Clearly my last attempt at this didn’t work. But as they say, “try and try again!” I just read through my whooping three posts to see how many changes I have made. Unfortunately, I see myself in a similar position as I was almost two years ago. However, I have many new experiences and have a better idea of what works for me.
Here’s where I’m at now: I am still an early 30-something woman who lives in Southern California. I am still not blonde, thin, or a tanned goddess. I still don’t surf, roller blade, or skateboard. I was recently laid off from my job, so I am back to being a full-time homemaker. I get to play with my dogs, take care of my home and husband (we finally got married), and manage our day to day lives. I also get to try different things that interest me. Right now, that means a lot of DIY projects including cooking, baking, cleaning, and clothing. I was looking at our budget recently, and was outraged on how much we spend on eating out, cleaning products, different foods at the grocery store, clothing, and where all of this stuff comes from. Needless to say, I was shocked.
I am constantly outraged by prices when I go shopping. I can’t believe that stores charge (and we pay) between $3 - $5 for a loaf of bread! I’m not talking about anything fancy, just plain white bread. I won’t go into the price of bagels ($4 for six), English muffins (about $4), or anything remotely like specialty bread (between $5 - $6 for a small loaf). Ridiculous! I have a bread maker and an oven at home. I guess they are going back to work. (In fact as I type this post, my bread machine is whipping up a loaf of cinnamon raisin bread. Hopefully it comes out well – I’ll keep myself posted!) I haven’t even tried to figure out where all this stuff is trucked in from, but I doubt it is local. Paying for transportation costs is really starting to irk me, which brings me to the cost of my next favorite thing.
A gallon of milk is between $3 and $4 at my local Vons. I live in California, home of happy cows and California dairy products. According to the TV ads, I should be swimming in California milk and gorging on California cheese made from happy cows basking in the sunshine. “Look for the ‘Real California’ milk or cheese logo!” Really? Because I’m looking at my local grocery store and I don’t see it! So where are all of my milk and dairy products coming from, if not my home state? The prices for cheese are crazy too! I love to cook Italian food, which means parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta, and asiago cheeses in my house. Let’s talk about their prices: one pound of partially skim milk mozzarella cheese is between $4 and $6. A one pound container of ricotta cheese is $5. A quick Google search tells me that I can get about a pound of mozzarella and six ounces of ricotta from one gallon of milk. Oh, and I will still have leftover water to use in my garden. Waste not, want not! Back to my point - I wrote that right – one gallon of milk yields a lot. So for an investment of $4 and a couple hours of my time, I can make two types of cheeses and save money? I’m so there! Now, I know there are those who are going to tell me that the additional cost is for labor, transportation, etc. That’s okay – just not for me.
The cost of clothing is outrageous too. I have a very hard time justifying $60 for a pair of jeans. I know that sewing clothing is not easy, but come on! These clothes are made in a factory in another country that has efficiency down to wring out the last penny in cost, then shipped back to us in the most economical manner possible, only to be sold for an amazingly high price. And we still buy it! I’m starting to think that I’ve had enough of that too. So my newest project is to teach myself to sew. I’ve borrowed a friend’s sewing machine, bought some nifty tools to make cutting and things easier, some materials and am diving right in. I’ve spent less than $100 on this little experiment.
If I like sewing, and I think I will, then I will break down and invest in a sewing machine. If I really want to splurge, I may even buy a serger. From all of my research, because I research
EVERYTHING, a serger is the coolest thing ever and will help me in my quest to sew my own jeans. But more importantly, we can save money and not have to pay more transportation costs. I know, I know! You’re thinking, but you have to actually make all of this stuff you’re not buying. That is true, but since I have all of this time on my hands why not? Maybe our grandparents and great-grandparents had it right. Marriages are about your love for another person, but also about partnership, working together to take care of each other, and a certain amount of independence.
Oh! And I still strongly distrust doctors. I am still on a quest to get rid of all of the quick fix pills. I found that a vegan diet did wonders for me, especially when combined with exercise. However, I really miss cheese! So I have modified my diet accordingly. I still do not eat meat, although I do still have fish or seafood. I love sushi and it is so hard to give up! I still eat cheese or Greek yogurt when the mood strikes me, although I tend to avoid eggs. I would say I am a mostly-vegan vegetarian, because that is what works for me. I still try to avoid refined flour and sugars, but I tend to slip back to old habits with this one. I’m hoping that if I do my own baking, I will have an easier time with this. I have more control over my diet this way. It’s definitely a work in progress!
My new goals: I still want to get rid of the pills and doctors. I want to have pretty skin again. I want to lose weight and feel better. I want to be able to run and feel strong. I want to not rely on others for what my little family needs. I want to not pay for transportation if it’s not necessary. I want to have the knowledge to take care of myself and my family. I want to learn things that my great-grandparents knew, and that have been lost through the generations and in translation. I want my little piece of the world to be a nice place!
