Cheap + Food + Diet = Impossible for me ?

This is the post that has been in my head since lunch. I debated on posting but since this is an honest blog thought I should go ahead and get it out!

I was very poor as a kid. I am ONLY 38 but I remember things like the first time we got a Polaroid pictures of myself and my brother, a stranger took it and gave it to us at a store, and we actually lived in a rent house without indoor plumbing for the first several month. So living cheaply is something I learned from the best My MOM! I know we were poor now but I can’t tell you one time that I didn’t have something we needed like food or clothes! Food is the biggest area of expense in our house. I can’t stand the thought of throwing away food for any reason. I am famous for my left over nights where we pull out of the fridge and make at least one if not several meals. I have even been known to look up recipes to use the ingredients I have on hand! Since I am now staying at home, leftovers are a staple for lunch. Lily thinks getting a sandwich is a treat! So after Zach’s dedication last week, there was an entire baked ziti left untouched. No big deal I thought at the time. I even put it in our weekly menu plan in my head, Thursday! But even the best laid plans are interrupted! On Wednesday, I received in the mail some free items from Atkins and showed them to Matt. He decided Thursday morning to start the diet and asked me to join him. I did with the acknowledge that he would be more successful than me but I wanted to support him! I am actually glad he is starting to attempt to lose weight with the deaths of both his Mother and Sister, I get worried. So of course the Baked Ziti is off the menu. I have actually feed it to the girls 2 days for lunch but 3/4 is left. Today I broke down and had some for lunch because I hate for it to be wasted!

Wednesday

Yesterday I decided at nap-time to leave Haley(school was out)at home with everyone asleep to run to CVS to pick up 2 prescriptions. I figured I would be gone only about 45 minutes tops. We were also waiting on the TW cable guy to come between 1:30 and 3:30 but I again didn’t think I would be gone that long. It took an hour and 15 minutes and me making 3 request to finally get his prescription ready. But let me tell you that so far I *think* it has made a HUGE difference. He is spitting up but about 1/4 of what he was and today, he has only spit up when he was being burbed. The first 45 minutes didn’t bother me as I was canvasing the store and purchasing more Pepsi products to get my $10 ECB. I did find a FREEBIE; I had a coupon for $2.00 off Loreal eye products and found a tube of mascara marked down 75% to 1.87! I was so excited!! I got FREE make-up! Total spent for 5-12 pack cans, 2 bottles of Gatorade and a tube of mascara for $15.80 total saved 22.05! Between my trips yesterday and Sunday, I have 59% this week which is the highest yet! This is now becoming as Matt called it a “game” with me. I just have to now get organized so I don’t buy stuff that is not going to be used in a timely manner and arrange more storage! Although my budget for this month is shot I know that it will drop next month!