I ate dinner around 7:15 tonight. Dhall had mac&cheese which I was excited about because I like it and know it’s pretty cheap. According to WalMart, a serving would be about $0.90 so I got a small bowl of that and a cup of New England Clam Chowder for $0.99 (Campbell’s New England Clam Chowder is $1.98 per can). My $1.89 high-carb dinner was surprisingly satisfying although I did, as I do after every meal, crave chocolate after.
So as it turns out, my $1.84 small coffee + $0.82 lunch + $1.89 dinner = $4.55. After Day 1 I already went over budget by $0.34. So much for trying to save money today. I can honestly say though, that I did not consciously go over budget today; it was a miscalculation during dinner. Either way, tomorrow I will try to make up for it.
The biggest challenge of Day 1 wasn’t even hunger, it was resisting the temptation of all that dhall has to offer. It was the self-control aspect of the challenge. I really wanted that strawberry chicken salad for lunch and the fried chicken for dinner and something chocolatey for dessert, but said no, knowing they would be costly and unhealthy. While I essentially failed both of my project goals on Day 1 (eating healthy and staying within budget), I learned what not to do if I want to accomplish them for the project as a whole.
The Starbucks coffee was definitely a mistake although I knew that before choosing to get it anyway. In all honesty, my reason for getting it was a stupid “first-world problem.” I wanted to do homework off campus and I knew I couldn’t just sit in Starbucks without buying anything so I just got the cheapest thing on the menu. I didn’t even get the coffee because I craved it or needed the caffeine, I got it for the sake of getting it, so that I could sit in Starbucks and do work and make my life more convenient. Biggest lesson of the day: I am a serious diva. I spent almost 44% of my food money for the day on a small coffee that I didn’t even necessarily want (although I did drink it and I did enjoy it).
SNAP Challenge 