My austerity budget is so I can take at least 4 trips this year. I've been looking at airfares, so that is prompting most of this. I could and probably should stop coloring my hair. I will not stop Netflix, TiVo, or home internet unless I lose my job. Those 3 total $75 a month which still cheaper than cable.

I am on a no new clothing for six months plan, due to my tendency to buy new dresses to cheer myself up.

I should do that, because let's face it, my wardrobe doesn't really need any additions, and saving up money for ECCC and Bats Day would be a good idea.

But I love window-shopping on eBay and Etsy. And thrift store trips! This is why I am not really an adult.

When Hubby was young, his mother would put a pot of soup on the stove and say "We're eating this till it's gone." They diligently ate and ate, wondering when it would be gone. They were not pleased to discover her refilling the pot in the middle of the night. I believe the pot got thrown out into the yard.

I don't know yet where I'm going to find expenses to cut, but I clearly need to tighten the belt before my savings is completely depleted. Some of it will likely even be painless as I'm sure I am paying for stuff I don't use, but probably not all.

My paranoia is that it will lead to a point where, instead of being rewarded for making healthier choices, those "choices" will be compulsory and you'll have your rates raised for NOT buying cauliflower.

(I know I sound like a crazy old man here.)

I don't think you sound crazy at all, and I hate that kind of shit!

I know a lot of people are pretty good about making A Big Pot Of Sunday Something that you can eat for lunch during the week. Stew, Pot roast, ham, soup, lasagna, homemade bolognese sauce etc.

I think the key is to immediately freeze most of it in one or two-meal portions, so you end up with variety throughout the week and still only cooking one day. Future me will be very happy to eat the chicken/beans/rice thing and the pulled pork I made yesterday!

When Hubby was young, his mother would put a pot of soup on the stove and say "We're eating this till it's gone." They diligently ate and ate, wondering when it would be gone. They were not pleased to discover her refilling the pot in the middle of the night. I believe the pot got thrown out into the yard.

By any chance, was her name Penelope?

If I can remember to cook something in the crockpot tonight while I cook something for dinner, then tomorrow's food will be ready before I go to bed. If I do that one night a week, then I can cook on the weekend to last through maybe Tuesday. And that covers most of the week.

Man, I was totally on top of efficiently feeding myself for a while there, but I have lost my grip on it. And I'm in a mood to eat take out until the kitchen is thoroughly cleaned ceiling to floor, so gonna be a while before I get back on that wagon, I imagine.

I am on a cooking jag lately. I made a huge pot of turkey soup on the weekend and a pot of veggie chilli yesterday. And tonight I made something else fro supper.

Of course, I am in semi-hibernation eat-all-the-things mode too, Which is a different issue.

I was just gathering up the day's trash off my desk to put in my garbage can for the janitors to cart away tonight. A wave of gratitude for people who clean up after me took me, and I thought of thanking them profusely when I saw them tonight. But then I remembered the suspicious looks I always get from them when I try to talk to them. A) I dislike being interrupted in my work routines by someone I don't normally interact with, and B) I get this nasty feeling of 'I am so grateful to the little people' noblesse oblige when I make a fuss over things. So a simple "thanks" and smile should suffice. Though they still do a "What? What?" double take.