Wrap-Up

I don't know how many $ worth of food I ate today, but both in quantity and price I ate more by far than I have any other day for the last month...

What did I spend it on? Chicken, milk, whole-wheat nachos, flavoured tuna, and spinach.

In fact, I ate $4.50 in chicken alone tonight, $2.50 in nachos and $1.50 in milk. This is my day of feasting, but then I gotta get back to living cheap... oh and by the way, I did make my own salsa today with canned tomatoes and leftover onion, garlic and spices. (Pulse in a blender and enjoy!) See? I'm tainted with frugality.

I promised a financial summary today, and here it is:

January cost of food consumed (regular) $132.46
Add: Gum (1 pack) $1.59
Add: Discarded food not already counted (8 eggs) $1.27

Total $135.32*

*Caveat: remember I must theoretically eat the remainder of my January food (beans, rice, pasta, soup, frozen veg, etc) to realize the difference.. If I end up ditching the uneaten portions one month down the road, I would forfeit my savings. Thus, the experiment really has changed my opinion about what constitutes good food, good value, and what is really necessary. I also am even more fanatical about wasting food (Don't!)

So I came in $19.68 UNDER budget for the month, and this is thanks to my friends and other benefactors who came to my aid! When compared to the 3-month average of my grocery bill prior to this experiment, I saved $205.14. As it turns out, eating cheap was a useful skill to learn while waiting for my first paycheque (and indeed now too, after paying my bills and using up said paycheque).

Due to my precarious situation now and my overwhelming need to move out of this apartment before I keel over from claustrophobia, I'm going to have to hold off on the donation for a week (until, fingers crossed, I get my next paycheque!) As always, stay tuned... and if you see any good places for $700-900 incl. centrally located, TELL ME (no basements please).