Lockdown

Lately I fear I've been spending money too easily (mostly on food, yes, but on food that is too expensive). So I'm putting myself into lockdown mode--I'm doing what I can to try spend a minimal amount of money. All bills must be paid, of course, but lockdown means reducing any other spending.

First, lockdown means bringing your entertainment budget as close to zero as possible. That's not hard--you can still enjoy all the things you've already spent money on. So I'll be reading all sorts of books that I already own (and if I finish them all before lockdown is lifted, which is unlikely, I have several library cards), watching DVDs I already own, playing games I already own, those sorts of things. I'm actually not bringing the entertainment budget to zero--I'll keep cable, internet, and Netflix. That really makes anything else in the entertainment budget unnecessary.

The hardest part is food. You must have food, but there are a few simple rules to save money on food during lockdown mode.

1. Clear the cupboards.
Try to finish what you have before you buy anything new. You're going to find things in your cupboards and freezer that you've had for a long time and have never actually wanted to eat. Suck it up and eat it. When you see that the basic foodstuff is really no longer in your kitchen, then you can buy new food.

2. Think subsistence.
Not everything you eat can be the cheapest stuff possible. However, a lot of it can be. Shop at a store that includes each item's cost per ounce. Items that are the cheapest possible sustenance foods include french fries (the cheapest brands), bread, pancake mix (so cheap), and canned vegetables. You also want to eat some healthy stuff, so you may need fresh produce. But again, think cheap--canned vegetables are very, very cheap, and frozen fruit can often be found on sale (and it makes great smoothies, which make you feel like you're living a life of heightened decadence even when you're not). There are a lot of basic items that you can get very, very cheap. You can even make, big, diverse meals on the cheap--for example, you could have a big spaghetti meal for a family (pasta, marinara, vegetables, garlic bread) for under five dollars.

3. Never eat out.
It's completely unnecessary to eat out--most food you order at a restaurant you could buy at a grocery store and/or prepare yourself, albeit usually with lesser quality (though not always). During lockdown mode you completely do away with the luxury of eating out. You can still eat a lot of really good food, you just have to put a little more effort into it.

4. Thirsty? Drink water.
Sometimes you want flavored beverages. OK, fine. But to satisfy your thirst throughout the day, drink water. It comes cheaply from your tap. Not everything you drink must be something flavored, which usually costs you money.

These are my basic rules for lockdown--following these rules, one can spend a surprisingly small amount of money on food.