and waistline are suffering.

A year or two ago, I saw a teacher on "Good Morning America" who had lived on a $30/month food budget. The teacher was a younger man, and he ate plain oatmeal, pb&j, and ramen (or cheap noodles) everyday. He drank water or black coffee, and didn't splurge on teas/sodas, fruit, or fresh produce. He was able to spend about $1/day on food. I've always been intrigued by that teacher's sacrifice. And now, after realizing how much I spend on food, I'm ready to try the same experiment.

I went grocery shopping a few times this week, and I have some yummy, healthy food to enjoy this weekend before the experiment starts on Monday. I'm getting ready to make a strawberry, blueberry, and soy milk smoothie for breakfast. I have spinach salad in the fridge for lunch, and I am going to make some homemade soup for dinner. This weekend, I plan on eating the last of my peanut m&m's, enjoying a glass of wine, and snacking on guacamole and chips. I'm not sure how well I will do in this experiment but it's worth a try.