$2 madness

OK friends, I know it's been a while, it seems like time is whipping by! So last week I took a $2 challenge, almost half of the world is in such poverty that they live on the equivalent of $2 US a day for EVERYTHING! Now I think we all know we could never live on $2 for all of our living expenses for a day, so I took the food challenge. I tried to do it for the whole family but in the end I was the last man standing. So this took much planning and research for recipes, but it was actually an eye opening experience that I quite enjoyed. The first day I had toast with a dab of almond butter for breakfast, PB&J sammie and an apple for lunch and a sammie for dinner too (didn't plan well that first day). All week I drank only half strength coffee and used one tea bag a day, didn't want to spend all my pennies on drinks! I was freaking HUNGRY on that first day so I did some recipe hunting. Armed with my meager monies I took to the grocery store and hunted for the cheapest fixins for a filling meal I could find. I decided to make crock pot lasagna! Not only was it super cheap (no meat), it came out so incredibly awesome it's now on the rotation as a favorite. It turned out to be $0.75/serving and it was satisfying. Notice how I didn't say filling because how filling can a piece of lasagna the size of half your palm be? The online consensus was to eat as many legumes as you can because they're filling and CHEAP. I made a pot of lentil soup from a little kit that was on sale for $1, that made four servings so it was only $0.25/serving, woot, woot. I was really getting the hang of this and after the second day I didn't notice the hunger anymore, it was just a mild wish I could have a tasty morsel or some other such delicious thing. One day I made stir fry with some frozen veg and $1 noodles I found on sale, another delicious meal that was cheap. I was the queen of the $2 a day thing! Then I realized I was not getting what I needed to out of the challenge. There was a light at the end of my tunnel, this was only a challenge, not a true way of life. I had the luxury of choosing higher quality foods than most people in true poverty can. I had a nice warm house full of stuff that I could rest comfortably in while my tummy growled, I wasn't in a drafty shack watching my children go hungry. Even though I lost three pounds that week I gained a better reality of how lucky I am to have all that I do. I also realized that even on my Weight Watchers I've been eating more than I need to just because I could. I was fine not having all kinds of snacks, I ate healthy with smaller portions and I didn't feel cheated. I have to say that I even faced TWO of the demon cakes that had been brought in to celebrate someone's 40 year anniversary and I didn't even flinch. There were a few people at work who went out of their way to make sure I knew they thought I was stupid for taking the challenge but I suspect they were more upset because they're evil ho bags who have no compassion (but that's just my opinion). This challenge opened my eyes to a different way of thinking, I can be a penny pincher and still feed my family well and have some left over money to buy a little something for the homeless woman who lives on the corner by my office, I bet she lives on $2 a day.

When you make a meal tomorrow, price out how much each thing you prepare costs and see if you can eat on just $2 for a day. It's a fun challenge to try for a little while but I'm very grateful I don't have to do it all the time. In fact, I've been very naughty lately and I need to get back on the straight and narrow. I'm actually scared to weigh myself, I've been eating like my old self, but there's always tomorrow, right? Hey, did I mention that I didn't eat that evil cake? That should count for something, right? Hells YES!!!! I really want a shamrock shake now but I'm going to ignore that too, so I'm already ahead of the game! Woohoo for me, death to desserts (except for the little bit of creme brulee I had a lunch today, hehehehe). I must go now, I need to switch the laundry and ignore the licorice that has wormed it's way into the house and keeps calling out to me. Last night it haunted my dreams and today it made sure it was front and center in the cabinet so I would want to turn it into a straw and drink my delicious tea through it, but alas I am a fighter and have turned away from it. Mmm, don't you love it when you turn it into a straw at the movies and it gets all melty and gross? yeah, me too, that's one of my favs. I also love it when it's all fresh and soft, mmmmm, red vines are tiny little ropes to hell. I am tempted to use them but I shall refrain.

xoxo
sugar lumps