it seems that my gratitude project is having an unexpected side effect on my family. we've decided to take the SNAP (formerly food stamp) challenge. a family of three is allotted $203 per month in assistance. we're going to budget $203 per month for food. hubby and i decided to do this for 3 months, but after much discussion and thought, he changed his mind and decided to expand it to 6 months, reserving the option to go for a year, if he feels we're succeeding at this. so two blogs are having a profound effect on my family. i'm a happier person, AND we're going to get healthier with our eating habits.
this should be an interesting time for us. we'll learn what gratitude to have a meal on the table is truly like. we're going to be shopping sales, learning to cook in different ways, eat more grains and less meats (YEA!) i'm going to have to learn to use coupons. i admit, i've never used them before. i'm going to have to sit down with my friend jessie, a coupon queen, and learn how to do this. we're going to have to shop at different stores. produce is still going to be a big part of my budget, but i'm going to try to figure out how to build a cold frame, so i can continue to grow certain things, like lettuces, carrots and spinach on the patio. i'm going to have to find a barrel or trash can to grow potatoes in. we're going to have to find a way to store apples so we can buy them when they're on sale, because little one loves her apples. i don't have access to a root cellar, i don't know of a single house in vegas that has a basement, so that's out. cold storage is going to have to be on the patio. it's going to be a learning experience for all of us!
i didn't happen to think that this was just a nutrition experiment. oh, no. i wanted to teach my child the value of what she has. it's important to me that she have a full tummy, and she go to bed each night happy and healthy. but i want her to experience how many of the families we live around go through their day to day existence. how many of her classmates live. i want her, and us, to appreciate all the gifts we have been given in this life. we're very fortunate to live in the day and age that we do. i want to be able to appreciate it more. through fresh eyes.
so restaurants are out, home cooking is in. bread making is going to be my biggest past time. we'll be going through a lot of it, i imagine. we'll still find the time and money to celebrate thanksgiving, it just might be a less traditional one. i'm going to learn all kinds of new techniques and new foods. and we're going to shop in place we've never considered before. gratitude begins at home. i want to be grateful for everything that i have. and i want to let those things that i no longer need find a happy home. this can be a very good win-win situation, if we're all dedicated to making it work. i'm going to need a lot of support on this. i know there will be days when i'm weak. i'm counting on ANYONE that's is reading to hold me to this.
if you have any suggestions, recipes, ideas, thoughts, questions...by all means, PLEASE leave a comment. i'll do my best to answer them as honestly (and as seriously, no sarcastically) as i can. i'm hoping i have some support out there. this is a HUGE undertaking for a woman that is used to a very european manner of shopping. go to the market on the day you are making something, buy it, take it home and cook it. it's also a very EXPENSIVE manner of shopping. time to shake things up and change them. and to learn to be grateful and gracious with what we have been given. so.....let's hear it. let me know what you think. am i crazy? is it a nobel undertaking? a brilliant idea? or just plain cuckoo? i want to hear from you, ANY OF YOU.
the experiment begins november 1, 2012 and runs through at least, may 1, 2013. wish us luck!
It will be easier now than in previous years, I think. There are tons of blogs and websites dedicated to such ventures. You could start by searching through large family blogs, because when you have a large family, these are the things you do. People often judge us because they imagine the waste they create with their 2.5 kid family and multiply it, but that is not the case. Most of us probably live more simply out of necessity than the average family. We bulk shop, cook homemade, make our own bread, find creative storage solutions, entertain ourselves rather than go out...we RARELY go to restaurants and eat healthy homegrown food. We are not vegetarian, but we don't eat a lot of meat. I have a pretty tight budget and can usually stick to it. Good luck with your experiment! Let me know if I can help!
ReplyDeletethank you! i will definitely be calling on your expertise! people think that what they're doing is what everyone should be doing. well, that's not what this country is about. we can pick and choose the size of our families. i was blessed with one child. i consider her a gift, because she wasn't supposed to be. if i could have had more, if i started at an earlier age, i would have. but why second guess now? you have a large family, and it works for you. your kiddos are happy and healthy, and they truly seem to care about each other. kudos to you and mike for raising such a great family!
ReplyDelete