What I Spent
Boyyyyy, am I ready for the semester to be done. Three weeks from today, I will be officially on summer break! It’s so close, I can almost touch it.
I spent:
- $30 on a Hungry Harvest box
- $57 at Aldi
- $9 at Safeway
- $3 on a pizza
So, $99.
What We Ate
Saturday
Zoe was closing at work, so I was just feeding myself.
I sautéed some red onion, a red pepper, and some halved grape tomatoes. Then I added some rotisserie chicken and browned it.
I poured some cream in to deglaze the pan, added a few jalapeños, some angel hair pasta, the last of the Parmesan, and some fresh basil.
So good! Definitely one of my best thrown-together meals so far.
Sunday
Zoe was working, and I had another veggie/meat/pasta/heavy cream bowl, this time with Italian sausage as the protein.
Monday
I do not remember what Zoe ate, but when I got home from my clinical shift, I ate a peanut butter and honey sandwich and went to bed. 🙂
Tuesday
I did some poking around in my kitchen for things that needed to be used up; Zoe ate some French toast made with the last few King’s Hawaiian rolls.
(I had used part of the package to make those baked ham sandwiches, but the package from Costco has more rolls than fit in my 8×8 pan.)
And I ate the last sweet potato, the last of the pulled pork, and the last of the pico de gallo.
Wednesday
I had a dinner with my divorce support group, and Zoe fended for herself.
Thursday
I was working on end-of-semester projects in the afternoon, and I was notttt feeling it.
So I went out to Starbucks to buy myself a little treat because all drinks were 50% off.
The drink was good, but even after drinking it, I still didn’t feel like being responsible and cooking dinner.
delicious, but no match for three projects 😉
Soooo, I redeemed a birthday reward and got a chipotle chicken pizza from a local shop for $3.
I guess the good news is that even when I take a break from being responsible, I know how to do it on a budget. 😉
Friday
I’m goin’ to the symphony tonight, and since this one is further away, I’m gonna go grab a bite to eat somewhere once I’m in the city.
Linda W.
Monday 29th of April 2024
Hi Kristen! Sending some encouragement and positive thoughts as you continue your education and become a nurse! I went back to school later in life after being home with my children and got a bachelors degree and then a master’s in counseling psychology. I am now a licensed marriage and family therapist in practice for the last 14 years. It was a long road and difficult at times but so glad I did it . Life changing in so many ways ! I know you will be a great nurse with a long career! P.S. Love you blog - relatively new reader and I am enjoying it!
Kalena
Saturday 27th of April 2024
Was out of town in Morro Bay for work so here goes... Sun: 8.5 hr work day so McD on the road, $10.99, a delicious mushroom burger from Sylvester’s w fried zucchini ($24.00 for all but been dying to try them). Mon: free hotel breakfast ( oatmeal, eggs, sausage, bacon, apple). Had to pickup some grocery items for workshop so just grabbed a deli sandwich ($7.99) for dinner plus exhausted from drive and set up for 80 guests. Tues: No time for free brkfast as they don’t start til 700 and I had to be at event by 630. Lunch was a pair of carne asada street tacos a coworker treated me. We had an Icebreaker that night and I got a French dip to take home as guests ate up over $400.00+ of appetizers so I got 1 lonely ckn wing. Dip was 18.00. Wed: Still no breakfast but I splurged and got a blended cafe mocha and a tri tip breakfast burrito from a tiny coffee place I’d been wanting to try. Set me back $17.00 (!) but I needed a treat. No time for lunch. Dinner was leftover Fr dip and fruit. Thurs: A quick bowl of oatmeal and a bagel. No lunch again. Dinner was some nachos from a place I’d been wanting to try ($14.00). Fri: 8.5 hrs to get home. Breakfast was a bagel and sausage patty from hotel while driving home. Lunch was a Subway sandwich while driving ($8.99). Grand total was ab $101.00 for the week; I’ve been to Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo before many times so I’ve seen and eaten at all the places I’ve wanted to try. Plus I had to bail out the dog from the kennel so that set me back $220.00 so I was trying to watch what I spent. Stomach wasn’t feeling into clam chowder or fish at the time either. Back to eating healthy now!
Central Calif. Artist Jana
Sunday 28th of April 2024
@Kalena, Morro Bay is on my shortlist of places I would live if I ever moved. Sounds like you were way too busy to enjoy it. If you go back and have a bit more time, there is a good cafe in Cayucos (Sea Shanty with an ice cream pie to die for) and some great restaurants in. Cambria, a little farther north. (Linn’s and Robin’s are the ones I remember because I am now too frugal to eat out!)
JEG
Saturday 27th of April 2024
WIS: $69 Market Basket $63 Aldi
Even though I am saving money making my own smoothies, I can save more on the frozen fruit at Aldi compared to Market Basket. It was difficult to check prices at MB the other day because many were blacked out--price changing. A 40 oz bag of frozen "tropical fruit" (it has a lot of cranberries, which I think more of being grown in the bogs around where I live or in Oregon) $8.99 + $4.69 (price has increased) plain yogurt to make smoothies to drink or eat with a spoon (maybe will need 2 yogurt per bag of fruit) is a money saver. (Aldi frozen fruit $5-$5.99 depending on weight + $3.89 yogurt). Although I am not one who goes daily to the local smoothie shop or the local coffee shop.
For the person shopping at MB the other day and on a budget, one may have to price check a lot in their cart to determine if they could afford to buy all they wanted that day. I'll have to make sure I double up the order at Aldi.
Friday I don't remember. I worked that day. Saturday I had been to a baby shower earlier in the day, had some pasta with leftover sauce. Sunday: Eggs, bacon and toast. Eggs from my daughter's chickens. Monday: Burgers (free rolls in freezer), asparagus Tuesday: Turkey feta burgers (again free rolls in freezer), asparagus Wednesday: Stuffed peppers and lasagna rolls Thursday: There were 2 chicken patties in the freezer and 1 stuffed pepper left--so we ate them up.
When there is no input into mealtime, there are times I lack creative motivation. I do need to get better. To do this, I think I am going to have to go to the grocery store more often--pick an item I want to make and shop for what I don't have to complete it. Double up so I will be ready again in a couple of weeks.
For budgeting purposes, Aldi is more affordable, Market Basket next which obviously has a lot more to offer, then we have 5 other markets in our area. One in town and the others in the surrounding towns.
Your French toast looks good. Maybe I'll have that tonight. I have picked up some bread at the Sr. Center. The local market (which is even more expensive than any of the markets in the area) donates their excess bakery products to the Sr. Center daily.
AFVirginia
Saturday 27th of April 2024
WIA Monday - chili and cornbread muffins from freezer and rice. I was returning from vacation and was happy to have the easy button available Tuesday - turkey, ramen, and vegetable stir fry Wednesday - bbq chicken from crockpot with rice and salad Thursday - I tried a Thai coconut curry chicken and chickpea recipe that was just okay Friday - we do takeout because I’m beat and it usually gives us a chance to spend the evening putzing in the yard together. We got a tree cut down and the wood chip pile has replaced magnatiles as the hottest toy of the moment haha
Selena
Friday 26th of April 2024
Saturday - honestly cannot remember. Sunday dine out Mexican Monday last of the pre-cooked frozen shrimp sauteed in butter/garlic, unsure of side dish Tuesday - Tilapia w/chili con carne, frijoles, y left over arroz Wednesday - stuffed pork w/taters and carrots Thursday - burgers with leftover chorizo as a "fixin" Friday - a roll and a couple slices of pizza. Dinner out with my old man, better half ate most of the said pizza. The few leftover pieces will be a (not for me) snack this weekend.