I hate oatmeal

I'm on Day 3 of the $21 a week challenge - and I'm so glad my colleagues suggested we take on this experience. So far I'm not eating a lot less than I typically do, but I have experienced some challenges. First and foremost, let me explain the title of this post. I hate oatmeal. Ok, that's probably pretty straightforward. Last Friday in an attempt to budget out a plan for the week and get the most bang or my buck I spent about 2 hours planning my strategy. I quickly realized how expensive milk was and decided to think outside my Cheerios box for a breakfast alternative. A variety pack of instant oatmeal from my favorite grocery store chain would only cost me $1.88. I bought it thinking I could overcome my oatmeal hatred. On Day 3 I'm still struggling with it. I quickly learned how difficult and time-consuming it is to limit one's food budget.

Here's a list of what I was able to buy so far:

• Store-brand whole wheat bread $1.69
• Yogurt (*4) $.50 each
• Prepackaged turkey deli meat $1.50
• Store-brand chocolate cookies $1.00 (for those of you who know me, you understand how important this is)
• Store-brand instant oatmeal $1.88
• 1/2 lb. fresh green beans $.7
• Store-brand spaghetti $1.20
• Store-brand pasta sauce $1.69
• Ground Turkey $2.99
• 4 Bananas $1.21
• 1 tomato on the vine $.77
• 1 crown of broccoli $.99

All of this for a total of $17.46. I'm in pretty good shape and still have $3.50 left over in case things get sparse later in the week.

I have had a boost of support from family that definitely helped, and it also shed some light on one issue related to this. Day 1 of the challenge also happened to be a family member's birthday. We all got together to go apple picking and then watch the Patriots game and eat dinner. I talked to everyone there about what I was doing, and I realized how important food is to social gatherings. Everyone brought a dish to share except for me. I was able to benefit from the enormous amount of food that everyone else provided. For folks who have limited means attending a party is a bigger deal. Making a dish for family and friends to share cuts into one's budget and something has to give. The more we spend on food the less we have available for everything else - like our utility bills, our rent, school clothes, and gas for the car. I am so fortunate to have never worried about whether I could afford to splurge on a party and spend time with my loved ones. I have never had to choose between having a luxurious Thanksgiving dinner or paying my electric bill. This is reality for many people, though. We are all social beings, and for some of us participating in those events is not as easy as it is for others.

One of my colleagues had suggested that at the end of this challenge the person who spent the least amount of money should get a reward of $21 of whatever they wanted (coffee, chocolate, etc.). I suggest that instead we all donate $21 to help people who aren't taking this on for a week, rather face these decisions every day.