Sunday Jeremy and I both had off. We went to get acupuncture in the morning. I got a call from the acupuncture clinic on Friday because I had emailed about volunteering at the front desk in exchange for free treatments, and they have openings coming up after the New Year. So hopefully that works out because it would save us about $200 a month.
After acupuncture we stopped at Rite Aid and bought three beverages for a total of $4.38. Jeremy was really thirsty and drank both of his before we'd walked two blocks. I recently joined a group on Facebook that operates like a hyper-local Freecycle. Someone was giving away a nearly full 64 oz bottle of a really good brand of sugar free chocolate syrup, so we walked over to pick it up. It wasn't very far, but it was extremely hilly. I was glad I had a drink with me.
We picked up one of Winter's Christmas presents before heading home. A little later we walked to Target to get wrapping paper, stocking stuffers, and Christmas tree stuff. We got rid of our big fake tree when we moved and wanted a small tabletop one. We also got some small garland, ornaments, and a tree skirt for it. I started getting really hungry at Target, realizing I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. I bought a pack of two hard boiled eggs for $1.19 and a refrigerated turkey and cheese flat bread wrap for $2.19. We also bought a box of small candy canes for the tree for $2.49. So in total we spent $10.25 on food on Sunday.
Breakfast: caramel Mediterranean yogurt, protein bar
Lunch: hard boiled eggs, turkey and cheese flat bread wrap
Dinner: Campbell's cheeseburger soup, apples with caramel cream cheese, three fajita springrolls
Snacks/desserts: mini candy canes
Beverages: lemonade Mt Dew, water
Monday I went to work. I came home for about an hour after work and then took the Light Rail to the airport to pick Winter up. I spent $2.44 on a piece of ginger bread at Starbucks, which I shared with Winter.
Breakfast: coffee flavored Greek yogurt with walnuts
Lunch: leftover turkey soup, clementines, cinnamon roll cookie
Dinner: salad with leftover quinoa, lettuce, shredded deli chicken, dried cranberries, jack cheese, walnuts and balsamic vinaigrette
Snacks/desserts: ginger bread
Beverages: water
Friday, December 12, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
I accidentally had second breakfast on Saturday
Really. I woke up at 1:30 after going to bed Friday night to one of the cats jumping onto our bed, gagging. He had 3 or 4 feet of yarn in his stomach, and the rest of the ball was wrapped all around him and dragging behind him. I carefully extracted the slobbery yarn from his throat and went back to sleep.
Saturday morning Winter and I had to get up at 3:45 am to go to the airport. She had a 6:00am flight to go to her dad's for the weekend. I bought pumpkin bread and an eggnog latte at the airport Starbucks for $6.56. Jeremy texted me to tell me that the cat had thrown up another 5 feet of yarn. After Winter boarded her flight I went back home and went to sleep for about an hour and a half, right after cleaning up 5 or 6 more feet of yarn on the floor in a huge puddle of saliva. Thankfully that seemed to have been the last of it. The cat went back to sleep too.
I woke up again at about 8 am and was hungry so I made myself another breakfast, having completely forgotten about the first one. I didn't remember it until I was done at work.
On out way home Jeremy and I stopped at Yogurtland. We had some free ounces on our rewards card, and spent a total of $5.23. I got eggnog yogurt with chunks of pumpkin bread on top. We also went to QFC and bought two Lean Cuisines on sale for $2.00 each, and two 2 lb bags of navy beans from the reduced section for $1.49 each. So our total spent on Saturday was $18.77.
Breakfast: pumpkin bread
Second Breakfast: caramel Mediterranean yogurt with raspberries and walnuts
Lunch: leftover turkey soup, apple, clementime
Dinner: 3 Lean Cuisine fajita spring rolls
Snacks/desserts: eggnog frozen yogurt with pumpkin bread chunks
Beverages: eggnog latte, water
Saturday morning Winter and I had to get up at 3:45 am to go to the airport. She had a 6:00am flight to go to her dad's for the weekend. I bought pumpkin bread and an eggnog latte at the airport Starbucks for $6.56. Jeremy texted me to tell me that the cat had thrown up another 5 feet of yarn. After Winter boarded her flight I went back home and went to sleep for about an hour and a half, right after cleaning up 5 or 6 more feet of yarn on the floor in a huge puddle of saliva. Thankfully that seemed to have been the last of it. The cat went back to sleep too.
I woke up again at about 8 am and was hungry so I made myself another breakfast, having completely forgotten about the first one. I didn't remember it until I was done at work.
On out way home Jeremy and I stopped at Yogurtland. We had some free ounces on our rewards card, and spent a total of $5.23. I got eggnog yogurt with chunks of pumpkin bread on top. We also went to QFC and bought two Lean Cuisines on sale for $2.00 each, and two 2 lb bags of navy beans from the reduced section for $1.49 each. So our total spent on Saturday was $18.77.
Breakfast: pumpkin bread
Second Breakfast: caramel Mediterranean yogurt with raspberries and walnuts
Lunch: leftover turkey soup, apple, clementime
Dinner: 3 Lean Cuisine fajita spring rolls
Snacks/desserts: eggnog frozen yogurt with pumpkin bread chunks
Beverages: eggnog latte, water
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Free barbeque sauce on Friday
The free Friday Download at QFC last week was Kraft barbeque sauce. Since Jeremy puts barbeque sauce on literally everything, this is a pretty rad freebie for us. We picked up our honey smoked sauce on the way home from my work (Jeremy met me there) for zero dollars and zero cents and took it home.
Breakfast: caramel Mediterranean yogurt with walnuts
Lunch: salad with leftover turkey, leftover seasoned quinoa, lettuce, walnuts, raspberries, and raspberry walnut vinaigrette, cinnamon roll cookie
Dinner: leftover turkey noodle soup
Snacks/desserts: root beer float Oreos
Beverages: water
Winter decided not to go to art class on Friday because she flew to her dad and stepmother's for special occasion. They were doing a screening of a film she acted in. She also got to go to one of her best friends' birthday parties, and meet her new baby sister who was just born in October, so it was an exciting weekend for her. She had a lot to get done before leaving Saturday morning.
Breakfast: caramel Mediterranean yogurt with walnuts
Lunch: salad with leftover turkey, leftover seasoned quinoa, lettuce, walnuts, raspberries, and raspberry walnut vinaigrette, cinnamon roll cookie
Dinner: leftover turkey noodle soup
Snacks/desserts: root beer float Oreos
Beverages: water
Winter decided not to go to art class on Friday because she flew to her dad and stepmother's for special occasion. They were doing a screening of a film she acted in. She also got to go to one of her best friends' birthday parties, and meet her new baby sister who was just born in October, so it was an exciting weekend for her. She had a lot to get done before leaving Saturday morning.
Saturday, December 6, 2014
Thursday
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
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
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
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