So, Kay is on vacation and is going to two weddings, so as of yesterday her spending crept up to $774.25. I went to the grocery store again yesterday, so I've spent a total of $705.35. You'd think that I would finally be excited to be beating her (at last), but she says she's going to spend more than she normally would since she's on vacation. Well, poo... that's not challenging. Congrats to Kay for kicking my butt for most of the month.
My new goal, starting today, is to spend less than $200 from now until the end of the month! For this goal, I'm not counting gasoline because I don't have an accurate breakdown of my gas expenditure vs. my husband's, so I'm not confident about what would be a reasonable goal.
However, a couple of years ago, I took a challenge to make it through the month spending only $500 for food and entertainment and non-absolutely vital expenses. Half of that is $250, and there's half a month left in July, so I think $200 is a great challenge.
I'm not counting my utility bills or other monthly bills. This is for everything else... even things like socks!
The Mega Meatloaf is making great leftovers for lunches. By the way, meatloaf makes a great sandwich if you layer it with the mashed potatoes and some raw spinach. I like to toast the bread, first. For dinner last night I made Italian Minestrone Soup and it's REALLY YUMMY, healthy, and CHEAP!
1 med. onion, chopped
1/4 c. celery leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
1 c. chopped carrot
1 c. chopped celery
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes with liquid
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
2 c. beef stock or broth
1 c. red wine
1 zucchini, sliced
1 1/2 c. chopped cabbage
1 (14-16 oz.) can white beans or pinto or kidney beans
1 c. elbow macaroni
Water or V-8 juice
Pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. oregano
Saute onion, garlic and celery leaves in olive oil until onions are clear, 5 to 10 minutes. Add chopped carrots, celery, tomatoes, tomato sauce, beef stock, wine, bay leaves, oregano and pepper. Simmer until carrots are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Add zucchini and cabbage and simmer until they are tender. You may need to add 1 to 2 cups more water or V-8 juice to get desired consistency. Add beans and macaroni and cook until tender. Serve with Parmesan cheese. You can vary this recipe with other beans, vegetables or rice.
I like to keep little single-serving bottles of cheap red wine in the pantry for recipes like this, or stroganoff, etc. This recipe made a huge batch of soup, so hopefully it will last a while. I've got 15 more days and only $200 to stretch to feed and entertain my family of four (and three high maintenance cats)!
9 years ago
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