In my first post for the year, I outlined why I don’t really get into “resolutions” so much as goal setting, and outlined my top goals for 2019. So, to help keep myself accountable, I will recap how each one is going, along with any tweaks or changes, each month.
I’d love to hear about your goals for this year and your progress in the comments below!
Thus, my goals for 2019 include:
Call one family member per week
Continuing my strong streak, I definitely talk to at least 1 friend or family member per week now. And I’m trying to vary it a lot, and talk to people I haven’t in a while.
And I spent nearly 3 hours on the phone one day with my aunt and grandma! I may have to consider upping my minutes on my bare bones phone plan 🤣
A+
Date night at least once per month
February is kind of a ‘cheat month’ since it has Valentine’s Day baked into it. We will see what happens in March.
A
Savings rate of 50% or better every month
This will be complicated since we both have a work mandated 401k, as well as an HSA and Roths to factor in, before any contributions to our mortgage, taxable investment accounts, and money market.
The market is crazy and net worth is not a thing I can control. But savings rate, we can control, and improve.
Oooh boy, this month hurt a bit since we finally got the Southwest card churn going. I think we are sitting around 40%, yeowch.
B-
Max out both Roth IRAs by end of February
I got mine fully funded! We aren’t all the way there yet on the boy’s though, so not quite nailed it. But close, and we will complete it before end of March come hell or high water.
My lifelong intended way of eating is 80/20 plant-based.
Well Veganuary was a solid B+ overall I think, since the only little meat was self raised or high quality. However.
We got tossed into a Whole30, which takes away my precious rice and beans, along with other less good goodies like sugar and alcohol, so the animal meat consumption has skyrocketed. I wrote about why the boy will finish it out, but I’m jumping off the wagon <here>.
D
The Daily Dozen – I will do my best all year to stick to this
Again, with the Whole30, they take away all grains and beans.You need 3 servings of beans and 3 servings of grains per day for the Daily Dozen. So nope, the max I could do was 6 per day. At least there was significant overlap in the loving of greens, veggies, fruits, and nuts and seeds.
F
Do more of what is good or good for me
I’ve picked up reading again, between restarting an old favorite and several new books, and that makes me blissfully happy. I’ve also been annoyingly consumed with the quail and hatching new chicks, as I knew I would be. So, soul is full for sure. Still working on the working out motivation.
B
Make someone smile every day
Maybe I should actually track this somehow, but I am certain that I make at least my husband or myself smile every day. I also try to give genuine compliments at work, and to random strangers at the grocery store, gas station, etc.
In my first post for the year, I outlined why I don’t really get into “resolutions” so much as goal setting, and outlined my top goals for 2019. So, to help keep myself accountable, I will recap how each one is going, along with any tweaks or changes, each month.
I’d love to hear about your goals for this year and your progress in the comments below!
Thus, my goals for 2019 include:
Call one family member per week
I have been nailing this one for sure. The commute time home is the perfect time to catch up with far-flung family and friends. The caveat is that they need to be on roughly the same schedule, and in the same or very close time zone!
For example we have family and friends in Arizona, Texas, Colorado, California, and Seattle. If I call at 5pm my time, it is 4pm or 3pm there, and they will likely still be at work.
But I have definitely touched base with someone at least once a week, more often than not 3 -4 different people each week. It’s been awesome. I learned about an old friends’ baby’s progress and daycare, her new job, and the house search. I chatted for over an hour with a grandmother whom I rarely talk to, and heard all kinds of stories of her life and youth.
This is a good one.
A+
Date night at least once per month
My relationship with my boy is the most important one in my life. Luckily, I think he’s pretty cool, and he thinks I’m pretty cool too.
Most nights when I get home, he is already working on his business (spoilers!) or playing games online with friends. Since that is basically his only way to stay in touch with them and his main social interaction I encourage it. Usually I spend the evening doing yoga, writing, reading, cooking, or watching my shows (Grace & Frankie and Fuller House right now, in case you wondered).
We have not been doing great at this, mostly because we hate going out after dark and I hate paying for food… gotta find some “at home date night ideas” and put those into play.
C
Savings rate of 50% or better every month
This will be complicated since we both have a work mandated 401k, as well as an HSA and Roths to factor in, before any contributions to our mortgage, taxable investment accounts, and money market.
The market is crazy and net worth is not a thing I can control. But savings rate, we can control, and improve.
We just barely squeaked by here, at about 55% for Jan! But with the travel churn spending that is going down/about to go down, I don’t have high hopes for the next few months…
Oh, and if you haven’t heard of Personal Capital yet, it is a pretty cool software tool that collects all your accounts in one place. Bank, investments, mortgage, loans. And then you can see how your net worth changes over time, based on your debt paydown and market conditions. They give you suggestions too.
If you want to sign up & use my link HERE (and link at least 1 qualifying account) I get $20 and you also get $20 to start with.
So, that’d be nice.
A
Max out both Roth IRAs by end of February
Well, we haven’t done this yet… but we have a few more weeks!
My lifelong intended way of eating is 80/20 plant-based.
With a few exceptions (animal products I raised or of very high quality, and when at another person’s house) I have been nailing the Veganuary, and feeling pretty great.
I had been craving salad so hard, and finally gave in and bought a cartload of greens. Only to be struck immediately by single use plastic guilt.
Why is it that the only way to get lettuce or arugula is to buy a plastic bag or a giant plastic clamshell? It hurts my heart that this is what I have to do to help my heart!
Anyways, I was probably about 90% vegan if you go by strict rules, but I had my exceptions in place, so it was perfect from my standpoint. Depends who you ask.
B-
The Daily Dozen – I will do my best all year to stick to this
I finally downloaded the app onto my phone, so now I can better track what I’ve already eaten and what I still need!
The greens were the area when I fell short most often, hence the above guilt laden foray to the grocery store. Part of it is also that we are in winter, and fresh greens are hard to come by without a greenhouse.
The two best ways I’ve found of checking multiple boxes are: fruit nice cream or smoothies, and oatmeal. Both are really easy to sneak loads of ground flaxseed into without noticing, as well as fruit (both), whole grains (oats), or greens (spinach in smoothies).
The smoothies have been the bomb, and I’ve checked all the boxes most days, but there were definitely multiple days where I fall short on beans especially, or cruciferous veggies.
B
Do more of what is good or good for me
Defined as things that are mentally, physically, emotionally, or financially beneficial.
I did move some savings into a brokerage account to go for some stocks we’ve been discussing. It is a thing that just seems overwhelming for no reason, I just had to rip off the band aid and DO IT. And do it we did, and it feels great to just have it done.
I’ve also jumped on board thesmartfi’s plank challenge for February, and the boy got into it too. So we help keep each other accountable to plank at least 1 minute every day. We’ve also been really loving the nicer weather and going for walks nearly every day.
I want to start a 30 day yoga challenge again too… but I just cannot wake up earlier than I already am, and there isn’t much space in my morning routine. I could do it after work, but I’ve been really really bad about just plopping down with a book or Netflix after dinner. So I need to re-do my evening routine somehow.
B
Make someone smile every day
Maybe I should actually track this somehow, but I am certain that I make at least my husband or myself smile every day. I also try to give genuine compliments at work, and to random strangers at the grocery store, gas station, etc.
I have for years resisted the resolution bandwagon, for this reason. But I have discovered that there is a big difference between a resolution and a goal.
“If there is a specific achievement it’s a goal, but permanent changes to your life are resolutions since you keep doing them every day and not just until a specific achievement is reached.” (source)
Under this definition, I do actually make resolutions, several times per year.
I have in the past made changes to exercise more often, to eat less meat, to create less waste, to clean more often, to create better sleep habits, and so on, with the intention of doing these things every day. Of course I fell off the wagon on a few of these things, and have tried more than once to instill these habits.
But life is a journey, a work in progress, and I do still believe in incorporating these things into my life.
For the New Year though, I decided a goal is a better practice. One that follows the SMART principles:
Specific – no “eat better” allowed here
Measurable – what gets measured gets improved (just ask Erik)
Attainable – a big dream with small steps to get there
Realistic – a thing which can actually be accomplished
Timely – set a time limit! You need to feel the urgency
Goals, when written down and as specific as all the above, have a much higher likelihood of being completed or achieved than vague promises or following the social media crowd.
I want my goals to improve the things I value the most: relationships, finances, health, and happiness.
Thus, my goals for 2019 include:
Call one family member per week
I usually am pretty good about using the commute time home to chat with my mom. But I need to also make it a priority to talk to the more remote family members like aunts, uncles, and grandmas. They won’t be around forever, and they have plenty of wisdom and stories to share. I want my family to never doubt that they mean the world to me, no matter how far apart we all are. That will equal out to at least 52 phone calls over the course of a year!
Date night at least once per month
My relationship with my boy is the most important one in my life. Not just because we live together and see each other every day, but also because so many things depend on this relationship, like our weight and health habits, happiness, and finances too. Luckily, I think he’s pretty cool, and he thinks I’m pretty cool too. We need regular, focused, one on one time away from typical distractions like video games and cell phones and bills to keep that spark strong.
Savings rate of 50% or better every month
I have slacked on calculating this for far too long. No more. My goal is to, at the end of January, and each month, calculate our actual savings rate. This will be complicated since we both have a work mandated 401k, as well as an HSA and Roths to factor in, before any contributions to our mortgage, taxable investment accounts, and money market. But I want to do it, at a minimum quarterly, to better see where we are. The market is crazy and net worth is not a thing I can control. But savings rate, we can control, and improve.
Max out both Roth IRAs by end of February
I know there are all kinds of arguments for dollar cost averaging and putting a set amount into the market each month no matter what. But there are some potentially big changes coming in 2019 (if they pan out, I’ll tell you all about it!) and we want to put that money to work as soon as we have it and not worry about it for the rest of the year. So the goal is both fully funded Roths by the end of February to the tune of 11k*. Limits increased for 2019 to 6k each, therefore it will be 12k total! Thanks Josh for catching that!
This will be a way to detox from the insanely overboard consumption over the holidays. (#TMIwarning) I’m a fraction of a pound away from 160 and had a bowel crisis over Christmas, if you must know. (#sorrynotsorry) It will also ease me back into my intended way of 80/20 plant-based life-long eating. Exceptions include animal products that meet my extremely stringent criteria, and I will not make a nuisance of myself if invited to someone else’s house or event, I will eat the food offered.
The Daily Dozen – I will do my best all year to stick to this
The Daily Dozen is based on the book “How Not To Die”, which I loved, own, and highly recommend reading. I also aim to re-read it through by the end of March. It is taped to my refrigerator to make it easy to remember. Basically loads of high antioxidant foods, whole grains, and veggies. Plus water and exercise. By eating all these things every day, you have a lot less room for junk.
Do more of what is good or good for me
OK, this is the closest one to a resolution rather than a goal. This loops into the health goal, in that I want to do more of what is good for me, like eating plants, doing yoga and HIIT, and sleeping. But I also want to do more of anything that makes me happy, within reason. Obviously popcorn and wine makes me happy, but shouldn’t be every day. But reading? That I can, and should, do every day. A nice warm bubble bath? Sure. Gardening and loving my quail? Yup.
Make someone smile every day
That person can be my husband, a stranger I smiled at, someone at work whom I give a genuine compliment, or even myself. There is too much doom and gloom and selfishness in the world, we need to pay more attention to the good all around and within us. Like thanking the stranger on the bus, or Penny from ShePicksUpPennies who celebrates money wins, large and small.
Cheers to making 2019 all we can dream!
How about you guys? Any resolutions, or goals, for the new year of 2019?
Disclaimer: some of these links lead to product pages, which if you buy them, will not affect the price but will earn this blog a tiny fee, to keep me supplied with kale & yoga pants. I am not a health professional, I am just relaying my own personal experiences and opinions. This is not meant to be health or dietary advice for the general population.
As I’m finishing up the first two weeks on my holiday diet, I have learned a lot of things about food, myself, and dieting in general.
Portion sizes matter
Food type/substitutions matter
Vitamins & Nutrients matter
Exercise matters
Balance matters
Before we go into each of these topics, let’s review what the goals were. At a starting weight of 156, and a goal weight of 135, I hope to lose a grand total of 21 pounds in 7 weeks, which is 3 pounds per week. I would not recommend this to most people.
However, I have always been curvier and lead a pretty sedentary lifestyle, though I get 10K steps on most days and am capable of light jogging for 30 minutes at a time. I am young (ish) and in decent shape, so I know this particular diet and exercise plan will not jeopardize my overall health.
Week 1-2 (Nov 3 – 16):
Daily – 20-30 minutes of yoga, 15-30 minute walk
MWF (or 3x/week) – body weight workout video or run
Having a supportive hubs is the top tool in my arsenal so far. He has been SO helpful in keeping me motivated on days I don’t want to work out, usually even joining me for the short 10-15 minutes HIIT videos. He has been great at not tempting me, and asking how things are going to keep me on track.
I have added workout tracking to our handy-dandy whiteboard, where I add different symbols on days I complete a yoga workout vs a HIIT workout. I have not been able to motivate myself to run, with the changing weather making it so cold outside and dark by the time I get home. I’ve been holding pretty steady to both of my goals, with one or two missed days.
Yoga I normally do in the morning. I use the YouTube series Yoga with Adrienne. This is a good time to breathe, meditate, get a good stretch in, and focus for the day. If I miss it in the morning because I was running late or couldn’t get myself to do it, then I do a video at night before bedtime.
My job is pretty sedentary overall, so having a FitBit Alta now has also helped a lot. It vibrates every hour that I have not yet taken 150 steps to remind me to get up and move a little. The people in my building probably think I’m weird for just walking around the halls doing laps every hour, but it’s worth it. We also try to go for a walk every night, when it isn’t raining or too cold.
You can see from the tracking table above that I’ve gotten in at least 30 minutes of walking on most days. I’ve also hit my step goal of 10,000 per day a little more than half the time, as you can see from the graph below.
Last weekend, my mom was in town and we spent some time at the beach with her friend. There was some exciting news that required celebrating, so we convinced her to go out dancing on Saturday (11/11). It was exhausting, I haven’t stayed up past midnight in a long time, but boy was it fun and totally worth it!
Clearly, the biggest pattern I see is that weekends are far lazier than week days for me. Especially Sunday. Both weekends I barely hit 5000 steps. Though the night we went out dancing was obviously very active, as I ended up with over 16,000 steps! Maybe I should consider joining a line dancing group or something for cardio. 🙂
Food Plan
3-5 meals per day, for a total of ~1000-1200 calories
Verylimited carbohydrates
Daily green drink + vitamins
One cheat meal or snack/weekday, one per weekend
Only snacks allowed are green tea, raw whole fruits, raw veggies (RV) or steamed veggies (SV)
Unlimited salad greens or raw non-starchy veggies
Overall I did a pretty good job of hitting my goal calorie range. This is made much easier by eating a lot of salads, broth based soups, raw fruits and veggies, and my favorite low-cal protein breakfast shake. Go figure, following all the typical dietary recommendations works!
Below you can see a typical days’ meals. Breakfast is a chocolate protein shake with a half of a banana, with the coffee in it as well. This has become my go-to because it is so fast and easy, and I can drink it in the car on the way to work. I also had dried some apples in the oven, with nothing on them at all, to take as a snack with my green drink. More on that below.
Lunch was a salad, with some low-cal toppings of sunflower seeds and craisins for variety, taste, and extra nutrients, and (measured) 3 ounces of boiled chicken breast. I have a small food scale that I’ve been using. I cook a large batch of chicken, steak, or chili and then measure out exactly 3 ounces at a time, or 1 cup servings, and then package them individually so lunch is easy peasy.
I’ve also begun boiling a dozen eggs over the weekend, peeling them, and then packing 2 or 3 in ziplock baggies so I can grab and go as a perfect high-protein snack. I feel guilty about throwing out the yolks but I just can’t with that nasty chalky taste… oh well. And dinner was a serving of my delicious sweet potato and chickpea curry.
I’m gonna be honest here, there’s a little gap over last weekend, because of my point about balance. I didn’t even bother to track the totals. I’ll tell you more about that in a minute.
As for weight, I’m gonna be honest here too. I haven’t unpacked my scale since we moved… a year ago.
I pulled it out this weekend, dusted it off… and the battery is dead. So no update on weight for you. 🙂 Like I said, weight and BMI is not that great of a way to measure health, but I can tell you that my regular work pants have been feeling a little looser.
On to the lessons!
Portion sizes matter
In general, we do not comprehend or realize how seemingly tiny differences in serving size or food choices can make such a huge impact on weight. As little as 100 extra calories per day can add up to 10 pounds of weight gain over the course of a year (source).
For example, go take a look at the different NIH suggested meal plans for weight loss. It was a little bit surprising, even to me, that as little as 1/2 cup of cantaloupe and banana, less than 1 cup of orange juice and milk, 1/2 oz of roast beef, 1 ounce of chicken, and 1 tbsp of guacamole can change a day’s caloric intake from 1200 calories to 1600 calories.
This is the example meal plan for wight loss using Mexican-American cuisine
If you are not using actual or accurate measuring tools, i.e. food scale and measuring cups, it is SO easy to over-estimate. How many people can accurately measure exactly one tablespoon of peanut butter every time, or 3 ounces of chicken?
Food type/substitutions matter
The food items highest in calories and generally not as high in nutrition include:
Fats/oils*
“White” grains (bread, rice, flour)
Processed/packaged goods
Meats
Dairy products
Of course, in nutrition there are almost no absolutes. I would NEVER recommend anyone go 100% fat free (source). Fat is not the enemy. You just need to monitor the amount very carefully, as one tablespoon of olive oil has about 120 calories, and it is so easy to over-pour or estimate high.
And you also need to be discerning about your source. One avocado has 260 calories from fat, but so would a doughnut, or 2 small slices of pepperoni pizza. Guess which one is a more sound nutritional choice? When it comes to dairy, I would far prefer a single ounce, one die-sized cube, of a super sharp white Vermont cheddar to a heaping cup of the packaged-with-sawdust-so-it-don’t-stick bagged grocery store cheese.
The same can be said of all the other high-impact foods. Be more mindful of your meats (if you eat meat), including where it came from and what type of cut it is. Check out my post on pig parts breakdown, and see this post for chicken, this post for the deets on beef, and this and this for all your oceanic questions.
Vitamins & Nutrients matter
Basically, any restrictive diet has a risk of not getting all the vital vitamins and nutrients your body needs to function, grow, rejuvenate and repair cells. Don’t know what kinds of vitamins there are or why they are each important? I wrote an article all about it, and a special one for the whole family of B vitamins.
Though this diet has a heavy focus on lean protein, fresh fruits, and vegetables, I want to make sure I am not missing anything my body needs day to day. We tend to crave foods that will fill a need, so I listen to my body (which is made easier through the mindfulness and meditation of yoga) and if I’m feeling particularly drawn to a certain food or food type, I will have some.
But just to make sure all my bases are covered, I also take a daily multivitamin for adults, drink a daily green drink, and make a protein shake on most days. For now I’m using the Centrum Complete Adult Multivitamin. It isn’t a super-huge horse pill, so swallowing it isn’t a problem, unlike some multis I’ve tried in the past.
The daily green drink I’m loving right now is Amazing Grass Green Superfood (30 servings size, or for bulk pricing the 60 servings size). They are all organic greens grown and dehydrated in Kansas. They use a start-to-finish cold processing and packing process to keep as many nutrients as possible.
The Protein powder I’m using right now is Muscle Milk, chocolate flavor. The 10g of protein per scoop comes from milk (whey protein isolate) so be cautious if you have a dairy intolerance. My absolute favorite thing to do with it is to combine it with a half of a banana and a tbsp of PB2 peanut powder for a chocolate peanut butter banana shake. It makes a great under-300-calorie breakfast, or post-HIIT workout drink. I even add coffee to it sometimes for an all in one breakfast/caffeine rush on the go.
Exercise matters
As I said above, I really do believe that increasing my activity level has helped me have more consistent energy throughout the day. I am noticing, at the 2 weeks mark, that that energy is starting to wane. I am getting sluggish upon waking again, hitting snooze and having to literally drag myself up.
This could be due to all the excesses of the past weekend, or it could be my body’s way of readjusting to its new normal.
But I am also noticing an increase in my cardio and strength. I can do more push-ups now before I collapse, and more jumping jacks before I’m out of breath. I did yoga pretty often previously, so I can hold a plank for a minute or more. I still struggle with jump squats, but I’m getting better at it. Improvement is the name of the game. And no matter how long I make regular exercise part of my life, I will never like burpees. Never.
Balance matters
Now, keeping in mind all I’ve said so far about the positive aspects of these lifestyle changes, I am still a passionate believer in balance. Balance in all things. Eating better, moving more, and regular sleep are all very important aspects of holistic health and happiness. But, so is friendship, adventure, and wine.
I stand firm in my view that the 80/20 rule is the best way to live life. Essentially, you follow strict rules 80% of the time, and relax a bit 20% of the time. The 80% effort is enough to bring you the results you want, while the 20% helps you from feeling repressed and chained to a system and rebelling or “falling off the wagon”.
In this case, I stuck to my diet very strictly, until the day I got to the beach to hang out with my mom and her friends. There, I kept my good intentions in mind, but also allowed myself to taste some of the cookies we made at our cookie swap, and indulged in a few glasses of wine. We went out and danced like crazy, burning off some of those excess calories, and laughed a lot, which also burns calories and makes you feel good.
Will I Keep Going?
Absolutely. Though I don’t know my first two weeks’ weight change, I can say I believe it has been successful. I know this is a very ‘soft’ way of measuring, but I can literally feel my regular pants loosening. The button doesn’t leave an imprint after I’ve been sitting a while, the inseams aren’t pulling at the thighs, and I just feel better overall.
I have also noticed much more even, sustained energy levels. Previously I would have more peaks and valleys (usually tracking along when I drank coffee…) but these past 2 weeks I’ve had pretty steady and consistent levels. I also seem to be sleeping better, with fewer times spent awake in the night. I also love knowing I am increasing my chances for a longer, healthier life.
These things put together equals a general happier me, an overall sense that this is working and worth it, and something I want to continue. Ultimately, I am hoping these changes become the new normal for me, since it takes an average of 2 months to create and stick to a new habit. I want to make regular exercise part of my daily life, along with as clean eating as I can accomplish while still allowing that 20% for fun and letting go.
Disclaimer: some of these links lead to product pages, which if you buy them, will not affect the price but will earn this blog a tiny fee, to keep me supplied with kale & yoga pants. I am not a health professional, I am just relaying my own personal experiences and opinions. This is not meant to be health or dietary advice for the general population. Please speak with your own doctor or health professional before starting a diet of your own.
Wow, so February starts in just a few hours, 2016 is already 1/12th over! How are you all doing with those new years resolutions? Been to the gym every day, stuck to a calorie goal, finances in ship-shape, in fact taxes have already been filed? Yeah, me too.
Just kidding!
I don’t really do the resolution thing, because it is far too easy to set yourself up to fail. I am more a believer in long-term goals with short-term goals break down. By taking a big life goal, solidifying your reason for desiring it, and then breaking it down into smaller, easily achievable goals, you set yourself up for continual personal improvement. Plus you have the ability to look back and see what worked and what didn’t, and tweak or change your goals if your lifestyle and desires have changed.
This is the final post in a series of a challenge I set for myself Jan 1st, to cook out of my pantry/freezer and only spend $20 per week on fresh groceries. Below are the first three week’s summaries:
This final week, I was surprised at how quickly this month had flown by. When I did my one grocery stop, it felt like more than enough. I think I have adjusted to fewer grocery store trips, which is likely a very good thing. Looking back at the past few weeks’ lists, I realized I still had 3 out of 4 kiwis in the refrigerator. I also had to throw out half the cucumber because it went to mush before I could slice & eat it. Other than that, I have done quite well with not buying too much or wasting produce.
Fruit/Veg
$11.96
Meats
$3.29
Celery 1lb
$2.49
2/3 lb ham
$3.29
Ginger root
$0.30
Dairy
$5.35
3lb oranges
$3.77
White cheese
$1.48
Bananas (8)
$1.35
Organic yogurt
$3.87
Avocados (2)
$2.00
Collard greens
$2.05
Total
$20.60
This week I got brave and bought a head of collards, because I know they are chock full of chlorophyll and good stuff. I chopped up a few leaves to toss into salads, some of the leaves got blended into a sauce for the gnocchi, leaves were added to soup, and one day for lunch I used the leaf as a wrap for tuna salad. I also ended up getting a small pack of ham and some white cheese to make sandwiches for my fiancee for lunch.
Jan 23 – Pork ribs & baked potato soup
Jan 24 – Leftover stuffed shells for lunch, pork chops, Spanish rice & salad
Jan 25 – Buffalo chicken sandwiches
Jan 26 – Butternut squash gnocchi
Jan 27 – Sausage, white bean, & collard greens soup
Jan 28 – Lasagna with spinach
Jan 29 – Leftover lasagna
Jan 30 – Leftover pizza, buffalo chicken on salad
AS for the budgeting part of the challenge, not counting the couple of times we had meals outside the home, the total I went over is: $3.30 + $2.34 + $1.08 + $0.60 = $7.32
Which means a total of $87.32 for all the “fresh” groceries the entire month of January. Not bad at all. I don’t think realistically I can keep that up for many more months beyond this, but it is a good illustration of how much having a stocked pantry can help, especially in case of a natural or financial emergency. Now I know that if something catastrophic were to happen, or the fiancee and/or I were to lose a job and we had to really tighten our belts, the pantry I normally keep can indeed see us through.
How about you, any resolutions or goals you are keeping, or struggling with? Feel free to share!
The fusion of food, fun, frugality, and curiosity.
