Challenge #2: Complete!

Well perhaps needless to say at this point, the soda challenge was a complete success. Its really not that hard to deny yourself soda for a week once you try it. There are plenty of other beverages out there to get you through the day -- coffee, tea, water, juice, etc.

Challenge #2: No soda for one week

I'm a few days late in posting this, but Challenge #2 is well underway. This time it is a simple challenge, drink no soda for one week. I think this might be easier for me to do than for Jason. Again this is a money saving move and a health move. This challenge will last only until this Friday (so not including the weekend.)

Just think of the savings, the average soda costs $2.25 at a restaurant, if you just ask for a cup of water, its free!

Complete: Challenge #1

Overall Challenge #1 was a great success. Jason and I have managed to avoid coffee houses and dinners out since Sunday. We didn't even go get buy-one-get-one-free cupcakes like we usually do! Points to us! We are ending the challenge a day early as we are attending a family dinner tonight and will have to go out. But that's okay, five days of success is great!

Here's a breakdown of what we ate for the week since Monday.

Tuesday --
Breakfast: Homemade power bars, home brewed Peet's coffee and water
Lunch: Tuna sandwich on rye, strawberries, ants on a log (celery with peanut butter and raisins) and string cheese with water
Dinner: BBQ chicken with broccoli and ranch beans, then a second serving of pork chops with peach sauce at my grandma's house

Wednesday --
Breakfast: Homemade power bars, home brewed Peet's coffee and water
Lunch: Carrows, I did not pay. This exception to the rules is allowed because I did not pay.
Dinner: Pork Chops with BBQ marinade with spinach salad and mashed sweet potatoes 

Thursday:
Breakfast: Homemade power bars, home brewed Peet's coffee and water
Lunch: Leftover pork chop and sweet potato, Naked juice, string cheese, fun fruits
Dinner: Leftover chicken breast and yogurt

And now today I've eaten the same breakfast, leftover chicken for lunch and some fresh raspberries, blueberries and strawberries.

Because of this challenge we probably not only have more money in are pocket but are healthier to boot!

Stay tuned for Challenge #2!

Challenge #1: A dinner gone a litttttttle wrong

One last update on the status of Challenge #1. Jason and I have now finished dinner and it was... well... just a liiiiiitle off.

Here's why.

When a recipe for curry sauce calls for plain yogurt, one cannot supplement with this:

It reads "Blueberry Creme"

Yesterday at the store Jason THOUGHT he grabbed plain yogurt. I didn't look too carefully at it either when I put it in the frig last night. But unsurprisingly Blueberry Creme and plain yogurt taste drastically different. And instead of run out to the store and buy another yogurt, Jason just thought if he separated the blueberries at the bottom of the cup of yogurt from the top "plain" half it would be usable. (I tried to tell him the "plain" top half still looked suspiciously pink tinged.)

And let me tell you, even though curry is made with various spices, non shall overpower the sickeningly sweet taste of Blueberry Creme. Leaving our otherwise delicious tasting vegetable curry tasting very bluberry-ie.

It looks yummy right?

Challenge #1: One day of success!

Or is it day one of success, if you want to look at things more positively!

Today's no-spending-money-on-food rule has finished with great success! Jason and I did not buy food to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner, nor did I sneak out of work for my afternoon coffee/tea.

I started the day with a power bar (home made by Jason a-la Alton Brown), water and some coffee. Sadly I didn't get to finish my coffee because I had to, ugh, actually work, at work. Imagine the audacity! ;)

Lunch was leftover taco salad from last night's taco dinner. I complimented it with a side of strawberries, string cheese, a roll and some Berry Blast Naked juice. I felt much more full for the rest of the day than I usually do.

And now on to dinner. Jason has prepared a lovely vegetable curry which he just set on the table in front of me. It will be eaten on a bed of white rice and paired with a Dr. Pepper. (I know, soda is bad at dinner, but just this once.)

Bon appetito!

Challenge #1: To not eat out for one week

This is an important first challenge because Jason and I are notorious for eating out. Even when we've been to the store and the farmer's market. Even when our frig is packed full. Even when we have time to cook (well, I don't cook, but Jason does.) And even when I'm complaining about spending too much money, again. We still eat out. Our regular round of restaurants aren't extravagant, but they do add up. A large pizza at Shakey's here, a drink or two at the Brewery there, an enchilada with a side of beans... you get the picture.

Thus our first challenge, and the initial impetus for this blog, was born. Starting today, Sunday, and running through next Saturday, we will not eat out.* That includes:

- no coffee shops
- no lunches
- no dinners
- no drinks

Basically we will spend ZERO extra dollars this week than what we already spent at the grocery store. (Well spending, Jason is there now.) We also developed a menu for the entire week of dinners and wrote out a shopping list. The hard part will probably be my lunch. Jason is in a lunch club at work so he has no worries. Me on the other hand, I go through phases were I'll make my lunch for a week, and then I'll just give up. Sometimes it is actually cheaper for me to buy a footlong at Subway and eat it over two days than to make my lunch, but it is worse for the food in our frig which goes bad due to my neglect. I've yet to make a lunch menu for myself but I'm planning on it. And I refuse to give up on this challenge!

* A small caveat, I have to work a long shift this Saturday at a festival and I will probably have to eat out, so we may draw our challenge one day short, just this time.