Eat on $30: Concluding Remarks

The week is over. I spent much less than I expected, and it was easier than I thought it would be. Why? Because I cheated, sort of. As far as I can tell, the folks in the blogosphere who have done the $30/week challenge have restricted themselves to eating only what they buy within their budget for the week. So, that would mean no lentil soup, fresh bread, or brownies for me, since they all used ingredients I had on hand. But my objective was not just to see if I could do something for a week; I was really trying to see if this way of eating would be feasible for my family for the long term. I now believe it is, and so I have no intention of going back to my old ways of shopping and eating. I have no doubt this will get increasingly difficult as my on-hand supplies dwindle, but I expect my skills in the kitchen and with shopping on such a tight budget will only grow.

I've really struggled with my "food identity" throughout my life. I have bounced from extreme restriction to gluttonous indulgence and have dilly-dallied everywhere in between. Right now I'm focused on finding a balance in everything I do, and that includes food and eating. I know that by grocery shopping on only $30 a week I am not going to save the world; I also know that, to some people, restricting our grocery budget while not restricting our dining-out budget may seem hypocritical, but again, what I'm looking for is balance. Not eating out at all would be, for us, not unlike punishment, as there are so many wonderful restaurants in Austin. But I hope that, by cutting back in other areas, we can strike that elusive balance between eating out every night and cooking everything from scratch.