$100 challenge - wrap up

This post is about a month late. I got busy crocheting hats, cowls and mittens for the pop up and consignment shops. I'm still not done crocheting, but I'm not as rushed to get things done at this point. Also, I need more yarn. I always need more yarn though.

Anywho...

For the most part I was able to stick to my budget of $25/week. I ended the 4 week/month long challenge at $104.42. I had a buffer of $10, just in case. I think I did pretty well.

I mostly ate produce (bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, potatoes, bananas) and added those things to tortillas, scrambled eggs, etc. I ate very little meat (I did buy a steak and it ended up being enough for two meals). I don't really eat a lot of meat anyway. Mostly when I eat out.

I did eat out more than I had planned on and didn't plan that into my budget. If I do this again I'll consider it, because it does make a difference.

I'd call this a success. I was able to eat well. While I was buying organic produce, I was still eating produce. People complain that it's expensive to eat healthy...it's not. It just takes a little extra time.

reading - Rogue by Lyn Miller-Lachmann This post brought to you in part by:  

$100 challenge - week 4

Week 3

Birthday week has come to an end. I had some pretty tasty meals. A ginormous plate of nachos, delicious tacos from my new favorite taco place, La Revolucion, and some beans and rice and chili cheese etouffe from Yats. (If you ever visit, I will take you to all my favorite local food joints. Tacos, burgers, creole, pizza, sushi, let's go!)

I didn't cook anything from the norm this week. Tacos, sauteed veggies, yaki soba. I really am a creature of habit and sometimes just too lazy to make anything else. To make it easier on myself I even spend about 30 min cutting up all the veggies and throw them in a container for the week and then grab a handful to cook when I need them.

This week a read an article about a woman who was getting $800/month in food benefits and she was saying that wen they cut the benefits down by $44 she's not sure how she'll make ends meet. My first reaction was WHAT??? Who can't get by on $800/month for food? Her household contains 4 adults and a baby. That is MORE than enough in my opinion. She stated by the end of the month they were eating beans and rice and things like that. I have a friend who has a household of 4, 2 of which or hungry, hungry teenagers and she feeds her family very well on less than $800/month. It's possible. It makes me wonder what they heck this woman is buying.


$25.80



Week 4

• a tub of Greek Yogurt
• a package of shredded cheese
• a steak
• a box of fruit leather
• a dozen eggs
• a box of mac n' cheese
• a head of orange cauliflower
• 3 green bell peppers
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 potatoes
• 6 bananas
• a package of Hi-Chew
• a kinder bueno snack

Total: $24.86

The plan was to try to only spend $20 this week so I stayed under $100 for the entire 4 weeks, but I saw the inexpensive steak and thought, hey...why not. I also could have done without the Hi-Chew and Bueno, but hey, I gave myself a buffer.

I don't normally buy boxed mac n' cheese, but it's been so long since I've had it, I thought I'd pick up a box. I'll pair it with the steak and orange cauliflower that I will make into mashed cauliflower. I prefer the brightly colored cauliflower because it makes meals more fun. My favorite is the purple. The cauliflower will be my veggie as opposed to mashed potatoes which would be another starch.

So this week will be a lovely steak dinner, more tacos and quesadillas and probably some ramen that I found in the freezer. I've also still got some chicken left that I can cook and pair with rice. We shall see how the week plays out.

Week 1: $23.38
Week 2: $30.38
Week 3: $25.80
Week 4: $24.86

Total: $104.42

Check back next week to see how this last week went.

reading - Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry This post brought to you in part by:  

$100 challenge - week 3

Week 2

I went over some more this week. I picked up a box of crackers to go with my chili. They were delicious. That's all I'm going to say about that.

I ate out quite a few times this week. I had a lot of birthday freebies I worked through and a couple of splurges (Cheesecake Factory, note to self - stop getting the Reese's Chocolate Cake, Cheesecake, it's too much of a good thing all at once and no matter how hard you try half way through you're gonna want to chug a gallon of milk).


The chili was spicy and delicious. I forget where I found the original recipe, but I've been making it for several years. It's not your typical chili. It's nice and hearty and will leave you full and satisfied.

Brown a sausage roll (I try to use turkey sausage when I can find it) and then cut up a couple of chicken breasts or chicken tenders into chunks and add those to the pot. Next I add a can of tomatoes and a can of Great Northern Beans and last I add chili mix. This last time I used a packet I had in the cabinet, but going forth I plan to make my own chili mix. I have all the spices I need already, so why not. Plus I need to find a use for all those jars I'm always saving. Add a bit of water and bring it to a boil and then let it simmer.

When I was a kid I used to eat my chili over rice because that's how my parents served it. When I moved to Indiana I noted that people ate their chili over spaghetti noodles, which I think is still weird, but I ate mine with rice so who am I to talk. Now I eat it with crackers. The choice is yours. Those Townhouse crackers though...the butter goodness with the chili...my belly is in heaven.

The egg muffins turned out well, but they stuck to the muffin tin, which made cleaning pretty darn annoying. The muffins and the courgettes were a good breakfast and kept me pretty full throughout the day. I'll be making them again, but I need to work on a better method of the egg muffins.

Other than that I had some of the veggie lasagna from last week and some veggie tacos. I realized the other day that I don't eat as much meat as I used to. I think I eat most of my meat when I eat out.



$27.88 + $2.50 = $30.38 Oops!



Week 3

• a gallon of milk
• multi-grain bread
• a jar of Nutella
• 8 bananas
• penne pasta
• a package of tortillas
• a package of lunch meat
• a tub of salsa

Total: $25.80

Not very much this week this week compared to the last two weeks. My birthday is Saturday. I will be out with friends. I may be eating out on Sunday too. That's a couple of meals I won't be cooking.

As you can see I eat a lot of bananas. I love them. They're delicious. I could eat several a day, but I try to keep it down to one so I can have them for the next day. My favorite way to have them is in my Banana Nutella Smoothie. I like to think it's a healthy treat. 

This week will be more veggie tacos and some quesadillas too. I'm really not sure what I'll do with the bread. I just really wanted a sandwich. I've probably got enough cheese to do a fancy grilled cheese sandwich. I can always make some garlic toast to pair with pasta too. I really wasn't thinking when I went shopping. It happens.

Week 1: $23.38
Week 2: $30.38
Week 3: $25.80

Total: $79.56

reading - Darius & Twig by Walter Dean Myers This post brought to you in part by:  

$100 challenge - week 2

Week 1

Spent $8.97 of the remaining $10.59 from week 1 on bacon and cheese so that I could make these courgettes that Laura from the blog of worldly delights posted for breakfast. I think the courgettes coupled with egg "muffins" will make for a decent breakfast that's not sugary cereal and will hopefully keep me fuller. Two packets of oatmeal and a couple hours later I'm starving.

I cheated Wednesday night and ordered a sandwich from Jimmy John's. I got called into work and was more tired than normal when I got home AND craving a slim 3 with cheese. I think it might be lady time. In my initial post my goal was to eat out less, so maybe it really isn't cheating. I never mentioned how eating out would fit in to this challenge because you can't use SNAP benefits to eat out.

For the week I cooked and ate 16 Bean Soup (which resulted in many 16 bean farts), Pioneer Women's Vegetable Lasagna, vegetable tacos, corn beef hash, potatoes and sauteed veggies and dark chocolate cupcakes w/ peanut butter frosting. No specific recipes for the veggie tacos or potatoes and veggies. All I did was saute onions, bell peppers and mushrooms in olive oil and then sprinkled some cayenne and garlic powder on them. Threw them in tortillas with sour cream and cheese for tacos or saute with potatoes for a hearty breakfast.

Not very exciting meals. I should also mention I gave a slice of lasagna to a friend, so really I fed TWO people this week. Ha!

$14.41 + $8.97 = $23.38

• dozen eggs
• larger container or pre-cut pineapple
• 6 bananas
• Greek yogurt
• can of corn beef hash
• can of great northern beans
• can of chili style tomatoes
• sage sausage roll  
• 2 bell peppers
• 2 onions
• bag of frozen sweet corn
• large package of mushrooms
• CLIF bar (not pictured, I got hungry before I got home)

Total: $27.88

Week 2

Yes, I went over and it's just the beginning of the week. I would've probably come just under if I'd gotten the smaller container of pineapple, not gotten the CLIF bar and shopped at my regular grocery store. I also didn't pick up milk which was on my list. It was the one thing on my list that I will eventually need. I have a $10 buffer for the month so going over isn't a big deal, but I'd like to stay under $100 if I can.

I ate the corn beef hash during week 1. I had a craving and had to have it. I'm okay with this because I have about 3 servings of vegetable lasagna left as well as a serving of 16 bean soup that I will eat at some point during week 2.

This week will be more sauteed veggies, probably with yaki soba. I will also be making chili (the weather is getting colder, so I'm looking forward to chili), fajitas, smoothies and the courgettes I posted about above (which mean week 1 creeps into week 2 for breakfast). Last week little to no meat and this week...lots of meat.

Other than going over my budget for week 2, I think I'm doing pretty well. I'm more aware of what I'm eating and it's nice to be doing more cooking even if it's pretty much the same stuff every day.

reading - Darius & Twig by Walter Dean Myers This post brought to you in part by:  

$100 challenge - week 1

Money is pretty tight around these parts right now. Though it wouldn't be if I hadn't been spending money on the little things. Those darn little things really add up. So the other night I tweeted the above tweet. The next morning Evani of Simply Evani tweeted back that I should make it into a food/finance challenge. At first I thought to myself...no, I have enough going on. I don't need to add anything else to my to do list. Then Friday morning after I woke up and started getting ready for the gym I said to myself, what the hell why not.

I don't think it'll be too hard of a challenge. I've gotten by on about $20/week before, though back then I was eating junk and now I'm eating a lot better. I still think I should do okay. A lot of veggies and beans and rice. Probably not a lot of meat. I'm also a creature of habit and obsession (currently obsessed with tacos...veggie tacos to be exact).

Combining what I've already got in my cabinets and fridge with what I buy I should be able to make a few tasty meals.

• 6 roma tomatoes
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 yellow bell peppers
• 2 yellow onions
• 6 bananas
• a package of mushrooms
• a package of lentils
• a package of 16 bean soup
• a package of flour tortillas

Total: $14.41

This is what I picked up at the International Market today. I'll add this to what's in my cabinet and fridge to make veggie lasagna, quesadillas, yaki soba, soft tacos and who knows what else. The lasagna will last me a couple of days since it's just me. I've got $10 left for the week and need to pick up some cereal for breakfast and maybe a bag of frozen chicken. I haven't quite decided what other meals I plan on having.

I cut up all the veggies to make cooking easier on me. That's one of my problems. Some nights I'm lazy and don't really eat because cooking takes too much time. With all the veggies cut up I can throw them in a pan and saute them and then make a quick taco or quesadilla...add some chicken to switch it up for fajitas.

I'm also challenging myself to limit my spending on the little things too, mainly eating out/at work. After looking at my finances from my September goals, I spend a lot of money eating out/at work. It really does add up. I could've bought a new sewing machine with all the money I spent on little things last month. I'm not giving up Friday dates, though I do plan to cut down on what I spend. That's the one meal every two weeks that I really look forward too.

If anyone has an low budget recipes, send them my way. Could you stretch $100 a month for food?

reading - Not in Kansas Anymore by Christine Wicker This post brought to you in part by: