Huh.

Browsing through news articles shoved at me by msn.com this morning, I came across one called How to Build Your First Budget (here). Having taught myself how to budget and always feeling like I'm forgetting or missing something, I skim through such articles for tips on ways to improve upon what I do, so... "click". Blahblahblah, know that, yup, check, get to the second page and woah.

"Food: Basic groceries should cost a single person about $150 a month. You'll spend a lot more if you eat out frequently, however, or if you buy lots of processed foods, frozen dinners and gourmet stuff. Cut your food costs by bringing lunches and snacks from home. Substitute potlucks or picnics for expensive socializing at restaurants."

Um, $150 for one person for a month? That seemed a wee bit on the low side to even me, and after A. agreed with me, I dug into what the government had to say. According to the USDA's report the cost of food at home, the average cost to feed one male (age 19-50) in March 2008 was $162.50 on the thrifty plan. On the lost cost plan, it was $209.10. For the moderate cost plan it was $260. The liberal plan was $316.40. For females of the same age group, the numbers were lower: $145.80 for the thrifty, $182.70 for the low cost, $222.40 for the moderate cost, and $287 for the liberal. As far as I know, these numbers are JUST for food items, no toiletries, paper or pet products. The numbers for April 2008 haven't come out yet.

Ok, so maybe not so low, considering they did say about $150.

Still, the numbers for March looked... off... from what I based my last budget review on, so I pulled out the January 2008 numbers to compare. Despite the rising cost in everything but wages over the last five months, the USDA has determined that the average cost of food at home has gone down. Yes. DOWN. By $1-3 in most cases, between the months of January 2008 and March 2008.

Hmmm. The numbers go up between December 2007 and January 2008, and then they start falling. I have to wonder if that's because some people just aren't able to afford to eat any longer.

Needless to say, the geek in me is eager for April's numbers to come out. I'm curious to see if the average price goes up or down. Based on my budget, they should be going up because for the third month in a row I've gone over budget. (I currently budget $480 a month for two adults, one child (girl, age 11), two felines, and that $480 includes all pet food and supplies, personal grooming, toiletries, cleaning, and paper products the household may need, as well as AC filters.)

Also needless to say, I think maybe I need a hobby I can afford to actually do because I'm enjoying comparing the monthly numbers waaaay too much. (LOL)

In other news, I went walking again this morning and determined that I like the earlier (6am) start time rather than the later (almost 630am) start time of today. While it was lighter outside (meaning I didn't have to carry a flashlight), there were more cars leaving the complex and spewing noxious exhaust at me as they passed. Yuck. So we'll get up a little earlier and be out the door by no later than 610am.

I also have my car today! This means that I can go pay for the Angel Food boxes today. Assuming someone is there to take the money.

Even though I have the car today, I'm not going shopping for the baby present(s) I need to get before next weekend. I'll save that for another day. I do need to go to the library though. Apparently, when you turn dvd cases back in, they like the dvds to be in them.

After watching the plants yesterday to see how much sun they actually got all day long, I'm more convinced than ever that they need to be in a wagon (or something) so that I can roll them around to the front of the building on days when I'm home. Of course, after reading more about the types of plants that were brought home, I'm also convinced that the lady at the garden center was a wee bit delusional when she told us that the size pots we got would be fine until the very end of the growing season because all my plants need to be in bigger pots. Much bigger pots. The recommended size is "no smaller than a 5-gallon bucket". Oh, sure, they can be potted in smaller, but they won't grow well because of a confined root system. And while I would have preferred to know that before hand, the little plants can sit in the little pots for another few weeks (though that one tomato plant might need to be replanted this weekend, and much deeper). By then it'll be obvious whether or not I'm killing them, and if they're dying, then there's no reason to repot them.

And I'm off to run what errands I can before it gets ghastly hot.

I like bread bowls!

Despite feeling like I'd been hit be a truck a few times, I made bread bowls today. They were insanely easy. I used a recipe called Parmesan Bread Bowls that I found over on the Betty Crocker site. (TIP: search for "bread bowl", not "bread bowel".)

Of course, I didn't have the right size bowls and had to improvise, but it turned out ok. This is what they looked like about fifteen minutes out of the oven.

And this was my dinner tonight.

I loaded up half the bowl with chopped romaine, used the ice cream scoop to make two little balls of chicken salad (boiled chicken, Miracle Whip, chopped celery, pickle relish, all to taste), then topped those with some finely grated cheddar and decorated with pineapple and mandarin orange pieces. It was very yummy.

Now, I think I'm going to make a necklace while I digest.

Photographic evidence, take two!

Proof that I do eat lunch! Or, you know, that I at least fix something for lunch. The eating of such plates often take an hour or two.

And this is my beloved feline. I'm not sure if he was looking to snitch a bite or if he was approving/disapproving of my choices. He's a cat. Sometimes it's hard to tell.

And for the record, the dip is in a measuring cup because I was out of custard dishes, which is what I usually use. All the custard dishes are in the dishwasher (or sink) from where I used them in the baking prep this morning. Also, I rarely ever finish my dip. It'll be a miracle if I manage to finish half of it.

Lists.

Tonight my brain isn't working too well. Maybe it's just the pain in my back, but I'm feeling a bit tense and frustrated over money, and earlier I started freaking out because I'm already out of grocery money for this pay period. So... I'm making lists. They're reminding me that all is ok and that I can still feed my family until the end of the month and that God does provide, sometimes in mysterious ways that I really try not to question.

Periodically, my mom cleans out the closet she uses as her pantry today. Every single time she does, I end up bags and boxes full of stuff she's bought but has (usually) never opened, let alone used. Whatever I don't take she donates to the charity of her choice. Normally she won't let me pay her for anything so from time to time I cook or bake something and take it to her as my way of repaying her generosity.

Mom cleaned out her pantry today and while I was taking inventory of what we'd brought home, K. giggled the words "I love shopping there".

This is what I brought home today.

• 4 pack of strawberry banana flavored peaches
• horseradish (3.5oz jar)
• 5 boxes corn muffin mix
• blueberry pop tarts (4 foil packs)
• strawberry pop tarts (6 foil packs)
• pink vanilla fun-fetti frosting
• lemon chiffon frosting
• cream cheese frosting
• angel food cake mix
• yellow cake mix
• strawberry swirl cake mix
• carrot cake mix
• lemon cake mix
• cheddar whale crackers (16oz)
• wheat thins - original (10oz)
• wheat thins - harvest garden vegetable (7.5oz)
• cinnamon graham crackers (2/3 box)
• 1/2 bag powdered sugar
• 3/4 bag powdered sugar
• 1 little bag chips ahoy thin crisp 100 calorie snack
• 1 little bag peanut butter cookie crisp 100 calorie snack
• 3 little bags Doritos 100 calorie snack
• 8 little bags harvest cheddar sun chips 100 calorie snack
• 1 big box chocolate pudding mix
• 3 berry blue jello mix (small boxes)
• 1 lime jello mix (big box)
• 1 raspberry jello mix (small box)
• 1 cherry jello mix (small box)
• 2 boxes hot chocolate
• Tabasco spiced olives (6.7oz jar)
• goldfish pasta soup (10.3/4oz can)
• 3 cans peach pie filling (21oz each)
• yellow cling peaches (15oz can)
• sweetened flaked coconut (3.5oz can)
• tahina (11oz can)
• light corn syrup (16oz)
• 2 bottles dark corn syrup (16oz each)
• 2 cans all nectar apricot juice (11.5oz each)
• syrup (24oz)
• chick peas (15.5oz can)
• chunky blue cheese dressing (16oz)
• deluxe french dressing (16oz)
• hickory smoke bbq sauce (18oz)
• hickory smoke bbq sauce (28oz)
• berry vinaigrette dressing (16oz)
• russian dressing (8oz)
• spicy brown mustard
• sloppy joe sauce (15.5oz can)
• marshmallow fluff (7.5oz jar)
• black eyed peas (15oz can)
• ketchup (4lb 2oz)
• petite dill pickles (46oz)
• margarita mix
• margarita salt

In addition to restocking the pantry (with some real treat stuff that I never buy), my 3 cubic foot chest freezer (which my husband bought me 15 years ago right after we got married, thank you God for letting it continue to run so well for so long) is completely stocked again.

Inside my freezer is:

• 1 lb chicken tenders
• 2 bags with 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts each
• 2 bags with 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts each
• 2 bags with 3 leg quarters each
• 1 bag with 3.5 leg quarters
• 2 bags with 3 skinless chicken breasts each
• 1.34 lb beef round bottom roast
• 1.37 lb beef round bottom roast
• 7 small roasts, roughly 1 lb each
• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 bags with 2 boneless pork chops each
• large bag breaded cod
• salmon
• 1 bag (4 cups) breaded okra
• 15 bags (roughly 4 cups each) broccoli
• 5 bags (4 cups each) corn nibblets
• 10 bags (roughly 4 cups each) baby lima beans
• 2lb bag mixed vegetables
• 1 bag (4 cups) zipper peas
• 2 bags (4 cups each) blueberries
• 5 bags (4 cups each) peaches
• 2 1/2 cups pumpkin squish

And that doesn't even count the bread and freezer jam (or freezer pops or Boca "meat") that's hiding in the freezer or what's in my refrigerator freezer, which is also pretty full. There are more lists, but this has already gotten too long.

So I guess things really are ok. I've got enough money in my change jar if we happen to need more water or milk (or anything else) before the next pay check, so... yeah, things really are ok, and I can breathe again. Sleep will come soon, and tomorrow the sun will rise and it will be a better day.