Things are still nutso at our house. Still trying to get things to calm down. I'm think that by this Friday, things will have settled (at least the first part of the stress and deadlines is caught up) and then if everything goes through, I'll have news by next week.
Yikes!
So, Friday I did NOT finish my project with recipes and meal plans and shopping lists. Not that I didn't try. I wrote out recipes, and wrote out all the ingredients, and matched pricing and tried to make economical choices per week.
It was all taking forever to put together between life.
Then last night I had another moment. I really want things to be reasonably healthy, easy, and decently quick. I don't have a problem with some meals taking extra prep work, but I really don't like wasting my entire day cooking.
Yesterday, today and tomorrow I've cut carbs out of my diet, so last night I made a FANTASTIC stirfry. I would share the recipe, but I don't know how I did it exactly. It was a Mongo's mashup in my kitchen. (those of you who don't know the restaurant Mongo's - it's a Mongolian style restaurant where you scoop different flavours: oils, ginger, garlic, premixed sauce; onto your personally picked veggies and meat). Mongo's is one of my favourite restaurants because you can eat as clean as you'd like.
Anyway, the recipe consisted something of hoisin sauce, soy sauce, dark sesame seed oil, coconut oil to fry in....sea salt...ginger, garlic...all things I always have on hand. It was a smashing of flavours and fun.
But anyway, last January, my husband and I went on a carb free diet. If you've ever been on a carb (and sugar) free diet, you understand the agony of trying to find food that isn't just good for you to eat, but tasty enough for the rest of the family to indulge in. The most brilliant idea we had was to create a Mongo's in our kitchen once a week. We bought beef, pork, and chicken. We sliced and diced and froze the meat. Then once a week we would chop and julienne our veggies and store them in containers in the fridge.
It was glorious. Once a week, we'd pick a meat to fry up, pull out the veggies for the kids to fill their bowls with, and threw together stirfrys with little prep time. We spent hours several weeks before prepping all our meat, and every week was simply topping up our veggie containers.
So my moment yesterday, was why not do that again? Have a day of the week where it's just a empty-the-fridge-of-veggies day?
While that moment of insight is no excuse to my delay on getting my meal plans done, I really liked the thought of it. Vegetables are not all that expensive, but they do add up. I'm rethinking some of my meal plans so I can incorporate the veggies into the other meals without any waste.
And yesterday was my cheap day....er, money saving day. :) I ended up driving into the city impromptu due to my husband forgetting his wallet. I had some errands to run anyway, but it consumed my day and I was disappointed that I missed Project Friday AND Money Saving Tuesday.
Here's my tip that was due yesterday:
Visit A Thrift Store Once and a While
Yes. I am serious! I currently own the best pair of BONGO jeans I have ever owned. They fit really well, are so comfortable, and are very stylish...and I bought them for $6 at a Thrift Store.
Offering this suggestion kinda makes me laugh because 1) the song Thrift Shop is now popular and is currently running through my head, and 2) I used to scoff at the idea.
I used to think I was above Thrift Stores. I was like "ew, someone else was wearing it" or "I make enough money that I don't need to go there", or "only certain types of people go there".
All of the above statements are true. Yes. Someone else farted in those jeans. Gross? Yes. Irrational? Yes. Put them through the washer 10 times if you want. I only needed to do once because I trust my detergent and I blasted them with hot water.
If you're a germaphob?
Yes. I do earn enough money that I don't need to go there. I also don't earn enough money that I get to be snobby about it.
And yes, only certain types of people do go there. There are people who can't afford anything else, and then there are smart people who figure that getting a brand name at a hair of the cost is probably worth it.
One of my closest friends introduced me to this "sport" and actually I'm currently sitting here, wearing an awesome wrap around sweater that I picked out there. Or maybe she picked it out for me. I can't remember now.
I recently went shopping for my husband who wears out jeans like it's a competitive sport, and spending $100 on jeans every few months just wasn't working anymore. We picked out 2 pairs of jeans, 3 sweaters, 2 pairs of shoes and some other items for $60 . I had a frequent flyer card which helped pay for half of it I think, but in the end it was $60.
A few tips:
1) Set aside a few hours. If you don't, you'll get stressed out and overwhelmed. Finding nice things takes time and patience. Remember what my motto is? "the effort has to equal the savings" For me, I'll make a day out of it with a friend. I'll meet up with my friend for coffee, and then we'll head over to the store and look for things for ourselves, our families, and for each other. It's a social event. I have done it by myself, but it's harder for me to stay focused and not get frustrated with the 50th disco shirt I've had to move aside.
2) Get to know your store. Walk around each of the aisles and familiarize yourself with what they have and the areas to find it. It cuts down on frustration as well.
3) Be realistic. I have sometimes come across prices that I could get in a store selling new clothing. Just because you're in a thrift store, doesn't mean that everything is a good deal. If a shirt is selling for $10, it should be a shirt that is hard to find, one that you can't live without, or a matter of convenience. Don't just assume it's a good deal because it's on the rack.
4) Check the product out. Check the zippers, check the hems, check for stains. It's used. Be smart.
5) Have a plan when you go in. I will often make a list of the things I want. For example: white tanktop, longsleeved sweater, blue jeans. Otherwise the sea of clothes may make you temporarily forget why you are there. And if the sea of clothes doesn't do it for you, then the flipping through shirts one by one certainly will. Daydream land is not a place you need to visit when shopping.
So that's my Money Saving Tip one day late. I don't shop for my kids there a lot, as I find things are reasonably cheap for kids clothes at Old Navy and such (and my SS is very Brand-Name oriented so he would be HORRIFIED that I got anything besides West49 and DC for him). I have picked up sweaters for my daughter as she could care less about such things and could potentially be a future Thrift Shop partner herself.
It's good to be smart about everything. It's also good to go and buy yourself a new shirt, or new dress as well. This isn't a way to a poverty mentality. It's just a way to help shave some bucks off here and there. I don't do all my shopping there, but I do when I'm in between sizes, or I just want something "new" and feel like splurging without splurging.
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