The sun will come up---in about seven hours. It's "Tomorrow!" already.

[vanillafluffy]

Today is the first day of the rest of my life. What am I going to do? Well, Disney World is right out. I can't afford that shit, even if it's a "mere" 50 miles away. At the moment, my checking account balance is entirely to the right of the decimal, I have a like amount in my wallet, and payday isn't til Friday (and I need to be damn stingy with that).

So, the time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things---like the current value of aluminum cans. I have one bagzilla full (50G) plus another 30G or so I need to consolidate. Not sure what that is in pounds, or, as I said, the current going rate, but I'm guesstimating at least $5 worth, maybe a bit more, and that goes a surprisingly long way at the shiny new Aldi's up the road.

So, my plan is, to gather up my cans, take them to the recycler, nip into Aldi's on the way back---location, location, location!---and commence to cleaning up my kitchen so I can cook in it. I've done nothing but dump dishes in the sink since before I left to housesit in JUNE, so it's an unholy mess. Okay, I may have taken out some trash and done a cursory chucking out of the science projects in the fridge, but the countertops and sink are dreadful.

Monday I cruised through Aldi's with Kat, having liberated a handful of change from my fast-dwindling piggy bank---got a 69-cent box of crackers, a $2 bag of shredded cheddar cheese and a pound of ground turkey for $1.19. With tax, it was something like $4.05, and such a nice, CLEAN store!

(Not like the local Save-A-Lot which was an A&P originally, about a million years ago when I first landed here. It's been about three different things in the interim, including closed down for a couple years, and it's depressing. Back when I was out of work before I started the medical billing job, HWSNBN decreed that economy was to be the watchword of our lives and we'd shop there, even if it did have a funky smell and some really inbred-looking customers.*)

I have some taco seasoning and shells from the food pantry run with BC---that, with the ground turkey, should get me a couple of meals, and depending on my haul from the cans, I may be able to add some sour cream (under $1) and a bag of potatoes ($2.49)---although that'll depend on whether anything else looks like an irresistable bargain. I saw a really interesting variety of stuff---this may actually be fun. pwcorgigirl, any suggestions?

Cans, cleaning, cooking---no commuting! Yay! (At least while I catch my breath....)

===========================================

* Which is not to insinuate that all SAL stores are nasty OR that all of the customers that shop at this particular store are members of family trees that don't branch a lot. We saw some really scary specimens, though.

Comments

[pwcorgigirl.livejournal.com]

There's always the holy trinity of kidney beans, diced tomatoes and corn topped with a little of the cheese or beans with some taco seasoning and tomatoes served over a baked potato.

I go to two SAL stores and one is a lot like what you described. The other is so clean I was amazed at the difference. Aldi is heaven for the frugal shopper -- what a fabulous place!

[ang5fam.livejournal.com]

Our local Save-A-Lot is exactly as you described! I was a customer there after hubby had his transplant and I had 3 children to feed on less than $70 per week. Often times, patrons were being arrested while I shopped. Really creeped me out.
Aldi is entirely different and the chain is based in Germany- my sis shopped there when she lived in Hamburg. Hence, the thriftiness and cleanliness. Low overhead as well. Their Mexican section offers low cost beans, tomatoes with chopped green chilis and tortillas. We have that at least once a week.
I am in the midst of writing a cook book for newlyweds /single folks and would be glad to share some of the recipes with you. Tell me what you abhore and I'll work around it.
I also make a huge pot of spaghetti sauce once a week for about $2 so all you need is pasta--our family makes 2-3 meals out of it but you could get at least 5. I freeze it in portions so you can add meat when thawed or eat it plain. Be glad to show you how.
I have tons of ideas!!! My husband says I can make a silk purse dinner out of a sow's ear.

[chocolate-frapp.livejournal.com]

I used to live in a part of Calif. that was nothing but shrimpy little towns, some of which were so small they didn't even have a zip code and some of the people there looked like Beavis and Butthead. I couldn't wait to GTFO.

[socialhermit.livejournal.com]

Check your mailbox next week (like Wednesday-ish) for something from me.

Just sayin'.

;-)

[ladyjane]

*hugs*
There are few things in the work-world worse than a job that tries to siphon bits of your soul away. It sounds like today (yesterday?) was the first day in a long time when you could really breathe.

A word of cauation on kicking the caffeine. Take it from someone who's been there -- don't try to stop all at once. You'll wind up irritable, moody and with a massive headache. Start off easy and do half decaf/half regular or switch off between the two. Depending on how bad your 'habit' is, do that for at least a week before cutting the cafeine completely.

[karaokegal.livejournal.com]

Wow! I honestly have no idea what I'm going to do when/if something like this happens to me. I feel like I would just curl up in the fetal position and give up. I'm impressed that your facing it with guts and humor.

And you have my full sympathy for going through caffeine detox in the midst of it all. Luckily my most recent detox has held for over a month, although the sugar has gone kerfluey this week. (I'm blaming it on the cold. Something about being sick makes me crave sweet and knocks out my reistance.)

[sbjb.livejournal.com]

Well, Disney World is right out. I can't afford that shit, even if it's a "mere" 50 miles away.

Keep in mind, if you can swing the gas, lunch, and parking, admission's free on your birthday.

and such a nice, CLEAN store

My first reaction, when I saw the Aldi on Barnes the first time: "Oooh! It's a toy grocery store! It's so cuuuuute!" ::grin::

But the prices are outstanding. It's my first stop on grocery days; my chest freezer, she is overflowing. I has fish!