Green Machine juice!
Naked has a great Green Machine juice, but it’s SO expensive (and probably still has some preservatives in it.) This recipe is what I’ve been making and loving lately.
- 2 cups kale (could substitute spinach)
- 2 kiwi
- 1/4ish cup green pepper
- 4-6 stalks of celery
- 1 large green apple
- 1-2 cups green grapes
Yes, eating like this is more expensive than how I was living – but I feel great. That’s really what matters.
Cost of Fashion: 3/14
I used to do this in an old blog, and I really enjoyed it, so thought I’d bring it back today.
Shirt: black and white stripe, Target, $7
Tank: white, Gap, $3
Corduroy pants: tan, Gap, $10-ish (were actually less, but not exactly sure how much)
Shoes: Lela Rose for Payless, $13 (these are actually some of the most expensive I own!)
Earrings: Tiffany, $125
Not including the earrings, today’s outfit cost $33!
Do you ever think about how much your fashion costs every day?
Jucing: week one
The first week went really well, and I went to the gym four days in a row! I weighed myself twice and lost six pounds, but I’m sure I gained it all back when I ate solids this weekend.
As far as flavors, I’m finding that I like a heavily-strawberry flavored juice in the morning, and am really liking peppers in my lunch juice (even after the first day where I thought I’d hate it!) I’m learning what tastes good and want doesn’t, what foods yield the most juice (red delicious gives more than fuji,) and what to combine the accidental collard greens with to make them bearable. (In a true testament to my American upbringing, I accidentally purchased them because they were under the “kale” sign – and the only time in my life I’ve ever actually seen kale was the first time I bought it at a different store and wasn’t totally sure what they looked like.)
And yes, I’m spending significantly more on food – but I’m healthier and I feel great, and you can even use produce in juices if they’ve gone a little limp or soft. Loving it.
What diet tricks do you use to save money?
I finally bought a juicer.
I’ve been meaning to hit Wal-Mart for some time to pick up this model instead of ordering online since I used/am saving all my Swagbucks for gifts. I finally braved the store today, only to find that they didn’t have it. The next cheapest juicer was $50, so I said I would just take the display model. Long story short, they ended up giving me the $50 for the $30 price.
I first heard about juicing after one of my friends watched Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (which I still can’t make myself watch) and began juicing. She’s also changed her solid food diet significantly, lost 40 pounds, and with their new lifestyle, her mom’s cancer went into remission without chemo or radiation treatment. For awhile I’ve been meaning to start myself, and the time is finally here. I’ve decided to start with the Reboot Your Life Express Reboot this week, juicing my breakfast and lunch, with salads for dinner.
I made my first juice today, and I’m going to keep track of recipes and things here so I can remember what I like, what I don’t, etc.
Leftover Juice
1/3 orange pepper
1 red delicious apple
1 small orange
1 cup kale
2 stalks celery
5 strawberries
The apple produced the most juice, and the strawberries and kale produced very little. This juice tastes very peppery and celery-y.
Weekend to-do list
I got a new phone and said goodbye to my Blackberry. It’s the Evo 4G, which bf has and I’ve been comfortable with – but I’m still a little undecided about it. One thing I do like is the feeling of checking off things from my to-do list – but this weekend, I’ve become one with my couch. After two months of go-go-go, I finally get to sit down and be lazy… I mean, get some stuff done. I’m almost done cleaning and overhauling the kitchen, but in the next 48 hours, I’d also like to:
- Do two workouts
- Do one load of laundry (baby steps)
- Tidy up the living room
- Clean the bathroom
- Tidy up bedroom
I’d love to dig into cleaning out my car, but it’s snowing… so I have no desire to be in the wintry wonderland. (which is also why “do two workouts” is on the list, and not “go to the gym”.)
On my phone, I’ve been using the Remember the Milk app. Do you have an Android? What productivity apps do you use?
Where I’m At
I have almost $6,000 in my account right now ($3,000 earmarked as EF), and no desire at all to spend. I did upgrade my cell phone this week and with other bills coming due, I’m having to keep a close eye on accounts to make sure auto-pays are all flipped to the right account.
But it’s really making me think that it wouldn’t be that hard to save up $10k, even with this terrible paying job. Now, my goal is to save that $10k by the time David graduates in December.
Speaking of the job and D’s graduation, it’s really complicating my job hunt. I interviewed a week ago for a job I’d love in the city I’m currently in – and as miserable as I am here, I could take it for a little longer. I’ll find out about that tomorrow, then have a phone interview later in the day for a position I know I would love too much to leave in a few months. Ideally, I’ll find an administrative position somewhere, move back in to my parents (or to bf’s) and leave with him once he’s done. I’d feel more comfortable accepting another marketing position or something if he had a little longer left, but the timing seems to short. I’m not sure. I’m getting really sick of the resume edit and cover letter composition, though.
The weight loss hasn’t been as good as I’d like. I’m away frequently or too depressed to go after work. (Seriously – it’s that bad.) I’d like to go in the morning, but I stay up late talking to bf because that’s how his schedule is. It’s terrible.
But, that’s where I’m at.
Single Girl Finances
I’m always looking for new blogs to read, and I recently discovered Girls Just Wanna Have Funds. She’s doing a “21 Days to Rock Your Finances” series, and the most recent post is about single girl finances. I don’t feel all that single – but technically, I still am. She posted questions culled from another blog, and I thought some were pretty interesting.
- Spending money is hard/easy for me because? It used to be so easy – but now it’s hard. Maybe it’s because I really earn my money now and because of my loans – I feel like anything I earn is still not really “my” money.
- The biggest waste of money is? Interest! I think we can all agree here.
- The best investment of money is? My biggest investment was my education – and despite my loans, I’d only change a few things (like not going to that first college at all.) Without my degree I wouldn’t have nearly the earning power I do have.
- I use credit cards for? Nothing – I don’t have any (active) cards anymore, but I’m considering opening a rewards card in the fall or so.
- Saving up to buy big ticket items is? It’s getting easier – it ensures that I REALLY want what I’m going to buy, and I don’t have any other choice without credit.
- My savings plan is? Since I’ve established my $3,000 emergency fund, I haven’t thought too much more about saving beyond “save as much as I can,” but I feel like that goes against “PAY ALL THE LOANS!”
- My retirement plan is? Ugh, my retirement fund. I’ve (finally) started one – I’d like to max it out this year, but I don’t know how sure I am that that will happen. I would like to max it out for 25 years before I retire, though.
- I hope my spouse is a: saver, spender, somewhere in between. I think he’s a saver because looking back on it, for the first two years I knew him, I can’t think of a thing that he spent money on aside from gas and restaurants. Of course, there was the iPad incident over the summer (he came home with a brand new iPad without mentioning it at all… it was returned a week later.) At heart, I think he’s a saver, and that’s important to me.
- I want to save up to buy a? Right now, I’d like to start a car fund. It’s so hard to save for anything with my eyes on the prize for loan payoff.
- The kind of house I want to own someday is? I never thought I wanted to buy a house. Bf and I have pretty disparate desires here, but we’ve agreed on one thing – the house will be decorated to his tastes, and I will have one room that is just for me
I’m now leaning toward a townhouse or condo – I really have no interest in maintenance. We’re a long way from deciding, though.
