Shopping Day

It was a pretty busy shopping day.  I hit some stores I wasn't expecting to shop at but they were on my route today. 

First stop was the Oroweat Outlet Store and I really scored there.  They were having a special where you buy their reusable shopping bag for 99 cents and you can buy up to 10 loaves of bread for $1.59 each.  That's a great deal because the retail is $4.69 to $4.99 per loaf.  You had to buy a minimum of 6 loaves however.  This is fine with me because bread freezes beautifully and anyway, I usually buy at least 3 loaves and put some in the freezer.

And, because I ended up spending just over $10 for the 6 loaves and the bag, I get 2 free items.  I picked the cinnamon rolls and the English muffins.  And on top of that, it was double stamp day, so my stamp card was filled and I can get another loaf of bread free.  I decided to save that for another day. 

I can only afford one loaf for my June challenge, so I chose the Milton's Squaw bread.  It has a lot of good stuff in it and a lot of protein too. 

Next, I headed to my brother's house to pick up the avocados and oranges.  But first, I drove by the 99 cent store just to see what they had there.  I picked up 30 corn tortillas for $1. 

My brother has some young apple trees and I noticed the birds were picking at some of the apples and some were on the ground, so I helped myself to a few.  Hope he doesn't mind. 

After that I decided to go to Trader Joes to shop for the bulk of my items.  Von's was on the way, so I stopped there and found 42 oz oatmeal for $2.50. 

At TJ's, I bought my fav peanut butter for $2.79, 2 dozen extra large eggs for $2.98, 64 oz vanilla soy milk for $2.99, 1 pound spaghetti for 99 cents and 2 of the largest bananas I could find for 19 cents each.

On the way home, I stopped by Smart and Final across the street and found a can of tuna for 73 cents, 1 pound of red beans for $1.09 and 1 pound of pinto beans for $1.24.

Last week at Fresh and Easy Market, I found a great buy on whole chicken at 79 cents a pound, so I got a 5 pound chicken for $4.01.  I put it in the freezer.  I also found a bag of chocolate peanut bars marked way down to $1.00.  I'm able to include that in my monthly budget. 

I'm allocating $1 to olive oil and $1 for seasonings (salt, pepper, sugar, vinegar, mustard and a little mayo).

At Costco, I picked up brown rice in bulk (10 pounds for $4.99) so my brown rice cost is 4 cents a serving.

And lastly, at Marukai, I picked up an 18 oz tub of tofu for $1.29.

Okay, I know what you are thinking.  But, I agree, I had no intention of shopping in so many places.  But I have been looking for things to stock up on over the past few weeks and I happened to be running errands and was able to hit some extra stores.

Since I saved some money on a few items, I'm able to throw in some Vadalia onions for an extra 70 cents.   It brings my total up to $29.24.

What's for breakfast?

I haven't told a lot of people about my experiment because some will be critical, think I'm just plain cheap or just stupid because I'm going to make myself sick. 

They're just haters.

The people I have told do think I'm crazy and/or stupid because I'll get sick, but at least they keep their criticism to themselves.  I really think if they were reading this blog they'd realize that, hey, maybe she knows what she's doing.

I'm telling you people, I'm just so perfect for this experiment.

I need to do this.  I need to eat less and I need to eat better and stop wasting so much money on fast and junk food.

I'm highly qualified because I can grow my own organic vegetables, live in sunny California where there is fruit dropping off trees and wasting away, know how to cook enough to make inexpensive meals out of what's on hand, and know how to buy food on a budget.  I'm also knowledgeable about dieting and nutrition.

And lastly, I actually really, really want to do this.

Okay, so what's for breakfast?  I have some ideas already.  How do these sound?

2 T Peanut butter on 1/2 sliced banana (250 cal, 9gm prot) 24 cents
Sauteed egg on brown rice, 1/2 t olive oil (263 cal, 10gm prot) 23 cents
Oatmeal with soy milk and strawberries (265 cal, 8gm prot) 38 cents
Egg and sauteed vegetables, 1/2 t olive oil (200 cal, 7gm prot) 18 cents
Egg and 1/2 avocado omelet, 1/2 t olive oil (208 cal, 8gm prot) 18 cents

I'll have some gleaned oranges, so I'll have some orange slices with them for extra calories and vitamin C.  Add an extra 60 calories to each meal if I have an orange.

I can't afford coffee, so I'll have plain hot water or lemon hot water.

It's pretty close to what I'm eating right now, except I usually have apples instead of bananas, white rice instead of brown, and Fiber One and Raisin Bran instead of oatmeal.  I also like to eat cheese toast but can't afford that.  Oh, and I will miss my greek yogurt.  So I'm substituting things with more nutritious, less processed foods.

Don't hate.





 

Oil and Water

Or...fat and beverages.

Yes, our bodies need fat.  It provides essential nutrients and helps move vitamins through our bodies. There's good fat and bad fat however.  The good fat protects your heart and brain and fights off the effects of the bad fat.

Anyway, at this moment I have high cholesterol.  Most certainly this is due to the fast food and junk food I consume.  So this is yet another benefit of my $1 a day diet.

During my challenge, my fat sources are going to be few, but they include olive oil, avocados, peanut butter and chicken.

The olive oil and avocados are good fats and provide the all important omega 3 fatty acids.  The fat in the peanut butter and the chicken will boost my minimum calorie intake.  I need 1500 calories minimum a day and 1800 to maintain my ideal weight.

Olive oil isn't cheap though, so at 5 cents a teaspoon, I'm limiting myself to 10 teaspoons for the month.  I think that's enough because I mostly need it to coat some vegetables that I want to roast, use it to stirfry vegetables or saute an egg.  I'm really going to have to scrimp on it to get by.  I might need to save some chicken fat (yikes) to use for cooking.

I'm really lucky to have access to avocados.  They are a true superfood.  On a normal diet, I'd worry about the fat content, but I'm going to need those calories for this challenge.   The peanut butter has saturated fat, but it has so many other good health qualities about it and it tastes good too.

So let's talk about beverages.  I love coffee.  I drink it all day.  I also drink green tea every night.  Unfortunately, I'm not going to be able to afford it on a buck a day.  So my beverage selections are down to hot water and cold water.  Not fancy water, but tap water filtered through the refrigerator.  I drink this everyday anyway.  Lately, I've been drinking a lot of diet soda.  So, I might miss that a lot.  I stopped drinking caffeine a few years ago so I won't have to worry about caffeine withdrawals.  I'm hoping I can glean a lemon from someone.  They seem to be plentiful around here.  Then I can have hot lemon water and cold lemon water.  Can't wait.  So basically, my budget for beverages is zero. 

They say you are supposed to drink 8 glasses of water a day.  I don't think I do that now, but it looks like I might be doing it in June.

Carb Love

Yes, I love my carbohydrates.  Especially french fries.  They make me feel good.  Carbs give us energy.  Quick energy.  But then after a while, it all turns to sugar and makes us feel tired.  So then, we crave a pick me up of more carbs.  And so the cycle is continued and the excess calories builds up into fat.  And that's when the thighs start rubbing together.  Not a good image, I know.

I find that if you eat carbs by themselves, it makes your brain foggy.  And when your brain is foggy, you feel tired and crave more carbs.  That's why you should have protein with your carbs and stop eating so many carbs in the first place. 

So you see, I know the score, I'm just not following my own advice.  But that's all going to end on June 1, because I'm not going to be able to afford french fries, chocolate, donuts, maybe not even bread. 

What carbs will I have?  I will need carbs for energy and to meet my minimum calorie requirements.   Here's my list of things I can afford:

brown rice
dry beans
corn tortillas
bananas (maybe 1 a week)
potatoes (maybe only 1 for my chicken soup)

The rest of the carbs are going to come from my home grown vegetables and gleaned fruit.

Again, the vegetables I'm expecting to have available in June are broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, stir fry greens, daikon, zucchini, and tomatoes. 

The fruit I expect to have are oranges, avocados and strawberries.  I'm hoping I can find someone with a lemon and apple tree.  Also, peaches and plums should be around somewhere if I can find them. 

All of this is what I consider the "good" carbs.  Unprocessed carbs.  High fiber carbs. The ones I should be able to eat without restriction on a healthy diet.  The ones I should replace over the bad carbs I'm eating now.

Wouldn't it be nice if at the end of June, I only crave the good carbs and change my eating habits?  Hmmmm...

I am thinking about making some home made bread.  I'm not sure if it's actually cheaper to make bread or buy it from the discounted Oroweat store.  I might run a test just to see which is more cost effective.  Stay tuned...

Let's talk about protein

If you knew what my diet was like right now, you'd be appalled.  I like hamburgers and french fries, chocolate, diet soda, potato chips, cookies, cakes, and host of other bad food choices.  And, it seems like I'm trying to get into the most pitiful condition by June 1 so that I can see a lot of positive results from the challenge.  Maybe since I won't be able to eat this stuff in June, I'm shoveling it all in now. 

On the other hand, I want June 1 to roll around ASAP so I can get off this insane eating train.  My weight is at an all time high and my physical condition is at an all time low.

For now, let's talk about protein.  We need them to help build strong bodies and bones.  They help to curb hunger and keep your mind sharp.  It's good to eat some protein first thing in the morning to get your engine started. 

So what's the best protein money can buy?  And that's the problem.  Protein costs money.  It's hard to just find protein if you are foraging unless you come across a nut tree.  And how often does that happen?  We get the bulk of our protein by eating meat and fish.  What are you vegetarians doing?  I bet they have to subsidize their protein requirements with protein powder.

Since I can't grow my own protein in my garden (although veggies do have small amounts of protein), I'll have to buy it.  This has never been a problem until I am challenged to spend $1 a day.  True, dry beans do have protein, but they are not a complete protein.  Soybeans are a complete protein, but I'd have to have a lot more garden space to have a decent crop and they don't grow that well in this area anyway.

Now I read that someone my size needs about 45 grams of protein a day.  I have no idea if I get that much now, but based on the number of hamburgers I eat, I'm sure I don't have a deficiency. 

What has 45 grams of protein?

A chicken breast + thigh + 1/2 a drumstick
7 oz of fresh fish
A can of tuna + a little more
15 slices of bacon
7 1/2 eggs
6 cups of milk
6 oz cheese
1 1/2 cups tofu
3 cups cooked beans
12 tablespoons of peanut butter

So looking at this list, it is easy to see that it will be hard to buy 45 grams of protein a day.  That's 45 * 30 days = 1350 grams of protein for the month.  So, I will do my best and buy the most cost effective protein available while providing some variety and I have narrowed my list down to this:

1 whole chicken for the month, and it will take up a good chunk of my budget.  I want a whole chicken because I'm going to utilize the carcass and make chicken soup.  One whole chicken will provide approx 250 grams of protein. ($5)

2 pounds of dry beans.  Not sure how I am going to cook this yet, but expect I'll be eating this in a bean burrito.  192 grams protein ($2)

2 dozen eggs.  150 grams protein ($3, thank you TJ's)

16 oz Pnut Btr. 126 grams protein ($2)

8 cups uncooked brown rice, 170 grams ($1.16)

36 oz tofu, 84 grams protein ($2.58)

42 oz oatmeal,  80 grams protein ($3)

1/2 gallon soy milk, 48 grams protein ($3)

This is where the bulk of my protein costs are coming from.  And look how healthy!

Where to buy food?

It's still a few weeks away to my challenge start date and I'm in the process of researching prices at food sources around me.

The price of gasoline is at an all time high where I live.  It's up to $4.35 a gallon and I'm not driving a hybrid.  Because of this, I think it's only fair to shop at places in the vicinity that I can walk or bike to.  Luckily, I have a lot of sources to choose from:

Torrance Farmer's Market - Within walking distance.  Open Tuesdays and Saturdays.  Prices are actually not that cheap, but worth checking out for a possible deal and snack on some samples while there.

Randy's Produce - Across the street.  A family owned produce store.  Good prices on vegetables.  Not organic though.  They have bags of marked down items too.

Marukai Market - About a mile away.  Easy bike ride.  My Asian food source. This is where I'll buy tofu and rice.

Target - About a mile away.  Target now has a full grocery section.  Good prices on cat food and gourmet coffee.

Ralph's - About a mile away.  I usually just buy junk food here...

Pacific Supermarket - About a mile away. This is a large Korean market.  I don't usually shop here, but they have great prices on produce.

Fresh and Easy Market - About 2 miles away.  This has become one of my favorite grocery markets.  Good selection of groceries to get a healthy dinner on the table fast.  They have a marked down section where you can get up to 50% off meat and produce with the current days pull date.  Worth checking out anytime I go there.  Also, they have a weekly coupon of $3 to $5 off your total purchase.  Their private label products are tasty and an excellent value.

Von's - about 2 miles away.  But like Ralph's, I usually just buy junk food here.

Oroweat Bread Store - About 3 miles away.  Good selection of bread at discount prices.  Sometimes they have overstock items marked down to $1. 

Trader Joe's - About 3 miles away.  Everyone loves TJ's!  Best prices on eggs and orange juice.  A gold mine for gourmet snack food.  Also, can grab a sample cup of joe and maybe a snack.

Whole Foods - About 3 miles away, but too expensive for this challenge.

Smart and Final - About 3 miles away.  Good place to buy in bulk and no membership fee.  I have to check out the prices there for my challenge.

Costco - About 3 miles away.  I don't have a membership there anymore.  I do have the option to have a family member with a membership pick something up for me though.

So as you can see, I have a lot of places to choose from.  Most of these places I drive by regularly when I'm coming home from other destinations.

For my challenge, I'm sure I'll only be shopping at Fresh and Easy, Trader Joe's, and Marukai.  Of course, I'll be looking at the weekly food ads for the best prices.  Although I can use coupons for this challenge, I doubt I will because coupons are usually for things that you don't need.

As an FYI, I used to work in a grocery store in my college days.  I used to be the person updating prices in the "new" scanning system and also made price changes of products on the shelf.  Back then, everything was hand marked with a price tag.  When I got married 30 years ago, I was a master coupon shopper.  The key is to use coupons on items already on sale and stock up on them.  I guess what I'm saying is, I'm a good food shopper.

Garden #2

This is the other garden I have growing in my FIL's backyard.  There's several varieties of tomatoes that I hope will be ready in June.  There's also some green beans and Anaheim peppers coming up. 

I've been growing flowers in this garden and especially love sweet peas.  They are in full bloom right now and fill the garden with fragrance.

It really doesn't take that much to grow vegetables.  Seriously.  You do need to have some ground space that gets a lot of sunlight.  The more the better but 6 hours of direct sunlight a day is the minimum requirement.  You can also grow in pots on your patio, but your yield won't be as good.

I've tried all kinds of ways to grow plants, from pots to poor clay soil so let me tell you the minimum you can do to grow vegetables with the least amount of investment.

1. Find a sunny spot.
2. Build a small raised bed (3 ft x 6 ft x 8 inches high) out of wood scraps.
3. Fill it with soil and free mulch.
4. Add a couple of bags of steer manure @ .99 a bag.
5. If this is your first time gardening, go to your local Home Depot and buy some tomato plants and some cucumber and bean seeds.  They will have the varieties that grow well in your area.  You won't be able to grow a lot in this one box, but it'll be enough space for a couple of tomatoes, cukes and pole beans.  You can add more boxes as you go.
6. For fertilizer, start collecting your kitchen scraps, especially coffee grounds and vegetable and fruit peels.  No meat products, just plant products.  Also, collect garden waste like leaves.  You can make a compost pile which is great stuff but takes some doing, so for this exercise, just start burying it in your soil around but away from your plants.  The worms will come and when you've got worms you've got good soil.
7. If things start eating your seedlings, go out early in the morning and check the plants for small green caterpillars, snails or slugs and pull them off and dispose of them.

There you go.  You have an organic vegetable garden! 

So between the two gardens, I expect to have the following harvest able vegetables in June:  zucchini (the plant that can end world hunger), broccoli, cauliflower, daikon, stir fry greens (collard and kale), pole and bush beans, tomatoes and some strawberries.

It's just a fraction of what I used to grow, but the point is that I've done the minimum of garden work this year and will gain a lot of vegetables.  So get started.  Gardening is the most rewarding hobby on this planet.

Garden #1

Checking in at the community garden:

For those of you still concerned about my health, check out my harvest today.

Some overgrown zucchini, a head of broccoli, strawberries and onions I bartered from my gardening friend.

And just so you know, I am not gardening much these days.  This has been a busy year and I haven't had the time to get out there much so I will have much less to harvest in June.  Still, I think it'll be enough.

In the community garden I have zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, daikon, stirfry greens and strawberries growing.  I lost the cucumber seedlings I planted to snails.  There are a lot of them out this year. 

I don't buy vegetable seedlings anymore. They are started at home from old seeds (some from 2008), or seeds that I have propagated from previous crops. Sometimes I'll get seeds from gardening friends at the community garden.   Seriously, I don't know why people buy seeds every year.  The strawberry plants are from 3 years ago and although they have been neglected, they still produce enough small berries for my cereal or yogurt.  My expenses this year in the garden have been $0.

I have another garden in my father-in-law's back yard.  Over there I've got tomatoes, green beans and peppers.  My cucumber and eggplant seedlings got eaten up there too.  It's been a bad year for me with my seedlings.     Nothing is ready to harvest yet, but I hope to have some tomatoes and beans in June.

It occurred to me as I was driving home with my harvest that if I eat and depend on all these vegetables instead of my usual junk food, my body is going to go through a detox.  And that is a good thing.