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