I guess that's not really fashion/style related, but since I'm trying to be thrifty with my clothes spending, I hope that I don't compensate the shopping ban with buying loads of artisan ingredients, as food is our biggest expense after rent. I'm about 1 month into the GAAD, but so far, I haven't really noticed. Waves, who is also participating in the GAAD, wondered whether she'd get more interested in buying other things. Her blog and LyddieGal of Chic on the Cheap posting of the NYTimes article got me thinking about budgeting my other kinds of spending, especially food. We don't eat out often, but I usually run to the grocery store on the way home 3 times a week to pick up last minute meal ideas I have. Yesterday we sat down (after inventorying all the food in our pantry, fridge, and our CSA box) and listed all our dinners for the next 7 days, and then our shopping list consisted only of those items we needed to make those dinners (plus our snacks, breakfast, lunches). It was heavier than I expected, but it worked well. And when 7PM came around, we didn't have our usual, "What do you want to eat for dinner, honey?" circular discussions.
And our dinner was delicious.
Shirt: Copper Key
Jeans: Levi's, skinnied by men
Shoes: Tahari
Scarf: UO
I like the scarf with that outfit!
ReplyDeletePlanning your meals really does help. We used to have the same problem - multiple store trips, and the never ending "I don't know, what do YOU want for dinner tonight?" talks. I started writing out menus, and now just do a mental one and find that I can typically get away with buying the same kinds of things each week and still have plenty of meal options. It's definitely heavier, but it's worth it to only have to go once a week :)
This is the PERFECT way to punch up a jeans/tee combo, especially rolling the jeans up like that. It adds another element of style rather than just plain jeans. You look casual and chic!
ReplyDeleteMeal Planning is SO hard. There are a lot of websites out there that are created specifically to help you do that. Just google Meal Planning and see what you find. Some blogs are created simply for that too. I'm just too lazy to utilize any of it, plus the fact that I'm a vegetarian and my husband is not, so it makes it a litte bit harder for us.
I need to start doing meal planning. I keep vowing to do so, but it never quite happens.
ReplyDeleteI love the scarf. A scarf always classes things up.
Also, if you are up for doing any kind of swap during your no spend year, I am happy to send you some things. I am in the process of cleaning out my closet and you look to be about my same size.
I love the cuffed jeans and the sandals together! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteI am a big fan of meal planning! M. and I sit down and do meal planning once a week before one or both of us goes grocery shopping. We try to only eat out once a week for dinner (plus once a week for Sunday brunch). Usually, this works pretty well. Unfortunately, with the move we keep realizing that we need random things that we took for granted - like certain spices, soy sauce, that kind of thing. We're almost back to a stocked pantry, but this past week or so since we got our kitchen supplies have required a trip to the grocery almost every other day. *sigh*
Brett and I have started meal planning, since we tend to go out to eat too often if we don't have meals scheduled.
ReplyDeleteI like the scarf. It looks great with your outfit.
I totally meal-plan, too. (Why does that always sound like Richard Simmon's Deal-a-Meal to me?) Anyway, it's gotten easier since I got the Vitamix because dinners are usually a green smoothie or fruit smoothie and a veggie burger or tempeh or something simple since I'm always short on time. I am digging it though because it ups my fruit and leafy green intake significantly. A good 80% of my cart was produce, which is awesome. And now that I know everything's going in a blender, I do some rudimentary prep work so it's all chopped and rinsed as soon as I get home from shopping.
ReplyDeleteI generally have a $150/groceries budget and a $150/eat out budget per month, which sometimes goes a little over.
I'm really hoping that the GAAD will bleed over into other areas of my shopping life. Of course, you can't buy zero food for a year but the idea of better planning appeals there too. Living alone, I find myself not planning for food very well, or buying larger quantities than I should and (grr) ending up wasting food. In my last couple of weeks before leaving I tried very hard to buy little and to use up some of my frozen and pantry things so I can start from a clean slate when I get back. Of course, here in San Francisco I've been hanging out with my friends who are the biggest foodies EVER and buying Brillat-Savarin cheese and locally sourced seafood for some amazing dinners. But, it's vacation.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you make life seem so streamlined, Rad. First clothes, now food... And as a vegan, I think I really could exist on six items of food (with a few accessories thrown in to spice things up). Your outfits are looking very cool.
ReplyDeleteI love a summer scarf!
ReplyDeleteWe just resumed meal planning here at the Bean Ranch. I think it actually increases variety in our dinners, as we don't just fall back on our standard six standby meals.
@Cynthia: We should have done that but instead we planned around the veggies in our CSA. Next next week?
ReplyDelete@Pineapple Mint: I would love to do a swap with you and anyone else interested. Let's chat more later.
@Charlotte: I'm a vegetarian by association, so there a lot of lentils, black beans, garlic, veggies, brown rice, etc. in our household too. What would be your six items?
@LaHdM: I'm still doing that when I go to fancy stores. Like today, I bought nutritional yeast flakes and vital wheat gluten. Hey, you need ingredients if you're gonna cook at home, right?
@Cynthia: Cheese is my weakness. Eating cheese is my superpower. My tummy disagrees.
@Jesse.anne.o: I need to eat more green smoothies too. My Blendtec feels neglected.
@Rebecca: We sometimes do that too (go out when there's no plan).
@Melissa: Which websites to do you use? That sounds interesting.
@KB: We have about six standard dinners too, with some seasonal variation. I hope this leads to more variety too!
Hey Rad, thanks for the shout out. You are rockin the scarf AND sexy black sandals. I hope you're getting more wear out of those babies. They are great.
ReplyDeleteAs for meal planning, during the summer, I got nothing. We eat at such strange times and sometimes strange places. I can swing by the store after work and pick up a few things for dinner that night and lunch the next day. Our schedules are just too chaotic during summer vacation to plan. The winter is better, but there again, only a few days are planned. Mike eats lunch out almost everyday so what we eat for dinner is influenced by what he had for lunch. Thank goodness he doesn't "mind" going to the store.
How funny, I got to thinking about meal planning today, too. I noticed earlier this year that the amount of money we spend on groceries plummets significantly as soon as the local farmers' market opens in May - we just buy the food we need and skip all the regular supermarket temptations. Now that my own vegetable garden is starting to produce, we don't spend any money on fresh veggies or herbs, which is such a welcome bonus. I was also looking into making my own butter and cheese today - now that should be interesting!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link! :)
This is a great outfit. I love those shoes!
ReplyDeleteMeal planning is good -not just for budget reasons- but for time reasons too !
So much thought about budgeting. It gets overwhelming and confusing, and I bounce through every extreme. When it comes to food though, I think it's only worth it to buy inexpensive food if you aren't sacrificing any flavor. If you save money and can't enjoy your food, can you enjoy life? I know having a good lunch to look forward to can completely change my morning.
ReplyDeleteBut anyway --- I think you are doing well with your challenge, and I love the striped scarf. I think this is a tough challenge to keep your looks feeling new even with the same pieces.
Chic on the Cheap
I love the scarf and shoes with this simple ensemble. And I don't think I've said before how much I admire you a) for rocking this challenge and b) for rocking the even larger challenge of not buying any clothes for a year. You are bringing it!
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I'm sort of looking forward to a more scheduled schedule when classes start again. I'm pretty good at lunch planning during the term at least because I try to pack my lunch (and plan my ensemble) the night before which means I have to have stuff to put in my salary man lunch jar. I will admit to eating tuna out of the can over the sink or cereal a lot for dinner. Urgh. During term time, I try to cook something large on a Sunday (veggie chili, sag aloo, etc.) so that I can just portion it out for the week. And I like that schedule. I don't know why I don't keep it up in the summer but I don't.
Anyway, at the grocery store, I try to only buy things on the edges (veggies, dairy, fish, meat for the cats) and not enter into the processed food center aisles. This is advice from a foodie that I can't recall and there is a book about it, but it's a very simple strategy that works with the regular, corporation grocery store.
And I've really been enjoying getting ideas for meals from yours and Anne's food blogs.
@SU:Yes, something about summer makes scheduling difficult.
ReplyDelete@Waves: I so envy your veggie garden. Our poor neighborhood is trashed with rodenticide, I don't think growing in this earth will be smart for a few decades. Our CSA box helps!
@DMed: I'm looking forward (with a bit of trepidation) to the semester too! Hopefully, I will use my time better. And plan my outfits ahead, like you! I think Michael Pollan told us to shop the perimeter. I do that, but fancy cheeses and lots of fruits are more expensive than junk. Blokey nixed the grapes!
@Lyddie: I am total food person, so I understand. Nothing more disappointing that disappointing food? (Although I do like simple sometimes). Sounds like you're doing really well with budgeting, too.
@La Fille: Meal planning can save time- except when I plan elaborate meals! Less of that during the semester, I think.
Great scarf! You pull off casual looks so effortlessly.
ReplyDeleteI love the scarf and shoes with this simple ensemble. And I don't think I've said before how much I admire you a) for rocking this challenge and b) for rocking the even larger challenge of not buying any clothes for a year. You are bringing it!
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I'm sort of looking forward to a more scheduled schedule when classes start again. I'm pretty good at lunch planning during the term at least because I try to pack my lunch (and plan my ensemble) the night before which means I have to have stuff to put in my salary man lunch jar. I will admit to eating tuna out of the can over the sink or cereal a lot for dinner. Urgh. During term time, I try to cook something large on a Sunday (veggie chili, sag aloo, etc.) so that I can just portion it out for the week. And I like that schedule. I don't know why I don't keep it up in the summer but I don't.
Anyway, at the grocery store, I try to only buy things on the edges (veggies, dairy, fish, meat for the cats) and not enter into the processed food center aisles. This is advice from a foodie that I can't recall and there is a book about it, but it's a very simple strategy that works with the regular, corporation grocery store.
And I've really been enjoying getting ideas for meals from yours and Anne's food blogs.
I love the way you make life seem so streamlined, Rad. First clothes, now food... And as a vegan, I think I really could exist on six items of food (with a few accessories thrown in to spice things up). Your outfits are looking very cool.
ReplyDeleteI'm really hoping that the GAAD will bleed over into other areas of my shopping life. Of course, you can't buy zero food for a year but the idea of better planning appeals there too. Living alone, I find myself not planning for food very well, or buying larger quantities than I should and (grr) ending up wasting food. In my last couple of weeks before leaving I tried very hard to buy little and to use up some of my frozen and pantry things so I can start from a clean slate when I get back. Of course, here in San Francisco I've been hanging out with my friends who are the biggest foodies EVER and buying Brillat-Savarin cheese and locally sourced seafood for some amazing dinners. But, it's vacation.
ReplyDelete