Made in Richmond

As I got like a billion inquiries as to how Ross and I managed to get a week’s worth of food for $34.75, I thought it might be interesting to let you all in on how much we spend each week AND how we keep the cost down. Ok, that’s a lie. It’s totally about holding myself accountable, and we all know that the only the opinion I care about is that of the Internets.

So, starting this week, I will post our weekly planned menu as well as the total cost of the fixings to prepare said menu. But before we get to that, let me give you a few tips that will give you an idea as to how we can keep our budget so low and our bellies so, so full…

(Note: Some of these appeared on a previous post that somehow got jacked up so is now deleted. So this is a semi-do-over.)

1. I eat breakfast at work five days a week. This doesn’t mean I bring my breakfast to work; my work feeds me. Our office kitchen is beautifully stocked with delicious breakfast bars and fruits. So not only do I start the day healthy, I also start it without bleeding money. Thanks, BossMan.

2. We don’t keep snacks in the house. While I snack all the live-long-day at work, I just don’t in the evenings or on the weekends. We know our fatty natures, so we just don’t buy it. So, the only thing we keep in our fridge or pantry are the ingredients for our meals. That’s it. Don’t come over. We won’t have anything to feed you.

3. We prepare meals that can be eaten as leftovers. Lots. That chicken chili from last week? I ate off of that FOUR TIMES (actually five because I’m taking more for lunch tomorrow). I wear it like a badge of honor - funny coming from a girl who used to gag slightly while watching her sister eat day-old spaghetti. What a stupid brat I was! Leftovers! Magical!

4. I’m married to Ross. While generous with love and in spirit, Ross comes from solid mid-western stock that refuses to spend money frivolously. He’s perfected his father’s over-the-glasses look (even though Ross doesn’t wear glasses) that makes you feel shame for even suggesting that we purchase something as decadent as cheddar cheese. While this can be frustrating at times, I know that in the long run, I’d rather have a nice house and children in college than all of those bags of Doritos I’ve wanted to buy over the years.

We’ll most likely be going to the store tomorrow, so I’ll be sure to post our menu, totals, and even pictures so you can marvel at our stinginess.

Friday: At work till semi-late. Picked up Ross on the way home. Hot dogs and tater tots for dinner. Dropped Ross off for bro time. Long time at the gym. Home to shower and putter. In bed late.

Saturday: Up to do some work. Lunch with hubs and in-laws. More work. Picked up Ross from his office. Quality nap. Dinner of appetizers. Snuggles and bed.

Sunday: Slept in. Off to Stony Point to do some exchanges. Went to Anthropologie to use the rest of my gift card. Got overwhelmed and bought nothing. Home to relax. Went to church solo. Home for chicken chili. More work to do. Hopefully to bed early.

Have a great week!

We had Jake take these like two years ago. Ross looks to be about 15 pounds lighter there. Apparently he was storing it in my face.

I love the picture anyway.

Update: Ross pointed out that it sounds like I’m saying he’s fat now. I’m not. I think he looks too thin here. He was probably so svelte because we were just coming off of our “spending every cent we have on our first house phase” and consequently not eating. Ever.

I’m loving the Shop Local option on Etsy. Not that I can buy anything, but it’s nice to know that I would have the option of getting goodies from creative people in the RVA.

Here are a couple sweet little things I’ve found should you, oh I don’t know, want to send me a present for being so darn charming…

Chickadee necklace

Vintage dessert plate 

Stick leg giraffe print 

Green vintage glass clock

Monster mirror

Zapp is a happy dog. She shows that she’s happy by wagging her tail. All. the. time. She’s especially waggy first thing in the morning. As she lumbers down the stairs and into the kitchen, she often knocks over the items resting on the shelf in our hallway. In fact, she has been known to clear off an end table when one of us does something as awesome as saying her name or moving from one couch to another.

This problem is amplified that her tail is oddly long. Let’s talk numbers…

Zapp is about 42 inches long.

Her tail makes up 16 inches of that.

So almost 40% of her body length is tail.

I guess this picture should have given us a clue:

Oh well. At least she’s pretty. And I must admit, hearing her tail go “THUMP THUMP THUMP” just because you walk into the room is pretty nice for the ego.