Well, not the largest. My largest expense is rent ($450)... but food is close, probably 300-400 a month.
Part of the reason is that I eat incredibly healthy. If I don't, I feel like crap. I have to.
Workarounds:
- Cook from scratch. Healthy, cheap, and not always labor intensive. I love using my crockpots. Check out 365Crockpot ,
- Buy in bulk, and on sale.
- Cook large meals and FREEZE individual portions. Not all foods freeze well. Soups and chili freeze great. Rice-based meals don't. I'm still learning about this, but I love it. When I'm too tired to cook, instead of ordering out or skipping the meal, I grab something from the freezer.
- Plan meals at the beginning of the week, shop with a list and stick to it. I know it seems simple but for the longest time I was grabbing random things from the grocery store and freestyle nomming
- Look in the freezer and cabinets, and plan meals based on what you already have.
- GROW YOUR OWN FOOD. I grow hundreds of pounds of organic produce a year, with just a couple hours a week of work. Gardening is awesome and easy. I will blog about this in the future...
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Settling in/The honeymoon is over
As we move slooowly toward the ultimate goal (dentist paid, inheritance replenished), some of the thrill is waning. I am no longer documenting every single penny that we spend. That was anal verging on OCD, man. So now I am much looser, and slightly nervous that this mission will fade away. I am STILL committed to the above-mentioned goals! Unfortunately, since it is taking a month to get to minimal credit bills monthly, we aren't making direct moves toward said goals yet. Patience is NOT one of my traits. I think Shirley McLaine said in some movie "Immediate gratification is not soon enough for me!" So, I am trying to relax, let things go, and realize that by mid-May I will be seeing changes.
Some changes that I am making secondarily toward my primary goals:
1) Start electronic billing to eventually decrease some work and increase the speed of my income
2) Take advantage of a seminar offer to have 6 free months of membership on Psychology Today's therapist registry to increase my referrals (although that could actually create some problems if I get too many referrals...)
3) With son Jonathan's gracious help, get my website back up and running.
I'm excited about these changes! It's a big refresher to my practice. I must also maintain attentive self-care through this. I will still take one to two long breaks during the day, and work only a four day week.
Processes that have NOT gone by the wayside (Yay!!) include paying cash for most things except Target purchases because of the 5% discount when the charge card is used, and few other agreed-upon larger purchases. I am shocked that I have not had any cravings to SPEND with no goal in mind other than the rush of spending. And I guess I am a little glad to feel some non-defensive guilt about having spent $60, then another $20 on one of my Zynga games. A bit of guilt is a good motivater to feel uncomfortable enough to change one's behavior.... I hope. The only other frivolous purchases I have made so far have been 1 or 2 magazines a week. I must look at my existing wardrobe, and at ads, then figure out what I need in the way of spring clothing.
Other continuing processes; using more foods from the freezer, and buying meats at Target early in the day, when there are marked down meats, which may also be on sale besides clearance, then tossing them in the freezer for future use. We're better about using up leftovers. I am cooking more at home. I make Ray's lunch more often. I generally stay out of my tempting stores (especially Kohl's!) . When I do shop other than for groceries, I go directly to the item I plan to purchase, grab the sucker and leave! Well, I pay for it first.... Even in the grocery store, I nearly always stick to my list.
These are BIG changes for me! I have been SO much more impulsive in my life!! How interesting it is, that to behave more conservatively is actually quite exciting!
Some changes that I am making secondarily toward my primary goals:
1) Start electronic billing to eventually decrease some work and increase the speed of my income
2) Take advantage of a seminar offer to have 6 free months of membership on Psychology Today's therapist registry to increase my referrals (although that could actually create some problems if I get too many referrals...)
3) With son Jonathan's gracious help, get my website back up and running.
I'm excited about these changes! It's a big refresher to my practice. I must also maintain attentive self-care through this. I will still take one to two long breaks during the day, and work only a four day week.
Processes that have NOT gone by the wayside (Yay!!) include paying cash for most things except Target purchases because of the 5% discount when the charge card is used, and few other agreed-upon larger purchases. I am shocked that I have not had any cravings to SPEND with no goal in mind other than the rush of spending. And I guess I am a little glad to feel some non-defensive guilt about having spent $60, then another $20 on one of my Zynga games. A bit of guilt is a good motivater to feel uncomfortable enough to change one's behavior.... I hope. The only other frivolous purchases I have made so far have been 1 or 2 magazines a week. I must look at my existing wardrobe, and at ads, then figure out what I need in the way of spring clothing.
Other continuing processes; using more foods from the freezer, and buying meats at Target early in the day, when there are marked down meats, which may also be on sale besides clearance, then tossing them in the freezer for future use. We're better about using up leftovers. I am cooking more at home. I make Ray's lunch more often. I generally stay out of my tempting stores (especially Kohl's!) . When I do shop other than for groceries, I go directly to the item I plan to purchase, grab the sucker and leave! Well, I pay for it first.... Even in the grocery store, I nearly always stick to my list.
These are BIG changes for me! I have been SO much more impulsive in my life!! How interesting it is, that to behave more conservatively is actually quite exciting!
Dealing with the compulsion to SPEND- my methodone
I don't know if it's a chick thing, or a me thing, or an Arnold thing, but I like spending money. Not even just to GET stuff, but the act of hunting something out (that I didn't even know I needed), and buying it makes me feel gooood. Luck drugs-good.
So, rather than trying to STOP doing this completely, I've learned that I need to give myself safe outlets for spending money for no reason. Here are a few:
1) Thrift stores. Go into the store with oh, $10. Find something (or many things). I'm often surprised with the quality of some of the clothing I can find, especially at the Amvets at Walden. My mom and I go together, laugh at the funniest clothing, try stuff on for hours and leave tired and satisfied.
2) Freecycle (yahoo groups) and the free section on craigslist. I'm not sure why, but "shopping" for free things gets me just as happy as buying things. In the last few weeks, I found a blender, a crockpot, and 250 legal books (for my dorky law school boyfriend).
3) Budgeting "play" money. I give myself a certain amount of money every week, for food, gas, clothing, toiletries - basically anything except for rent/insurance/utilities. After I've covered the essentials in a week, I can use that money for whatever I want. Sometimes I spend it, but in a way having the OPTION to spend it makes me spend it less. Instead lately I've been saving for a small weekend trip. Hmmm,if spending money is less exciting when I'm allowed to do it, I wonder if spending money is an act of rebellion? What do you think, mom?
Anyways, those are some of my tricks to deal with my spending addicition/affliction. I will never be able to STOP spending money in any form, so giving myself safe outlets keeps me from going overboard, and also prevents me from feeling guilty about the money I do spend. What are some of your ways to help you spend safely?
So, rather than trying to STOP doing this completely, I've learned that I need to give myself safe outlets for spending money for no reason. Here are a few:
1) Thrift stores. Go into the store with oh, $10. Find something (or many things). I'm often surprised with the quality of some of the clothing I can find, especially at the Amvets at Walden. My mom and I go together, laugh at the funniest clothing, try stuff on for hours and leave tired and satisfied.
2) Freecycle (yahoo groups) and the free section on craigslist. I'm not sure why, but "shopping" for free things gets me just as happy as buying things. In the last few weeks, I found a blender, a crockpot, and 250 legal books (for my dorky law school boyfriend).
3) Budgeting "play" money. I give myself a certain amount of money every week, for food, gas, clothing, toiletries - basically anything except for rent/insurance/utilities. After I've covered the essentials in a week, I can use that money for whatever I want. Sometimes I spend it, but in a way having the OPTION to spend it makes me spend it less. Instead lately I've been saving for a small weekend trip. Hmmm,if spending money is less exciting when I'm allowed to do it, I wonder if spending money is an act of rebellion? What do you think, mom?
Anyways, those are some of my tricks to deal with my spending addicition/affliction. I will never be able to STOP spending money in any form, so giving myself safe outlets keeps me from going overboard, and also prevents me from feeling guilty about the money I do spend. What are some of your ways to help you spend safely?
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