First, you pack everything you own.  Then you realize you own way more than you thought.  You sell stuff, give stuff away, throw stuff away, pack more.  You think you’re done, but inevitably you end up finding more as you’re walking out the door.  At least that’s how it seems to go for me.

You get to your new place.  There is almost always something wrong.  This time, we had no water.  Then we had no propane.  It took almost two weeks to get our internet hooked up.  No mailbox keys.  No garage keys.  A seemingly never-ending flurry of phone calls setting up utilities and getting everything taken care of.

Amidst all that, I made a call to the trash and recycling company to arrange for trash pick up.  The customer service rep asked if we were interested in having yard waste pickup.  It would be composted.  Since our new house has a big yard, which has been very poorly maintained over the last year, I decided to go for it.  After all, I can just pick up the phone and cancel it later.

The next day, our big blue yard waste bin arrived.  I went out to the curb to fetch it and was met with a wonderful surprise.  It is not just yard waste.  That big blue bin is for full composting – food scraps, yard waste, food soiled paper, the works!  Since then, I have been surprised to find that many local businesses and restaurants have recycling and compost containers next to their trash receptacles.

When I found out that my hometown of Boulder, CO had started doing curbside composting, I assumed that it was one of very few places with a residential composting program.  I am excited that it appears to be more widespread than I initially thought.  Beginning this year, residents of Seattle are required to sign up for curbside composting (although there is currently no way of ensuring that everyone uses the service).

I have to say, it is astonishing how much our garbage load is reduced by having a compost bin.  We aren’t garbage-intensive people by any means.  I try to keep purchases of packaged goods, especially foods, to a minimum, and we are very good about recycling everything we can.  It is estimated that 27% of municipal waste is organic matter but, at least in our house, it seems like a lot more.  And I really like that it is now being composted instead of piling up in a landfill.

I have to say, I don’t know why more communities don’t offer curbside composting services.  We pay them to take our food waste.  It is then composted and sold back to us at over $3 per bag.  To me, it seems like a win-win.

I will probably eventually begin vermicomposting myself, both because I will have the garden and because having semi-pet worms will be fun.  But even then, I think we’ll probably keep the composting.  They will handle the meat and dairy that the worms don’t, as well as any yard waste that is too big for my little compost system.

Do your communities offer a curbside composting service?  If so, do you take advantage of it?  If so, how do you like it?  If not, why did you not sign up?

1.  Frozen Raspberries: $2.69 – 3 Servings (hey, I am eating healthy here, NOT like two raspberries at a time)
2.  Dried Fruit (Dates): $5.14 – 8 Servings (I don’t like dates as much as raspberries)
3.  Frozen Spinach: $2.99 – 20 Servings (HA, just kidding, this is just 2 Servings)
4.  Frozen Sweet Potatoes: $2.99 – 2 Servings
5.  Carrots: $1.79 – 5 Servings
6.  Blackberries: $3.45 – 3 Servings

TOTAL = $19.05 for 23 Servings…looking like $.83 per serving (HOLY…..)

1.  Canned Tuna: $1.79×5 = $8.95 – 10 Servings
2.  Eggs: $3.65 – 6 Servings
3.  Almond Butter (Processed Food): $5.49 – 10 Servings
4.  Bulk Kidney Beans: $3.74 – 10
5.  Bulk Black Beans: $2.20 – 10
6.  Walnuts: $5.49 – 5

TOTAL = $29.52 for 51 Servings…..$.58 per serving

1.  English Muffins (Processed Food – pack of 6): $3.59×2 = $7.18 – 12 Servings
2.  Crackers (Processed Food) $3.85×2 = $7.70 – 5 Servings

TOTAL = $14.88 for 17 Servings….. $.88 per serving (Hello Bread Machine, Kimberly, do you have a recipe for Crackers?)

1.  Yogurt (Processed Food): $3.25 – 5 Servings
2.  Cheese (Processed Food): $4.58 – 5 Servings

TOTAL = $7.83 for 10 Servings…..$.79  per serving (I really didn’t need the calculator on that one….right?  AGH!  My brain is going to mush – save me fruits and vegetables!)

1.  Butter: $3.99 – 20 Servings (Butter really is in its own very sacred food group)
2.  Almond Oil: $5.69 – 20 Servings
3.  Olive Oil: $5.49 – 20 Servings

TOTAL = $15.17 for 60 Servings…..$.26 per serving (and trust me, this is NOT cheap fat)

1.  Shampoo: $10.99 – 30 Uses
2.  Conditioner: $10.99 – 30 Uses
3.  Soap: $4.99 – 14 Uses
4.  Face Wash: $9.99 – 30 Uses

TOTAL = $36.96 for 104 Uses…… $.36 per use

Grand Total: $123.41

Now, if I am eating the way that I probably should  (that means not starving myself or filling my hungry tummy with coffee or wine), then a meal would entail: two fruits/vegetables, one protein, one dairy, one grain, and one fat.  NEVER EVER EVER listen to my diet as a reference or a guide as to what you should be doing because I really don’t know what I am doing other than eating foods that make me feel good.

Fruit/Veggie: $.83×2 = $1.66

Protein: $.58

Dairy: $.79

Grain: $.88

Fat: $.26

Cost of Tisha’s Meal: $4.17

Cost of Tisha’s Cleanliness: $1.44 per day (and we are NOT skimping on this folks)

3 Meals a Day Plus Maintaining Natural Cleanliness: $13.95

30 Days per month COST: $418.50

This is NO CHOCOLATE, NO ALCOHOL, NO EATING OUT.  And, this is for ONE PERSON.  We are going to have to work on this.

1.  Frozen Raspberries: $2.69
2.  Dried Fruit (Dates): $5.14
3.  Frozen Spinach: $2.99
4.  Frozen Sweet Potatoes: $2.99
5.  Carrots: $1.79
6.  Blackberries: $3.45

TOTAL = $19.05

1.  Canned Tuna: $1.79×5 = $8.95
2.  Eggs: $3.65
3.  Almond Butter (Processed Food): $5.49
4.  Bulk Kidney Beans: $3.74
5.  Bulk Black Beans: $2.20
6.  Walnuts: $5.49

TOTAL = $29.52

1.  English Muffins (Processed Food – pack of 6): $3.59×2 = $7.18
2.  Crackers (Processed Food) $3.85×2 = $7.70

TOTAL = $14.88

1.  Yogurt (Processed Food): $3.25
2.  Cheese (Processed Food): $4.58

TOTAL = $7.83

1.  Butter: $3.99
2.  Almond Oil: $5.69
3.  Olive Oil: $5.49

TOTAL = $15.17

1.  Shampoo: $10.99
2.  Conditioner: $10.99
3.  Soap: $4.99
4.  Face Wash: $9.99

TOTAL = $36.96

Grand Total: $123.41

Now some ideas that I am formulating as I examine my now empty pocket-book, is that I may be able to save enough money from MAKING my own: bread, yogurt, cheese, and beans (i.e. buying in bulk, and cooking myself), to justify the time spent on such tasks.  We will see.

FRUITS/VEGGIES

1.  Frozen Raspberries
2.  Dried Cranberries
3.  Frozen Spinach
4.  Canned Green Beans
5.  Bananas
6.  Frozen Sweet Potatoes
7.  Carrots
8.  Blackberries

PROTEIN

1.  Canned Tuna
2.  Eggs|
3.  Almond Butter (Processed Food)
4.  Canned Kidney Beans
5.  Canned Black BeansWalnuts

GRAINS

1.  English Muffins (Processed Food)
2.  Crackers (Processed Food)

DAIRY

1.  Yogurt (Processed Food)
2.  Cheese (Processed Food)

FATS

1.  Butter
2.  Almond Oil
3.  Olive Oil

BEAUTY

1.  Shampoo
2.  Conditioner
3.  Soap
4.  Face Wash

Now that I am putting myself on an actual budget, I can really test that optimistic theory, because to be honest, I do not know if it is really possible or not.

There are several constraints I am going to put on myself for both financial and nutritional reasons.  Those are as follows:

1. Every week, I must purchase enough fruits and vegetables to be able to be consuming eight portions of fruits and vegetables every day, and that these eight portions must come from the RAINBOW of Produce (thank you for the chart Dr. Davis, N.D.): Red, Dark Green, Yellow and Light Green, Orange, and Purple.
2. I must limit my processed foods to 5 items per week.
3. I must source produce locally whenever possible.
4. I must source meat and protein sources locally (minus fish and legumes).

With that, I will also be keeping track of the natural beauty products that I use, including: Make-up, Face Wash, Body Soaps, Shampoos & Conditioners, and miscellaneous paraphernalia that I (and many others) use to attempt to make ourselves feel pretty (and I stop there as to not digress).  And I will also be keeping track of the various supplements that I take, i.e. Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs.

So with that, I will start anew.  Today is a Sunday, a perfect day for grocery shopping.