"To quote Mark Zuckerberg, 'it's complicated.'"

{{{smonster}}}

smonster, you can do it! It sucks, but you'll make it. Peanut butter, bread, eggs. BTFT. And will probably be there, do that again.

For a change I'm enjoying the challenge of not spending money. I'm sure I'll have relapses, but I'm hoping this is a watershed of sorts in my mentality.

As for the StW thing, still haven't gotten a response to the email I sent him a week ago. Last night I dreamed he gave me a ring and had a matching one, but they were plastic, and even in the dream I was afraid to ask what they meant. Fuck you, subconscious.

On the Flylady front, I scooped the pans and took out trash, made dinner, started the soup, and prepped a salad I'm taking to a friend's house. And did dishes and shined the sink, and cleaned up a bunch of recycling in the kitchen.

I'm kicking ass and taking names, StW, "and if you do not like me so/to hell, my love, with you." (Two glasses of wine. Getting tipsy makes me sassy.)

smonster, you can do it! It sucks, but you'll make it.

Yeah, what Erin said; a bag of rice and a bag of lentils go a long way, too, and lentils are tasty. Tastier with onion.

When I said last week that I didn't have any advice on budgeting, this conversation made me realize that I actually have a ton of advice on cheap food. Beans and rice can do a lot. Canned tomatoes will fix up almost any leftovers into something new. Lentils and split peas are easy because they don't need to be soaked. Fresh vegetables are cheap when they're in season, but expensive the rest of the time, so buy fresh for in-season, but frozen for everything else. Spices are almost always significantly cheaper at ethnic markets. If you can find an Indian store, you can get huge bags of rice and lentils for really cheap.

In my cabinet I have dried red beans and dried black beans; I've got a dozen eggs; I will have a shit ton of (hopefully tasty) soup. I can do this. As long as I don't run out of half and half for my coffee.

{{{Nora&Tom&family}}}

smonster, you are entirely smishable when sassy.

I've got a dozen eggs;

Eggs keep me going on the cheap protein front.

A two-egg omelet can be a pretty filling one person meal.

I also recommend doing a spanish torilla, which is like an omelet/quiche over crispy potatoes. (yum)

You can add any sort of thing to that that you'd put in an omelet but it's more filling.

So: buy one potato, slice it up, cook it in a frying pan with oil, then pour the eggs and cheese/mushrooms/onions/whatever you've got into it. You do have to flip it (with a a plate) but it's easy.

Also, dropping your egg into soup will give you some easy protein. Always good to stock up on bullion when you've got cash.

Or, you know, just scrambled. But if you get tired of breakfast for dinner, there are other things to do.

It's also good in fried rice! (another good cheap food)

I do frittatas pretty frequently, but I'm out of cheese at the moment. Thanks for all the tips and encouragement, y'all. It helps so much.