Second entry of the day (technically).

I feel like I need to address the new, frugal lifestyle. I�m so glad that job transition has been a slow process, especially because it�s allowing me to grow into the practice of being frugal while still having a job. It�s taking me some time to get used to the idea of stopping and thinking before making a purchase or donation.

It�s not that I never thought about purchases before, but it�s been awhile since I�ve been forced to prioritize or think about cheaper alternatives.

Now when I stop and think about these things, it makes me realize how much money I could have saved over the years. Over those years, I didn�t want to have to think about it, which is why I made the money, in the first place. So, I guess present-me and past-me will just have to agree to disagree� or something.

The first change we�ve made is to seriously cut back on eating out. That�s our biggest vice and indulgence, mostly spurred on by the fact that we both work full-time (sometimes more).

Previously, we�d often find ourselves at the end of a long work day, with nearly no food in the house, and no energy to prepare the food we did have. A restaurant or delivery was the easy solution. With a little more effort, and planning, I�ve found that it doesn�t have to be that way.

I�ve procured a crockpot. I�ve made a few vats of easy soups and stews that provide dinners, and lunches the next day, for Adam. I�ve been making steel cut oats regularly (we like them so much better than instant). The only problem is that a portion that would last me a week, easy, disappears within a couple of days with Adam around. Feeding him on a budget is going to be a challenge. I suddenly have a whole new respect for wives and mothers that can stretch a food budget.

I think that the veganism is a positive thing. I�ve never purchased meat, as an adult. I don�t know how much it costs or how much is a normal serving.

I�ve been slowly whittling down the number of vegan convenience foods that we buy. That means; fake meats, fake ice creams, fake yogurts or any kind of pre-made vegan food. Those things are expensive. If I stick to buying raw ingredients and preparing the food myself, it�s much cheaper.

It�s always been my tendency to buy in-season fruits and vegetables. That�s mainly because they look so much better and appetizing than anything out of season. If I�m unfamiliar with the plant, I�ll familiarize myself. I had to learn this tactic when I was a member of a local-food delivery service. You pay them a monthly fee and a box of fresh veggies shows up on your doorstep. The veggies are organic and in-season (they try to keep it local, but it isn�t always possible). The only downside is that you�re at the mercy of availability, but man, talk about an exercise in creativity. It was a nice service, but it got to the point where I just couldn�t deal, anymore, especially after we had a particularly long spell of beet deliveries.

Anyway, the point is, in-season is usually cheaper. It�s also usually better quality.

Staples, like grains and beans are usually pretty cheap year-round. I might even start skipping the bread aisle in favor of making my own.

The only real money saving �trick� I know is shopping in ethnic grocery stores. Immigrants tend to be poorer when they first move here, and they like to bring their foods over. An immigrant guy opens up a store in his neighborhood, and that ingredient that�s considered an expensive, exotic, international food in the regular grocery store becomes a normal ho-hum thing, that�s shipped over in bulk, in his store. The American version will be portioned out in tiny amounts, with a lot of packaging. In the ethnic grocery store, it will likely be in a large, fuss-free container.

Also, even the normal ho-hum American stuff can even be found cheaper there, as well. There�s a little Chinese mart near my house that keeps a tiny selection of vegetables, but everything they stock is high quality and crazy cheap.

Adam�s mom is Puerto Rican, mine is Japanese. He�s from New York, I�m from LA. We don�t eat a lot of what we call, �white people food,� anyway (the main exception being Italian). Because of that, and because of our dietary choices, we�ve incorporated a lot of foods that are not of our own ethnicity.

As a result of the aforementioned points (about ethnic food and bread making), I�ve purchased some teff flour, in hopes of making some injera. I paid through the nose at the regular grocery store because it was convenient. I just couldn�t see myself driving all the way to the Ethiopian neighborhood (which is on the opposite side of the city) to get a small amount of flour to test my injera making skills.

We love Ethiopian food, and I thought it would be nice if I were capable of making some. If I can do it well, it should pay off. Besides, it�s flat bread, how hard can it be? God, I hope I�m not forced to eat those words.

Other than that, I have not discovered any other major cost saving measures. I�ve thought about couponing, but I think coupons are normally for things that we wouldn�t eat, anyway. I�m not sure, though, I�ve never looked.

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