Day 364

Only one more day till the end of the 365 day renovation of Nancy! I'm not so much renovated as I am improved. That's the goal -- constant improvement. Look for the final word on that on day 365 coming up tomorrow! This week is all about the $27 Grocery Challenge. Here are some things I discovered in the first half of the week (Started Sunday; Runs Through Saturday; Today is Wednesday):

• Hunger is really, honestly abated by simply drinking water (I know, you've heard that before and so have I, but I never actually tried it -- until now and it works!!)
• A budget of $27 for 1 week of food is challenging, but completely supports a healthy diet if you make the right choices
• A limited grocery budget will force you to be creative
• A limited grocery budget can help you stop some rather bad food habits (i.e. I love caffeine, but shouldn't have it. The limited budget this week isn't supporting my normal caffeine choice and thus, I'm eliminating caffeine from my diet! This will be something I take along into the future!)
• To eat successfully for one week on $27, one must:
• Know store prices
• Go to the store prepared with a list, but remain flexible if something else is a better deal
• Be ready to not eat meat
• Plan the meals so that there is confidence the groceries on the list will be enough for the week
• Be ready to identify all of the benefits of a limited grocery budget (i.e. be positive and not negative about the situation)

I'm confident that I'll continue to learn new things about myself and this way of handling food. I have an unhealthy relationship with food. Much of it I learned from my parents and I want it do die with me. Food was always the 'reward' in my parent's house and fast-food became very popular when I was a kid in the 60's and 70's. Fast-food can be healthy too, but I'm not ready to try that challenge, yet!

Today, I had a container of my homemade yogurt and a nice ripe banana for breakfast! It was delicious!! One thing is for sure, I will continue to make my own yogurt from now on. It's cheaper and better!

When I made this yogurt, I used some jars I had stashed in the cupboard. I sterilized them, but I still used a little plastic wrap between the lid and the jar once the yogurt was made. It is so easy to make and so delicious! I'll be having a similar breakfast tomorrow, no doubt! Lunch today was my pre-prepped Beans, Rice and Vegetables, but with the added volume of water, I only ate half and so now I have another half to eat at supper with some more of the yogurt! Yummy!!

That's it for today. I enjoyed the day; worked at what I love with a company that cares. It's all good! I thank God for this challenge and the freedom to make choices about how I live. Now, until tomorrow when I'll share more about life with the HumbleVoyager, Godspeed, Voyagers!!