LBTL 2015: Day 3

Potato cabbage soup, shepherd's pie and cabbage slaw for lunch

This challenge puts me in a scarcity mindset - always a fear or anxiety of "not enough."  I smelled cinnamon rolls from a bakery I passed on my way home from work and thought "Ooo maybe I'll make cinnamon rolls when I get home... oh, I can't." And yesterday I saw a billboard for ice cream. "Mmmm, I'll have a little bit of that strawberry ice cream I've got in the freezer tonight... oh, I can't." Everything is off limits. Out of reach. So it must be to live in poverty. "No" to so many things. And harsh judgement from society if you dare say "yes."

Yesterday I was operating with an abundance mindset, and things almost got away from me. Not today. I haven't been hungry (bless that 10lb bag of potatoes!), but I haven't been having fun like I was earlier. And before I settle in to make dinner, I need to take stock of what I've spent today:

Two serving of root veggies for roasting

Leftover potato and cabbage soup, plus an added tablespoon of oil: $0.26
Cabbage slaw: $0.15
Shepherd's pie: $0.37
"Tea" and sugar: $0.02

Tomato lentil soup and roasted root veggies for dinner

That brings me to $0.80. Not bad. I can have a decent dinner for $0.70 for sure. I haven't mentioned the cabbage slaw before. I prepared two portions last night, consisting of 1/8 head of cabbage ($0.13), 2 T oil ($0.12), 2 T vinegar ($0.04) and salt ($0.01). I'll have the second portion tomorrow. The "tea" and sugar is really just sugar in terms of cost. I reused yesterday's tea bag to the bitter end. I can't afford another $0.16 tea bag.

Dinner is roasted root veggies. 3 carrots ($0.21), 5 potatoes ($0.10), 1 onion ($0.10), 2 T oil ($0.12), 1 T vinegar ($0.02), salt ($0.01). $0.56 total ingredients, and it will make two portions at $0.28 each. I'll eat one tonight and take the second for lunch tomorrow. That leaves me with $0.42 for the rest of dinner. I also lentil tomato soup. 1/4 C lentils ($0.13), 3 tomatoes ($0.21), 1 T oil ($0.06). I didn't use a full tsp of salt on the roasted veggie, so the rest of the salt will go into the soup. The lentils got away from me and burned a bit. No choice but to eat them anyway. I actually didn't mind too much. It was nice to have a different smokey flavor. I miss variety!

I ended the day at $1.48. And only two days left in the challenge! I plan to make cinnamon rolls on Friday. I could use a treat. And I'm boycotting potatoes for a month.

Big thank you to everyone who has supported me with a donation to The Hunger Project! You've really kept my spirits high.