Aside from paying our household bills, and purchasing gasoline for our daily work commutes, neither of us has spent a dime. No groceries, no other non-edibles such as soap or trash bags, no vending machine purchases... not even a gumball. Not opening your wallet, writing a check, or digging for change in your pocket really makes you think a little bit more about your money.
It's almost become obsessive for us to see how long we can go without spending anything aside from the what is vital to our budget. It's become a game. A game we want to win.
Whenever we have guests over, we usually send them home with a plate of leftovers to enjoy. I suffer from a family gene where "food = love," and we are forever cooking enough to feed a small army.
"Are you full?"
"Yes?"
"OK, here's another scoop of mashed potatoes, a side of beef, and half a pie. You look hungry."
*painful groan followed by waistline buttons popping*
If you leave one of my family functions hungry, it's your own fault. You can't say we didn't try.
Likewise, whenever we go to someone else's house, we are usually given leftovers to take home. Sharing food is a big deal with us, and it's something we will probably always do. That's fine by me. I'm always willing to share, and enjoy what's shared with us. Leftovers are much more fun when they weren't made in my kitchen!
That being said, tonight was "gifted leftover" night. We had a few frozen dinner rolls in a freezer bag and some delicious sloppy joe mix graciously shared with us, and we turned them into "sliders." To round out the dinner, I steamed up some frozen carrots from our summer garden, and turned two more garden potatoes into homemade french fries. All told, we figured that our dinner only cost us the price of frying oil (which still has a few uses in it after being strained), and some condiments.
Our entire dinner was easily under a dollar. Probably under fifty cents.
Was our meal fancy? Not in the least, but it was nutritious, hot, filling, and delicious. The meal even taught me two important lessons:
--When peeling potatoes and cutting them to make homemade fries, be careful with the tater-cutting gadget, because you just might cut yourself. (I did just that.)
--Also, when we run out of coffee, I found a much more efficient quick pick-me-up for sluggish mornings: pour malt vinegar and salt into an open wound. YOWZA! THAT'S WORSE THAN LEMON JUICE ON A HANGNAIL!
We are graciously thankful for those who share things with us, and we will continue to do the same. We all share this rock, and a more generosity and kindness from us all certainly will go a long way into making the world just a bit more beautiful.
What are you going to share with your family, friends, and neighbors?
--SH