A Fool’s Dream

Breakfast: Skipped $0

Lunch: Mushroom Risotto from 2 nights ago $0

Dinner: Fishfry leftover from 3 nights ago $0

My boyfriend brought me some vegetables from his grandma’s to help me sustain my Dollar plan, so maybe tomorrow I can do a stir fry on them.  On Saturday, we went to Trader Joe’s and I bought a loaf of bread for me, and I think I will be making some sandwiches for lunch this week.  I am hoping that I can actually avoid the grocery store completely until I finish my plan, which will be great to clear out the fridge/shelves as I am leaving for Japan the next day.

Brunch: 2 waffles with homemade maple syrup $0

Dinner: Ghanian hot “Shito” sauce with rice $0

My old roommate from college is from Ghana, and I have tried a few Ghanian dishes and they all taste so delicious!  They make a special sauce out of smoked shrimp, hot peppers, onions etc, and it is used as common as a spread to go with rice etc.  I remember years ago when she gave me a little ziploc bag with maybe an oz or two of this sauce, and when I went home (we lived separately later) I simply licked the sauce out of the bag and finished it in a short amount of time.  It was not until I visited her in 2006 that I got to taste this sauce again, and knew its name.  This time I actually got a glass jar of it to take home with me!   She moved further away now and gets busier with a new baby, but every now and then when I think of her, I would scoop a spoonful of the Shito sauce to go with my rice and remembering those college days.

Breakfast/Lunch: Udon shared and provided by my boyfriend $0

Dinner: Mushroom Risotto made by my boyfriend $0

Snack: Kid’s size Hot Chocolate from local coffee store $1.85

I have to say it is a lot easier to control the dollar plan when I am home by myself.  Going out usually draw a lot of temptations, such as the hot chocolate that I wanted.  It was pretty cold when we went out, and it made me feel so much better instantly…just not the price for a small 8oz beverage!  My boyfriend ended up buying the mushrooms, onions etc to make the risotto for dinner, as I was not sure how I will be able to have dinner with $1 when I am away from my kitchen.

Breakfast: A cup of tea and a slice of chocolate cake provided by co-workers $0

Lunch: The rest of the stir-fried cabbage $0

Dinner:  Fishfry!  $5

This is the dinner that I promised myself if I was able to keep up my first 2 weeks of a dollar a day plan.  We went with a few friends, and ordered fish frys and a spicy scallop roll.  Minus the $25 coupon we ended up paying $10.  I even have leftover for tomorrow!

Breakfast: A cup of tea  $0

Lunch: A bowl of oatmeal $0

Dinner: A hamburger from Burger King $1.05, and leftover pasta from last night $0

Parking: About $0.65

I had to give a lecture today and it was raining/snowing, so I decided to pay parking so I can park close to the building entrance.  I did not have enough change to feed the meter, so I went to the student union and got cash.  I was a little hungry so I decided to find the cheapest food to eat.  Burger King’s $0.99 hamburger was plain but it took care of my hunger, then I came home and ate the rest of the pasta.  Short of time and hunger really aren’t dollar plan’s friends!

Breakfast:  None  $0

Lunch: Half of a stir-fried cabbage $0.5

Dinner: Spinach Pasta with Black Squid Sauce $0

I was going to post the picture, but the squid ink sauce was too black to show in a black bowl.  I think I got this from Mitsuwa, a Japanese store in Arlington Heights, IL.  It is very simple and easy, just cook the pasta to al dente, then throw the sauce packets into the hot water for 4 minutes then pour it over the pasta.

Breakfast: Skipped $0

Lunch: Brown Rice with minced beef that made a few days ago $0.5

Dinner: The other half of the roasted potatoes $0.5

I have only told a few people about my plan, mainly because I don’t want them to think this is the only way I can come up with money to go to Japan. Well, it is true that I am short on travel expenses, but the reason for the budget shortage partially have to do with this is only the third month of the year. I only have saved up 1/4 of what I intend to save for the year, and even though I do have some leftover from last year, it is not going to cover a 10 day trip to Japan in full. I have a part-time job that gives me a little extra here and there, but again, it is not going to make up the difference now. The quickest way with the least damage for me to save up extra money will be trimming my expenses.

My monthly budget has been pretty modest and stable in the past few years, so there isn’t really a lot of things to cut back on. One of the biggest expense that I can actually trim, is food and other impulse buys (mostly food too). The idea of a fixed time challenge with a fixed budget came into my mind “How about living on just a dollar a day for 30 days?”

People thought I was crazy – how could one live on one dollar a day? I don’t know, but I said “we’ll see.” Yes, the first few days I had cravings for all kinds of food – fried chicken, fries etc, but then I get used to that idea that I will not be able to eat any of those things because they are over my budget.  It made my life easier too because I don’t go to grocery store as often as I used to, thus cutting a lot of temptations.  This Friday my boyfriend and I will go out with a $25 gift certificate to our favorite Japanese restaurant.  They have excellent fish frys that cost $12.5, which means we would be able to get 2 of them for nothing.  I’m looking forward to it very much!

Breakfast: 2 waffles with homemade maple syrup, with assam tea (thanks, honey) $0

Lunch: Frozen steam basket beef tips that bought a while ago when it was on sale $0

Dinner: Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic $1

So I cut the red potatoes into quarters, drizzle quite a bit of olive oil and the dried rosemary on them, shoved the whole pan into the oven at 400 degrees. After about 30 minutes, I took it out and stir in the minced garlic and put it back in. I then would start to stir it every 5 minutes until it is golden crisp on the sides, which maybe another 15 to 20 minutes. Finally I shut off the oven and leave the pan in there to continue coat the potatoes with the nice golden color for about 5 minutes. Took it out and sprinkle some salt on it, and here we go, a simple tasty meal.

This dish was taught to me by my boyfriend, which remains one of his famous dishes because I, for some reason, lack the timing and patience to turn the potatoes at the right time. However, I try very hard to follow through the directions, and they always taste good except – my boyfriend does a better job.

Breakfast: None $0

Lunch: Rest of a box of roasted red pepper and tomato soup that has been in the fridge for a while $0

Dinner: Easter Dinner at my boyfriend’s sister’s house $0

Snack: Chocolate Frosty from Wendy’s $1.05

Happy Easter~!