Hunger Challenge day 4: Down to pennies
Editor's note: Brian Calvert is participating in the Hunger Challenge to see if he can eat three healthy meals on just $7 a day. See his notes from day one, day two, and day three.
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Honesty gets you everywhere, and it also gets you into trouble.
In yesterday's posting, I shared how I wanted to spice-up my pasta dish with a couple more vegetables. I also mentioned that I broke down and bought some decent coffee beans.
I offered how much I paid for just those three items, and one of my friends called me on it! He said "How could you spend so much on coffee beans while taking the challenge?"
Desperation, Mike, that's how.
He's not the only one being critical. I have read every single comment that you've left, and sometimes, they're pretty harsh. I want you to know I completely understand and respect where you're coming from. I just hope you take a moment to understand where I'm coming from.
When I was asked to take the Hunger Challenge, I pored over the rules. I wanted to make sure I fulfilled my commitment the best I could for not only the integrity of the challenge, but my personal integrity as well. What never entered my mind was my state of mind during the challenge.
I have not been eating what I usually eat, I have been scrimping at mealtime and, as I wrote about yesterday, the constant worry about how I'm spending money and what I'm eating can be stressful at times.
I can't begin to imagine having to juggle these questions and decisions on a daily basis. It really is why I sincerely solicited your help at the beginning of the challenge; I didn't know how much work it would take to do what I'm trying to do.
And that's why the decent coffee beans just sounded so good.
Let's get to today's accounting: My starting balance is $4.07.
I'm out of bananas (which I love not only because they're good, but they're filling), and the bread is gone. So, today's stop at the grocery store was for a small bunch of bananas. I didn't have time to look for a deal, so I got stuck with $1.79 a pound. Highway robbery!
With just over a pound of fruit, my new balance is $2.25. On the ride to a meeting this morning, it dawned on me... I never accounted for the 12-pack of Coke Zero I bought earlier in the week. Before you scream "That's SO a luxury item," hear me out.
I was attempting to do the week without coffee, but knew the caffeine withdrawal would not be pleasant. So, I found a deal: five 12-packs for $10. I just bought one, but that's $2 I honestly no longer have, bringing my new balance: a quarter. For argument sake, there was sales tax on the soda, so at King County's rate, I really only have 7 cents.
I'm going to have the last of my cereal as a snack this afternoon, which really puts me in a pinch for tomorrow's breakfast. I have enough leftover pasta and vegetables for dinner again tonight, and I'll have a yogurt for dessert.
Friday morning's breakfast options will be the one last container of yogurt, the much-ballyhooed decent coffee beans, a banana, and a scoop or two of peanut butter. Not the best way to start the day, but it's something.
For Friday's lunch, I will have enough leftover pasta for one last meal. With plenty of milk, I have a healthy beverage to accompany my remaining meals. As of writing this, I have no idea what I'm going to have for dinner Friday night.
In light of some of the bad choices I've been making, I'm not going to pick on others who might not spend their food money wisely. But I will say that everyday, people across our state lose their jobs, and are suddenly thrust into a brand new lifestyle.
Old habits don't change quickly, and expecting them to immediately become extremely frugal might be a little unrealistic. What are we doing as friends, as family, and as a state to educate these people to get up to speed on a new way of shopping as quickly as possible? I'd like to think I'm a fairly smart guy, and yet, I feel like I was set-up to fail.
If you have any ideas, advice or thoughts, please login or sign up below to post a comment.
---
Honesty gets you everywhere, and it also gets you into trouble.
In yesterday's posting, I shared how I wanted to spice-up my pasta dish with a couple more vegetables. I also mentioned that I broke down and bought some decent coffee beans.
I offered how much I paid for just those three items, and one of my friends called me on it! He said "How could you spend so much on coffee beans while taking the challenge?"
Desperation, Mike, that's how.
He's not the only one being critical. I have read every single comment that you've left, and sometimes, they're pretty harsh. I want you to know I completely understand and respect where you're coming from. I just hope you take a moment to understand where I'm coming from.
When I was asked to take the Hunger Challenge, I pored over the rules. I wanted to make sure I fulfilled my commitment the best I could for not only the integrity of the challenge, but my personal integrity as well. What never entered my mind was my state of mind during the challenge.
I have not been eating what I usually eat, I have been scrimping at mealtime and, as I wrote about yesterday, the constant worry about how I'm spending money and what I'm eating can be stressful at times.
I can't begin to imagine having to juggle these questions and decisions on a daily basis. It really is why I sincerely solicited your help at the beginning of the challenge; I didn't know how much work it would take to do what I'm trying to do.
And that's why the decent coffee beans just sounded so good.
Let's get to today's accounting: My starting balance is $4.07.
I'm out of bananas (which I love not only because they're good, but they're filling), and the bread is gone. So, today's stop at the grocery store was for a small bunch of bananas. I didn't have time to look for a deal, so I got stuck with $1.79 a pound. Highway robbery!
With just over a pound of fruit, my new balance is $2.25. On the ride to a meeting this morning, it dawned on me... I never accounted for the 12-pack of Coke Zero I bought earlier in the week. Before you scream "That's SO a luxury item," hear me out.
I was attempting to do the week without coffee, but knew the caffeine withdrawal would not be pleasant. So, I found a deal: five 12-packs for $10. I just bought one, but that's $2 I honestly no longer have, bringing my new balance: a quarter. For argument sake, there was sales tax on the soda, so at King County's rate, I really only have 7 cents.
I'm going to have the last of my cereal as a snack this afternoon, which really puts me in a pinch for tomorrow's breakfast. I have enough leftover pasta and vegetables for dinner again tonight, and I'll have a yogurt for dessert.
Friday morning's breakfast options will be the one last container of yogurt, the much-ballyhooed decent coffee beans, a banana, and a scoop or two of peanut butter. Not the best way to start the day, but it's something.
For Friday's lunch, I will have enough leftover pasta for one last meal. With plenty of milk, I have a healthy beverage to accompany my remaining meals. As of writing this, I have no idea what I'm going to have for dinner Friday night.
In light of some of the bad choices I've been making, I'm not going to pick on others who might not spend their food money wisely. But I will say that everyday, people across our state lose their jobs, and are suddenly thrust into a brand new lifestyle.
Old habits don't change quickly, and expecting them to immediately become extremely frugal might be a little unrealistic. What are we doing as friends, as family, and as a state to educate these people to get up to speed on a new way of shopping as quickly as possible? I'd like to think I'm a fairly smart guy, and yet, I feel like I was set-up to fail.
If you have any ideas, advice or thoughts, please login or sign up below to post a comment.