The last week was especially hard. We ran out of chocolate chips, butter, and we were getting very tired of eating out of our pantry.
We all survived and here is how.
First, I took our change jar to the bank and got $29 which was a big help.
Second, our daughter took us out to dinner one night and it was so nice to eat out after a month of not going out.
Third, it is football season. We get together to watch the game as an extended family and everyone brings something to share. We took deviled eggs and home made pickles. We get fresh eggs from our chickens and I made a whole bunch of pickles just a while ago. It cost us nothing and we had chicken wings made by our sister-in-law (she makes the best chicken wings).
Fourth, we had family Sunday dinner and again it was pot luck and we took a fruit salad made with things that we already had.
This is one of the dishes I made. It is pretty cheap and our family likes it. It is a Korean dish call bibimpob. The basic idea is that you have rice as your base and some sort of protein, vegetables of your choice, an egg, and hot pepper paste. I usually use spinach or swiss chard as greens, but here I have kale instead because kale was cheaper.
A few interesting experiences I had.
First, at the beginning of the third week I went to the store to pick up something and I had two weeks allowance of $40 with me. I thought I was being careful but when I got to the check out line it was more than $40 and I had to tell the cashier to put some items back. For some reason I forgot to take my wallet with me. If I had my wallet I would probably have pulled out my debit card and paid the whole bill to avoid the embarrassment. I was very grateful that this was by choice not out of necessity.
Second, I have a weekly lunch date with my husband, and I like to make something that is more/different than a ham sandwich. I found out that I actually put more thought into our picnic lunch since take out wasn't an option. I took juice or milk in a mason jar instead of buying a soda. I had to get up early to make cookies and actually had to look up a recipe a few times. Ranch potatoes and leftover chicken was really good.
Third, my perception of money has changed during the month. I found myself counting pennies, comparing prices and trying to find cheaper substitutes. I need to practice more frugal living everyday and I found out by living on $109 last month I can do this.
I spent the last of our money buying three doughnuts. Sometimes you just need to have a doughnut. When I went to pay for them the cashier asked me if I wanted to donate $1 for the children's miracle network. I told him I wished I could but I am counting my pennies. He told me he feels my pain and he understands. Maybe he does understand me or any other people who had to count pennies. But I am not sure if I do.
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