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