It's the end of day four and honestly, if this challenge ended tonight, I would be happy! We aren't going hungry (although I've lost 5 pounds since Monday), and we won't run out of food by tomorrow (due in large part because Sam had lunch through The Table today with his school, and we will have dinner at The Table tomorrow night). But I'm tired of constantly having to think about what we are eating next. I am tired of making sure that the kids have enough, but not so much that we don't have enough to last the last day. I'm tired of eating the scraps (the above picture is me steaming the leftover cereal milk for my coffee ... and trust me, I get the irony that I am making a latte at all during this time, but coffee was one of our staples!). I'm sick of not being able to just eat what I want, when I want. As I drove my dad to the airport today, I hated not being able to grab a Starbucks or a little something for lunch. These of course aren't necessities. We have our necessities. We ate well today again, due to my ability to cook, but I'm cranky and tired of it all.
I started thinking that this feeling of having your money (or lack thereof) control every decision you make has to be so disheartening on a daily basis. I can tell myself to suck it up and keep going until Saturday when I can go back to my old ways (although I'm not super sad about the 5 pounds), but someone really living like this can't. There is no Saturday for them. There's only tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that.
I started thinking that this feeling of having your money (or lack thereof) control every decision you make has to be so disheartening on a daily basis. I can tell myself to suck it up and keep going until Saturday when I can go back to my old ways (although I'm not super sad about the 5 pounds), but someone really living like this can't. There is no Saturday for them. There's only tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that.
Tonight's dinner: Our "favourite beef" which is essentially ground beef, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. If I had the budget for it, there would also have been sesame oil. I also usually eat it with some spicy kimchi on the side. Served with some stir fried broccoli and some fiddleheads from my parents' back yard.
Today's cost break down:
honestly ... I'm too exhausted to even calculate, but it's less than $5 per person... I spent my last 29¢ on a banana from Giant Tiger today for Robin's breakfast tomorrow. I've essentially started just eating whatever is left over from everyone else's meals (except for dinner ... I got my own plate for dinner!)
honestly ... I'm too exhausted to even calculate, but it's less than $5 per person... I spent my last 29¢ on a banana from Giant Tiger today for Robin's breakfast tomorrow. I've essentially started just eating whatever is left over from everyone else's meals (except for dinner ... I got my own plate for dinner!)