14 Days of Frugality- DAY FOURTEEN

Phew! We made it. It is day 14. It has been hard, but worth it. We will be making plans to extend the project and I am planning to continue to post recipes, our progress and frugal tips at least once a week. In phase 2, the rules will change slightly, for example we are adding weight lifting to our daily exercise and adding a treat fund so we can get something small we want several times a week like a cookie or ice cream. Also, starting tomorrow we will only be allowed to spend cash. This way every dollar we spend is touched. We hope this will help us connect more with our money and in turn, spend less.

Today we took a ride to Willard Beach, the last free beach in South Portland. It is a quiet, hidden beach that not many tourists visit. While there, we planned on straying from the spending rules as a kind of celebration. I purchased a BLT from a local organic market (most expensive place to buy a BLT in the world) and then we hit up the ice cream shop on the way home to indulge in a root beer float. Today's celebration cost us $19.

On a typical Sunday, before the project started, it wouldn't have been unusual for us to spend $19 at the beach on sandwiches and ice cream, and probably after getting home from a day in the sun we may feel entitled to take out. I estimate that dinner from our favorite Brit-Indi restaurant would run us $30. That's $49 on just a Sunday afternoon. Do that or a variation, 3 times a week and it's $150 a week or $600 a month! Everyone could use an extra $600 a month.

I know there are still ways for me to save. I have been dabbling with the idea of switching to some conventional produce and all natural meat instead of all organic. Organic often costs double what natural or conventional costs. But, some produce is so heavily sprayed with pesticides that it is better to buy it organic. I found this interesting bit of information from The Environmental Working Group and plan to follow their chart. I will buy the produce listed in "the dirty dozen" organic, and I will opt for conventional when it comes to the produce in the "clean 15" category.

"As a general rule, skinless or soft-skinned fruits and vegetables pose greater pesticide risk than produce with thick skins, shells, or peels that are not eaten. According to The Organic Center, imported berries, grapes, leafy greens, and other highly perishable foods have pesticide-residue scores as much as two or three times as high as the same domestically grown foods, so it’s worth noting where produce items come from."

Dirty Dozen (best to buy organic)

1. Celery

2. Peaches

3. Strawberries

4. Apples

5. Blueberries

6. Nectarines

7. Bell peppers

8. Spinach

9. Kale

10. Cherries

11. Potatoes

12. Grapes (imported)


Clean 15 (fewest pesticide residues)

1. Onions

2. Avocado

3. Sweet corn

4. Pineapples

5. Mango

6. Sweet peas

7. Asparagus

8. Kiwi fruit

9. Cabbage

10. Eggplant

11. Cantaloupe

12. Watermelon

13. Grapefruit

14. Sweet potatoes

15. Honeydew melon

I suggest that EVERYONE do a version of this project. If only for a week. It will open your eyes to what you spend and to what you think you need.

In addition to fattening our wallets, we shrunk our waist lines. Eating only homemade and doing 30-60 minutes of cardio a day yielded 5 pounds lost for Jeremy and 4 pounds lost for me. Yay!