I think I will forever be a student of life. Forever learning. Years studying. Forever being challenged in a variety of ways. I think this could easily be said for many people, and many people would agree with this. Happiness for me is seeking to understand things better - how to care for people better (and thats why I'm studying my Bachelor of Nursing). How can I make this better (bring on the cook books, craft books, gardening websites etc). How can I spend money better (just don't have any, its a lot easier to not spend it). The humble Aussie dollar has a history worth reading (if you are like me and easily find 'useless' or 'unnecessary' information interesting) and holds hands intimately with the concept of 'spending your hard earned money' in 2014. But do we really need to, and can we do without?
What brings this topic up is the concept to live within your means. I am no flasher of money, and usually have enough to get by without the odd hiccup here and there. I try to shout someone a coffee at least once in a while, not because I think I need to or because they need me to (and sometimes, they do!), but I really enjoy giving to people when I can and spontaneous giving is more my style. I'm totally hopeless at birthday gifts especially if you aren't someone I can easily give a daggy useless gift to, or I already have your present in mind after your last birthday. I am influenced by the people around me and on the occasion, I have found it challenging to not spend just because those I'm with are spending theirs, even if I want to. I could easily justify spending it only to feel the bottomless stomach realisation of not-quite-enough-in-the-kitty for bills etc.
The point is - how do you do life within your means? Some people have the most excellent husband/wife excuse of needing to check with them before a decision is made - what a handy provision marriage provides! Some people have the ability to say they are needing to go home and study and actually can do that, which can get them out of plenty of spending situations. A lot of people have regular hours of work and can balance the want to spend and eat out according to their earnings and expenditures. So what if you live on your own, have irregular (and fluctuating) hours of work and are a professional procrastinator of studying? Welcome to me.
Don't confuse this as a whinge, this is actually me being realistic, and it will be a helpful reminder later on that I have thought about this, others have seen this, and therefore I should be accountable to my words... and those words are:
--- we can actually live off of less money than we think we need! (Can I do it?? Yes I can!)
Go ahead and think I'm losing my mind - or tell me that you've heard this before - but that one sentence is what I need to remember. I actually don't need to have hundreds of dollars in my bank account to survive the next week of life. I actually have food at home that will make great filling meals and I actually can be less slack about that.
Take the humble potato bake. Until yesterday, we had not met in my kitchen - only from other peoples most excellent provision. A synapse of activity occurred in my brain and the cells came alive and an idea formed. At its most simplest, all you need are potatoes, some milk, flour, a knob of butter and an oven. A bit more fancy (and if you have it) you can add cheese, breadcrumbs, pepper and other veggies if you like. A potato bake is easy to make. Slice the veggies thinly and layer in a dish of sorts (I don't have a dish, so I used a circular expandable cake tin - which did make this more like a potato cake). Make some white sauce with the butter (melted), small additions of flour till you get a dough and then slowly add milk to the mixture till its creamy and the consistency you want. Go fancy and add pepper here, before pouring over the veggies. Cover with some breadcrumbs and cheese or bake as it is. Voila. A perfectly great side dish or a meal in itself if that is what your after.
The best thing is, those ingredients probably came to around $15 and could feed a group of 5 or be several side dish meals - instead of spending $15 on one meal that is gone in 12.5minutes. Where has my brain been? Its been tricked by good advertising and the ability to access food fast in many places convincing me that those will be easier to get than cooking myself.
So - my challenge to me is to keep seeking cheap things to make to eat. Do you have good cheap suggestions of food thats easy to make at home? The one additional information I should include is - I don't have a microwave. I don't need one, and its just another appliance using up electricity. So food either has to be frozen ready to cook or edible cold.