I was mostly "good" on Thursday. Ate breakfast. Packed a lunch. I did go to Menchie's on break because they had a new seasonal flavor: minty cocoa cookie. I spent $4.71. That is one of the many bad things about having a slow work day. When we are busy I don't have time to leave.
For dinner we had salad to use up some of our Thanksgiving leftovers that are still languishing. Jeremy made quinoa with sage, rosemary, thyme, garlic and olive oil for the salad. He and Winter skipped the nuts and cranberries.
Breakfast: lime Mediterranean yogurt with raspberries, protein bar
Lunch: leftover turkey soup, apple, clementine
Dinner: salad with butter lettuce, turkey, delicata squash, dried cranberries, walnuts, seasoned quinoa, and raspberry vinaigrette
Snacks/desserts: minty cocoa cookie frozen yogurt, toasted marshmallow frozen yogurt, cream cheese icing topping and brownie bites, cinnamon roll cookie
Saturday, December 6, 2014
On Winter spending her own money on food
Winter gets a regular allowance while she lives here. As a rule, I pay for anything she needs (her material needs are few, if I'm being honest), and her allowance is hers to spend or not spend as she likes. She is very independent, and goes many places by herself since we do not own a car. She walks most places, and takes the bus to some. I don't want her to have to always ask me for money for a snack, or for this or that, because she is usually not with me when she is buying something she wants. She is usually alone or with friends.
Initially she used her allowance on snacks on occasion, like a soda or an energy bar, or something along those lines. Recently she has been using some of her money on food though. Like, food for regular meals that she brings home and prepares herself. At first my compulsion was to tell her to hang onto her money, and let me buy all her food. But I held back. Sometimes it was a matter of it being near the end of the month, and I had to watch the budget too closely to buy anything unplanned for, so I told her "if you want X, you may buy it yourself, because we don't have much left in the budget right now." Sometimes she did, and other times she decided it wasn't worth it.
Now I have realized, in watching what she decides to buy and not buy, that this is an important step for her in becoming an independent functioning adult. She told me once that she likes to buy groceries for herself sometimes because it makes her feel grown up. She gets to sometimes eat exactly what she wants instead of being limited just to what I buy and make. I see her carefully weighing her options before purchasing something. Looking for the best price. Learning how to make mashed potatoes from scratch because it costs less than buying them premade. She asks me for my opinions and advice. She is learning things about how much food costs, and how that varies depending on what you buy and where you buy it. She has a more experiential appreciation for the choices I make when buying food.
One thing I am proud of her for is that even though she is spending her own money, she is still generous. She shares the food she buys with friends, and almost always offers me some if I am around.
I have struggled a bit over whether or not I should include the food she buys in our monthly budget. In the past, I have sometimes. Going forward I don't think I will. My reasoning is that the money she gets for her allowance is budgeted desperately and accounted for, and also because it is always 100% her choice to buy food or not. There is always enough food here for her to get plenty to eat without it. The food she buys is more for her spirit than for her body.
Initially she used her allowance on snacks on occasion, like a soda or an energy bar, or something along those lines. Recently she has been using some of her money on food though. Like, food for regular meals that she brings home and prepares herself. At first my compulsion was to tell her to hang onto her money, and let me buy all her food. But I held back. Sometimes it was a matter of it being near the end of the month, and I had to watch the budget too closely to buy anything unplanned for, so I told her "if you want X, you may buy it yourself, because we don't have much left in the budget right now." Sometimes she did, and other times she decided it wasn't worth it.
Now I have realized, in watching what she decides to buy and not buy, that this is an important step for her in becoming an independent functioning adult. She told me once that she likes to buy groceries for herself sometimes because it makes her feel grown up. She gets to sometimes eat exactly what she wants instead of being limited just to what I buy and make. I see her carefully weighing her options before purchasing something. Looking for the best price. Learning how to make mashed potatoes from scratch because it costs less than buying them premade. She asks me for my opinions and advice. She is learning things about how much food costs, and how that varies depending on what you buy and where you buy it. She has a more experiential appreciation for the choices I make when buying food.
One thing I am proud of her for is that even though she is spending her own money, she is still generous. She shares the food she buys with friends, and almost always offers me some if I am around.
I have struggled a bit over whether or not I should include the food she buys in our monthly budget. In the past, I have sometimes. Going forward I don't think I will. My reasoning is that the money she gets for her allowance is budgeted desperately and accounted for, and also because it is always 100% her choice to buy food or not. There is always enough food here for her to get plenty to eat without it. The food she buys is more for her spirit than for her body.
Friday, December 5, 2014
Wednesday: when so much money was spent
Wednesday morning I could not compell myself to get up and get breakfast or lunch together before work. I didn't sleep well, and I had to leave at 6:30 am. It just wasn't happening this time. I decided to at least try to minimize the amount spent.
Jeremy had given me a Starbucks gift card he got at work which had just over $2 on it, so for breakfast I got an asiago bagel, and spent nothing. For lunch, I had a coupon for McDonald's where I got a free medium beverage and fries with a large sandwich. Luckily, there is a McDonald's in the airport where I was working on Wednesday. I wasn't sure what constituted a large sandwich, so I got the largest one they had: a double quarter pounder with cheese. I also got my free fries and Sprite. It was a lotta lunch. I spent $6.34 after tax.
I got done at two, and after I got home we all took the bus to Grocery Outlet, where we bought the following:
2 lbs of butterball deli turkey ($1.97 each) $3.94
9 caramel flavored Mediterranean yogurts (3/$1.00) $3.00
3 lime flavored Mediterranean yogurts (3/$1.00) $1.00
2 tubs of caramel flavored cream cheese ($.99 ea) $1.98
2.5 lbs frozen chicken tenderloins $5.99
2 lbs frozen mango, pineapple, and papaya mix $3.99
Frozen mango habanero chicken bites $1.99
Raspberries $1.50
1 lb butter $2.99
8 oz. shredded jack cheese $1.79
2 lbs colby jack cheese $6.99
4 coffee flavored Greek yogurts (4/$.97) $.97
2 heads living butter lettuce $4.99
Grated parmesan cheese $1.99
6 oz. peppadew havarti cheese $1.99
4 single serve Campbells's cheeseburger soup ($.99 ea) $3.96
1 lb dry pinto beans $.99
Club style crackers $1.99
2 packages of root beer float Oreos ($2.29 ea) $4.58
1 dozen medium eggs $1.69
20 protein bars ($.50 ea) $10.00
Oatmeal strawberry Pop Tarts $.27
Single serve chicken pot pie soup $.77
3 bags of elbow macaroni 3/$1.00
6 individually wrapped cinnamon roll cookies ($.07 ea) $.42
1 lb black beans $1.09
Toasted oats cereal $.99
Rotini pasta $.89
Fruity Cheerios cereal $2.49
8 oz shelled walnuts $3.99
7 bottles of Mio ($.99 ea) $6.93
1 lb lentils $.99
Pretzel thins crackers $.87
Mild salsa $1.49
26 oz creamy peanut butter $3.49
20 oz. morello cherry jam $2.79
Total $96.78
Winter spent some of her money on a couple of breakfast Lunchables with waffle sticks and syrup, and a tube of refrigerated biscuit dough. She baked the biscuits when we got home.
I also had to run out to my other job for a couple hours and on the way back I picked up a couple more things at QFC:
Dijon mustard $1.69
Pint of egg whites $3.19
Thyme $.45
Sage $.30
Rosemary $.20
Total $5.83
So, overall I did not eat the best on Wednesday, but I guess some days will be like that.
Breakfast: asiago bagel
Lunch: double quarter pounder with cheese, medium fries
Dinner: caramel flavored Mediterranean yogurt, biscuit (Winter offered me one)
Snacks/desserts: cinnamon roll cookie, root beer float Oreos, a few bites of fruity Cheerios with milk shared by Jeremy
Beverages: water, Sprite
Jeremy had given me a Starbucks gift card he got at work which had just over $2 on it, so for breakfast I got an asiago bagel, and spent nothing. For lunch, I had a coupon for McDonald's where I got a free medium beverage and fries with a large sandwich. Luckily, there is a McDonald's in the airport where I was working on Wednesday. I wasn't sure what constituted a large sandwich, so I got the largest one they had: a double quarter pounder with cheese. I also got my free fries and Sprite. It was a lotta lunch. I spent $6.34 after tax.
I got done at two, and after I got home we all took the bus to Grocery Outlet, where we bought the following:
2 lbs of butterball deli turkey ($1.97 each) $3.94
9 caramel flavored Mediterranean yogurts (3/$1.00) $3.00
3 lime flavored Mediterranean yogurts (3/$1.00) $1.00
2 tubs of caramel flavored cream cheese ($.99 ea) $1.98
2.5 lbs frozen chicken tenderloins $5.99
2 lbs frozen mango, pineapple, and papaya mix $3.99
Frozen mango habanero chicken bites $1.99
Raspberries $1.50
1 lb butter $2.99
8 oz. shredded jack cheese $1.79
2 lbs colby jack cheese $6.99
4 coffee flavored Greek yogurts (4/$.97) $.97
2 heads living butter lettuce $4.99
Grated parmesan cheese $1.99
6 oz. peppadew havarti cheese $1.99
4 single serve Campbells's cheeseburger soup ($.99 ea) $3.96
1 lb dry pinto beans $.99
Club style crackers $1.99
2 packages of root beer float Oreos ($2.29 ea) $4.58
1 dozen medium eggs $1.69
20 protein bars ($.50 ea) $10.00
Oatmeal strawberry Pop Tarts $.27
Single serve chicken pot pie soup $.77
3 bags of elbow macaroni 3/$1.00
6 individually wrapped cinnamon roll cookies ($.07 ea) $.42
1 lb black beans $1.09
Toasted oats cereal $.99
Rotini pasta $.89
Fruity Cheerios cereal $2.49
8 oz shelled walnuts $3.99
7 bottles of Mio ($.99 ea) $6.93
1 lb lentils $.99
Pretzel thins crackers $.87
Mild salsa $1.49
26 oz creamy peanut butter $3.49
20 oz. morello cherry jam $2.79
Total $96.78
Winter spent some of her money on a couple of breakfast Lunchables with waffle sticks and syrup, and a tube of refrigerated biscuit dough. She baked the biscuits when we got home.
I also had to run out to my other job for a couple hours and on the way back I picked up a couple more things at QFC:
Dijon mustard $1.69
Pint of egg whites $3.19
Thyme $.45
Sage $.30
Rosemary $.20
Total $5.83
So, overall I did not eat the best on Wednesday, but I guess some days will be like that.
Breakfast: asiago bagel
Lunch: double quarter pounder with cheese, medium fries
Dinner: caramel flavored Mediterranean yogurt, biscuit (Winter offered me one)
Snacks/desserts: cinnamon roll cookie, root beer float Oreos, a few bites of fruity Cheerios with milk shared by Jeremy
Beverages: water, Sprite
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Monday and Tuesday, not a lot going on
Monday was kind of a trying day. I didn't sleep well at all. I had a pretty quiet day at work initially, but my hands were really sore, and I kind of just wanted to go home early. Right after I decided I would leave at five I got booked for a six pm appointment online, so I had to stay. While I was waiting the two and a half hours for my client to come in, the heat stopped working. We had a space heater in the room I was sitting in, so I didn't realize it until right before my client arrived. I had to fumble in a dimly lit room to plug the space heater in so my client wouldn't be freezing.
Anyway, I wound up leaving work half an hour later than I normally would at the latest, and still had to go to the store to buy Epsom salts. I also bought a package of Butterfinger cups for $.59. If you are wondering if these are good, they are.
I asked Jeremy to pick up milk and bread since I was already running so far behind. He spent $1.50 on a half gallon of milk, $2.50 on a loaf of bread, and $1.49 on a protein bar.
Winter made homemade (sort of) Hot Pockets with refrigerated croissant dough, leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. She used her allowance to buy the croissant dough, two potatoes, and the stuffing mix. She made then to share with her friends at school, but she split one with me to make sure they were ok. I also ate a couple spoonfuls of stuffing, and a small bowl of mashed potatoes that were left over.
Breakfast: mango Greek yogurt
Lunch: last of the leftover lentils, apple
Dinner: stuffing, mashed potatoes, half a Thanksgiving hot pocket
Snacks/desserts: Butterfinger cups
Beverages: water
Tuesday I worked at the airport. I was kind of dragging so I made the decision to get a Pepsi from the vending machine for $1.65. That kept me going for the day. I considered not getting up early enough to pack a lunch, and just buying something there, like I used to do all the time, but I got up and did it anyway.
Our budget for the month is smaller because Winter will be going out of town this weekend, as well as for the holidays, but we still have holiday meals to make, and Jeremy wants to order pizza on Christmas, so I'm doing my best not to blow through it all too fast.
Breakfast: leftover scrambled eggs with turkey sausage, bell pepper and cheese
Lunch: chicken and cheddar cheese sandwich with dijon, apple
Dinner: penne pasta with the rest of the meat sauce from the freezer
Snacks/desserts: a couple spoonfuls of blue raspberry frosting, five green olives
Beverages: Pepsi, water, hot chocolate
Anyway, I wound up leaving work half an hour later than I normally would at the latest, and still had to go to the store to buy Epsom salts. I also bought a package of Butterfinger cups for $.59. If you are wondering if these are good, they are.
I asked Jeremy to pick up milk and bread since I was already running so far behind. He spent $1.50 on a half gallon of milk, $2.50 on a loaf of bread, and $1.49 on a protein bar.
Winter made homemade (sort of) Hot Pockets with refrigerated croissant dough, leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing. She used her allowance to buy the croissant dough, two potatoes, and the stuffing mix. She made then to share with her friends at school, but she split one with me to make sure they were ok. I also ate a couple spoonfuls of stuffing, and a small bowl of mashed potatoes that were left over.
Breakfast: mango Greek yogurt
Lunch: last of the leftover lentils, apple
Dinner: stuffing, mashed potatoes, half a Thanksgiving hot pocket
Snacks/desserts: Butterfinger cups
Beverages: water
Tuesday I worked at the airport. I was kind of dragging so I made the decision to get a Pepsi from the vending machine for $1.65. That kept me going for the day. I considered not getting up early enough to pack a lunch, and just buying something there, like I used to do all the time, but I got up and did it anyway.
Our budget for the month is smaller because Winter will be going out of town this weekend, as well as for the holidays, but we still have holiday meals to make, and Jeremy wants to order pizza on Christmas, so I'm doing my best not to blow through it all too fast.
Breakfast: leftover scrambled eggs with turkey sausage, bell pepper and cheese
Lunch: chicken and cheddar cheese sandwich with dijon, apple
Dinner: penne pasta with the rest of the meat sauce from the freezer
Snacks/desserts: a couple spoonfuls of blue raspberry frosting, five green olives
Beverages: Pepsi, water, hot chocolate
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Last day of November wrap-up
We ended November having spent $448.39 with a budget of $450, so we made it in at $1.61 under goal! To be honest I wasn't sure we were going to squeak in under the line, but we still have tons of food left in the house.
Sunday morning I was getting out the crock pot to make turkey soup and I dropped it and the crock part broke. I was honestly only a little sad, because we've been taking about getting a bigger/better one for a year now. We found a 5 quart programmable orange one on the Target website on sale for $27, plus I got 5% off and free shipping by using the Target red card.
So Jeremy had to make the turkey soup, and he did an awesome job, despite the lack of appropriate seasonings in our cupboard. He used the turkey bone broth we made by boiling and reducing the turkey bones an gross bits, plus added some chicken bouillon, a bunch of leftover turkey (we STILL have more!), leftover carrot sticks cut up smaller, and egg noodles. He seasoned it with garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and some kind of no salt seasoning blend. We have lots left over in the fridge.
Winter and I went to Seattle Sunday Assembly in the morning, where I had a cup of lemonade and split a cookie with Winter after service, and then I went in to work for five hours to cover for someone who left town for the weekend. When I came home there was awesome turkey soup! I am not a huge fan of turkey meat other than cold cuts and sometimes sausage, so the fact that I really like it is a huge accomplishment.
Breakfast: banana muffin with honey goat cheese
Lunch: chicken and cheddar sandwich with dijon, apple
Dinner: turkey noodle soup, leftover roll
Snacks/desserts: cupcakes, half a cookie
Beverages: lemonade, water
Sunday morning I was getting out the crock pot to make turkey soup and I dropped it and the crock part broke. I was honestly only a little sad, because we've been taking about getting a bigger/better one for a year now. We found a 5 quart programmable orange one on the Target website on sale for $27, plus I got 5% off and free shipping by using the Target red card.
So Jeremy had to make the turkey soup, and he did an awesome job, despite the lack of appropriate seasonings in our cupboard. He used the turkey bone broth we made by boiling and reducing the turkey bones an gross bits, plus added some chicken bouillon, a bunch of leftover turkey (we STILL have more!), leftover carrot sticks cut up smaller, and egg noodles. He seasoned it with garlic, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and some kind of no salt seasoning blend. We have lots left over in the fridge.
Winter and I went to Seattle Sunday Assembly in the morning, where I had a cup of lemonade and split a cookie with Winter after service, and then I went in to work for five hours to cover for someone who left town for the weekend. When I came home there was awesome turkey soup! I am not a huge fan of turkey meat other than cold cuts and sometimes sausage, so the fact that I really like it is a huge accomplishment.
Breakfast: banana muffin with honey goat cheese
Lunch: chicken and cheddar sandwich with dijon, apple
Dinner: turkey noodle soup, leftover roll
Snacks/desserts: cupcakes, half a cookie
Beverages: lemonade, water
Monday, December 1, 2014
Friday and Saturday, leftovers for days
We didn't buy any more food in November. We have so much food we need to use up that we probably won't buy alot the beginning of this week either. Saturday night Winter and I made funfetti cupcakes with blue raspberry frosting. Winter added purple food dye to the cake batter too. They were quite an eyesore. The blue raspberry fristing was weird, but not bad.
Friday:
Breakfast: banana muffin, smoothie with milk, yogurt, mangoes, bananas, and blackberries
Lunch: leftover turkey on a leftover roll with mayo and cheddar cheese, apple
Dinner: same sandwich as above, plus leftover squash and brown rice, and leftover cranberry sauce
Snacks/desserts: Dutch apple pie with vanilla ice cream
Beverages: water
Saturday:
Breakfast: banana muffin
Lunch: leftover lentils and brown rice, apple, clementine
Dinner: scrambled eggs with turkey sausage, bell pepper, and chili garlic cheddar cheese
Snacks/desserts: cupcakes
Beverages: water
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Thanksgiving!
On Thanksgiving morning I used five old bananas to make a batch of oatmeal banana muffins for breakfast. Then we got to work on the rest of the Thanksgiving meal.
We had brined turkey breast, boxed whole wheat stuffing, mashed potatoes with milk, butter and a little bit of sour cream, roasted delicata squash with honey goat cheese, rolls, green beans, jellied cranberry sauce, jarred turkey gravy, carrot sticks, green and black olives, and sparkling apple cider.
We went for a walk around the neighborhood after eating around 3:30, and had Dutch apple pie with vanilla ice cream when we got back.
Breakfast: oatmeal banana muffin, apple
Lunch/dinner: turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash with honey goat cheese, roll, green beans, gravy, cranberry sauce
Snacks/desserts: carrot sticks, olives, Dutch apple pie with vanilla ice cream
Beverages: water, sparkling apple cider
We had brined turkey breast, boxed whole wheat stuffing, mashed potatoes with milk, butter and a little bit of sour cream, roasted delicata squash with honey goat cheese, rolls, green beans, jellied cranberry sauce, jarred turkey gravy, carrot sticks, green and black olives, and sparkling apple cider.
We went for a walk around the neighborhood after eating around 3:30, and had Dutch apple pie with vanilla ice cream when we got back.
Breakfast: oatmeal banana muffin, apple
Lunch/dinner: turkey breast, stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash with honey goat cheese, roll, green beans, gravy, cranberry sauce
Snacks/desserts: carrot sticks, olives, Dutch apple pie with vanilla ice cream
Beverages: water, sparkling apple cider
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