Lockdown Update

Lockdown is much harder than it used to be. For one thing, I now care about my health, which means I'm purchasing items like frozen fruit and fresh spinach which are not priced for subsistence level. I'm also shopping for a family now: on my last grocery trip, approximately half the money I spent was on items exclusively for the Baby Viking, or items I would not have purchased had Cruelty-Free Mommy not asked me too. Take away those expenses, and I'm still pretty close to old Lockdown levels.

I'm still utterly amazed at the cheapness of pasta meals. The sauce is so frequently on sale I have to limit myself: purchase Hunt's when it's down to 80 cents a can, and Ragu when it's down to a dollar a jar (buying in bulk means that should be it; if not, Market Pantry for $1.02 is also a decent price). I also generally save the jars and use them as water glasses.

Just another benefit of preparing your own meals rather than going to a restaurant: sales tax. Most grocery items that you get for yourself are untaxed, but if somebody prepares food for you, it is usually taxed. That's something that can really add up: when you tally up the difference between making your food or going out, you can forget that. And if you're going to sit down at a restaurant, you've got a tip to consider (though cheapskates, we always tip well).

The Magic Bullet is a helpful item for Lockdown. Even when trying to subsist, you have to have some food that is really, really tasty. We've discovered that a smoothie with mango and pineapple in it is as close to heaven as we'll get in this world. And if you want a milk shake, you don't have to go to a restaurant: throw the ice cream and milk (and if you'd like, chocolate sauce or fruit) in the Magic Bullet. A griddle is another useful Lockdown cooking tool. We can make grilled cheese (with multiple flavors of cheese, tomato, and onions) that I feel are restaurant quality. A waffle maker is also great (pancake and waffle mix are wonderful sustenance foods).

Cruelty-Free Mommy and I were going to break down and eat out at a mall last Saturday. When we looked at the food, however, we realized it would be cheaper, more filling, and likely as good to just stop by Target and get a frozen pizza. With the way frozen pizzas are made now, it's really unnecessary to get pizza from a restaurant. Little things add up: frozen pizzas are untaxed, but restaurant pizzas have sales tax. Still, there's a Little Caesar's opening next to the Subway in our neighborhood--occasionally that's going to be hard to resist.

An absolute rule for Lockdown: NEVER, EVER pick up the impulse items at the checkout. The beverages are MUCH cheaper if you buy them in bulk and put them in your own damn fridge, and the candy really has no benefit for you other than costing you 40-60 cents. The magazines suck and there's plenty to read on the internet anyway. The candy at the checkout line is a demon temptress that you must overcome if you wish to live a frugal life.

There's my narcissistic trip through two weeks of Lockdown.