Have I taught him nothing?!

My 3 year old made his first purchase today. I am so proud of him but at the same time so upset with myself!

Coming home from school yesterday he kept saying "noodles." I told him we didn't have any and continued home and offered him lunch, which he ate. Today again when I picked him up from school he said "noodles," so I asked if he wanted to go buy some. He proudly exclaimed "yes!" So we went to the Piggly Wiggly, I got him and his sister out of the car and let him walk into the store. We found the soup/pasta aisle and I asked what he wanted. He went right for the Dora the Explorer Spaghetti O's! Well, this was his trip so I wasn't going to tell him no, but I asked him if he was sure that's what he wanted. Again, "YES!" So we walked to the counter and he put the can (ahh...a can!) on the belt then gave the cashier the 3 quarters I gave him to buy it. He took the bag and we walked out of the store.

We came home and he ate those Spaghetti O's like it was something amazing. (His sister kinda liked them too!) After they finished the can they both asked for more. Thankfully they were happy with some grapes and water to go with it. Oh my, such a proud day that my little boy bought something yet I guess we need to practice grocery shopping more often so that he knows that we in fact do not walk down the aisles!

My 99 cents

So this is the ad I keep seeing. My 99 cents at Wendy's. It just drives me crazy!

I know so many people that go to pick up a "cheap" meal at drive through. "But I order from the dollar menu rather than the value meal menu so it must be better." Really? Really?!!!! Let's think about this for a minute. If I talk about two people, myself and my husband. Say we go through and get 2 things of fries, 2 sandwiches, and 2 drinks...at the very least we are spending $6. Let me tell you from experience...that will NOT fill up my husband. In fact, he could eat all 6 of those items and still want something else. Not only would he not be full but he would have taken in tons of toxic food that would drain his energy, add lbs to his body, and make his next workout that much harder.

Let me offer you an alternative. Go buy $3 worth of ground beef and $3 worth of veggies. Seriously, do you know how much food that is? Add some spices to the ground beef and brown it. Throw in the $3 worth of frozen or fresh veggies...doesn't matter what they are...just throw them in. Cook it all together, maybe add a little oil. Now split that in half between two people. Talk about a filling meal! Oh yeah, and because you need something to wash it down go grab a glass of water. Can't stand the water? Fine...buy $2 worth of veggies and $1 worth of water flavoring (i.e. crystal light or better yet green tea bags.) Either way, its a much more filling meal, no guilt, and most likely you'll have seconds for the next night.

So next time you are thinking..."I'll just go cheap tonight"...go home and open your fridge!

$10 Challenge Fail

I had a friend challenge me to clear out my cupboards and only spend $10 a week on the stuff that doesn't store well like milk, fruit, and veggies. Now, I knew from the start that this would be impossible, but I was amazed at how right I was. Just think...many families do this a couple of times a year. They stock up on all sorts of pantry items, things in boxes, pastas, frozen dinners. Then they are able to go an entire month and only go out once a week for some milk and fruit while they empty their pantries. Does that seem odd to you?

I HOPE SO!!!!

I was given this challenge and immediately made a list of what was in my pantry, fridge, and freezer. The sad part is that I made this list right after our holiday company left. So I actually had things in my pantry that I NEVER would, like pancake mix and things to make holiday cookies. But even with those few items, I could barely go one week. Why???

Because my kitchen is always filled with fresh food. I NEVER have anything other than a little cereal for the kids (rice cereal that is), beans, rice, and almond flour in my pantry. Everything else I buy has to be refrigerated or frozen. I buy meat from a local butcher that comes frozen so I throw it in the freezer. I buy frozen berries and veggies. I buy some natural peanut butter, apples, oranges, and a little bit of heavy creme that go in the fridge. Other than that, I got nothin! This is how we eat. And because we eat like this, I can't "stock pile" food. It would go bad...even in the fridge. So I buy week to week on a regular basis. And when I took pictures people were amazed that I had so little.

So how badly did I fail? Well we had a guest the first week so I spend $15 on chili ingredients, snacks, and drinks. Week two I spent $20 on fruit, eggs, and veggies. Week 3...well I'll be out of meat, veggies, and fruit so unless we're going to fill our tummies with nothing but water...which would probably be ok for a week to be honest but not very pleasant...I have to do my usual weekly run. A box of meat that will last us a couple weeks, some veggies, eggs, cheese, and fruit. That will be my regular trip. But it will cost way more than $10.

Sorry friend, I have failed the challenge...but I've never been more happy about failing a challenge!