Challenge notes, 3/14

Well, I kind of spent a lot this week, the opportunity to get some cheap common goods (soda and chicken) was here.  I hope this will make future store trips smaller, which they need to be, now that I've spent a lot of my budget.  To date we've spent $263.88.  This leaves 6 shopping dates and $36.12 to spend.  That's only $6.02 per week!  As I've said though I stocked up, we have 10 more pounds of chicken and enough soda to last, hopefully, 4 of those 6 weeks.  I still have $1.81 in 'found change' to spend along the way too.

When we did our first challenge it only lasted a week.  It was constant tedious work, but it was only a week so I posted to the blog as much as possible.  The second challenge ran a little over a month.  Work was slow at the time (as it generally is for me in January.)  This challenge runs the length of 3 months.  I find it impossible to post daily, and apparently even weekly, on the current goings on.

What has happened during this challenge is a general lifestyle change.  Instead of going out in the field and grabbing whatever the nearest fast food restaurant or food trailer has to offer, I spend an hour or two the night before cooking in preparation.  I'll make a few pizzas, some cookies, chips, whatever is easy and comes to mind at the time.  Whatever won't be completely disgusting cold, as I am rarely within reach of a microwave.  I leave food and heating instructions behind so that everyone back here is fed too.

Our mechanic has a sign up in his lobby, it goes something like; 'Choose 2: Cheap, Fast, Good.  If it is cheap and fast, it won't be good.  If it is cheap and good, it won't be fast.  If it is fast and good, it won't be cheap.'  I am finding food to fit that analogy.  Everything I am making is cheap.  If it is fast its probably not very good, and if it is good its probably not very fast.  Ramen noodles=fast, not good.  Pierogies=good, not fast.  Tearing chicken legs apart takes FOR-EVER, but the end result is well worth the time invested (way better than eating drumsticks all the time.)

Final thoughts, on Sharon's clean fridge.  I have noticed myself that our refridgerator is much more empty and organized.  It didn't used to matter if the milk went bad, you throw it out on trash day and go get some more.  Now wasting $3 like that seems like a cardinal sin!  I've decided that cheese and sour cream are much better, much more stable sources of dairy anyways.  We still have sour cream and cheese from week 1 that is as fine as the day we bought it.  Beyond that I pay much more attention to what is left over in the fridge and make sure it is added to the meal plan.