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What if you could only spend one dollar a day?

June 23rd, 2018 at 02:01 am

I find this intriguing.

I started watching this video where this vlogger kid decides that all he is going to spend on food for one day is one dollar.

And I thought I shouldn't even be spending a dollar a day right now.

But then it occurred to me, what if I try this for a week?

Maybe I can start to claw my way out of this situation, literally a dollar at a time.

Maybe if I focus on something positive and do something proactive instead of lamenting about my situation, maybe it'll be a lot easier to get out of it.

So that's that. I am going to try this for a week.

I will set aside 7 dollars and allow myself one each day. I wonder if I would actually have any of the money left at the end of the week.

I am also going to make sure I actually start saving something from my check. Yes I am in the red but if I keep actively saving and participating in ways to bring in extra cash I will get through this.

It took more than a day to get here and it will take more than a day to get out, you know unless I win the lottery or something.

Even my horoscope says that I will get a pay off in August. So let me hold on to that too.

So here are my two goals for the this week:

One positive thing, I will tell myself this each day:

You do actually have enough money that you are allowed a discretionary fund of 1 dollar per day.

You can save the other 53 dollars you were allowing yourself for discretionary spending. If it works out correctly, at the end of the month you have 212 dollars in savings and will have only spent 28 dollars on things that were wants and not needs.

One proactive thing, I will remind myself to do each day:

Identify and pursue something that will bring you extra income. Follow through until you get the job or the money. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.

I will check in next Friday. I will just have to write that down somewhere...

8 Responses to “What if you could only spend one dollar a day?”

  1. My English Castle Says:
    1529725646

    I hope you have a loaf of bread or some fruit to start you it! Can of tuna? I'll be interested to see how it works! Good Luck!

  2. crazyliblady Says:
    1529727809

    My hats off to you for your inventiveness. It is difficult when you are first getting started after college and have student loans. Have you considered re-financing the loans? Do you have any way to grow any of your own food? Even a small pot on a porch is enough to grow some lettuce, green onions, and cherry tomatoes?

  3. Jenn Says:
    1529748640

    You could buy food that can accumulate and work together. Like beans, rice, cilantro, corn, green onions, tomato, avocado...

  4. Laura S. Says:
    1529752578

    I agree with working with an accumulation. How about spending the $7 at once (bread, rice, etc.).

  5. CB in the City Says:
    1529762685

    Right now I could easily spend $1 a day -- even nothing. But that's because I have lots of food on hand. Are you going to work with what you already have, or try to eat only what $1 a day will buy?

  6. Permanent Temp Says:
    1529765223

    Thanks guys. I actually have a decent amount of food in the house right now. I don't eat meat except for fish and we did a big grocery buy about a week ago.

    I tend to eat home cooked then get tired of the dishes and the mess and start ordering out but I cannot afford to do that.

    Last night I noticed that my cottage cheese was almost at the expiration date. I also had some goat cheese I bought before on a whim.

    So I looked at some recipes online and saw I could combine them together in a food processor and get a spread.

    We got a food processor a few years ago and I use it less than I thought I would so I thought this is great two birds one stone.

    Now I have a lovely somewhat protein rich spread in there which I ate yesterday and will probably eat today and tomorrow with Ritz crackers because that is what we have. Although I seem to remember that Mark Bittman has a relatively easy recipe to make crackers so I will have to check that out.

    I also have eggs I buy about 48 at a time from Costco because we often use up veggies by making frittatas, and use up fruit that will turn by turning it into a sauce and or a topping for french toast or pancakes.

    I have about 4 cans of beans also and plenty of couscous which I prefer to rice.

    I am excited for this challenge.

    If I make it to next Friday then I will just have to continue this on for discretionary spending but I will have to get more groceries. I just won't be eating out because my budget won't allow it. Which is really a very good thing indeed.

    Also I like the idea of a garden.

    I have a sizable back yard (for the city anyway) and there are sections were it looks like someone had started the process of making a small garden. I would really like to get into that. How do I get started?

    I was neglecting this but I will put up a full picture of my debt up there again. I am kind of ashamed to admit how much I have racked up.

    I have less than 8K left in student loans. I am also paying a mortgage. But it is the credit card debt that is killing me.

    Today I will be listing things I don't need or never used to sale. I am hoping this will raise some money to help get a small EF funded.

    Today I made scrambled eggs wrapped up in a tortilla for breakfast. I have some potatoes left so I think I will check those out to see how they are doing. I sometimes make perogies from scratch and I have everything I need to do it in the house right now so if the potatoes are good I might just make some of those and freeze them so I will have food I can just heat up and eat for the next 6 days of this food based challenge.

    Also yesterday was the first day of the challenge. I didn't spend anything so I still have yesterday's dollar, that makes two for today.

  7. snafu Says:
    1529769112

    https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19537403/eat-expired-food/

    Some foods are quite safe to eat after expiry date if they look, smell and taste normal. Second Harvest [Food Bank collector] has completed a major study that supports safe food . in several categories

  8. rob62521 Says:
    1529960144

    I look forward to seeing how you do on this. Wasn't there a blog or forum about someone who did something like this a number of years ago on SA? I think it was more than a dollar a day, but not much.

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