Day 2: President's Day and everybody is at home

     Today took some effort.  I have to keep within a budget for my project, but the point of the whole thing is not to make the family feel like they are going to become deprived of everything good.  And not to deprive them of everything good, or of a balanced diet.  I'm trying to scrimp and save without it feeling like we are scrimpimg and saving.
     This morning started with a late breakfast and I found that it will be important for me to measure out the bowls of cereal ahead of time. It keeps the kids from accusing others of taking more than their fair share, or from actually taking more than their fair share.
     I also did lots more calculations such as prices of:  a teaspoon of baking soda ($.01), a tablespoon of yeast ($.07), a teaspoon of butter ($.02) and other amazingly small calculations.  Who thinks about how much they are spending when they are pouring a dolop of oil into the pan before they fry the meat?  I do, that's who.  And now I know---3 cents is the pricetag for every tablespoon I pour in there.
     Pennies do add up when everybody gets only 100 of the little coppers each to put together a whole day of feasting.  Here is today's feast and total costs:

menu: cold cereal

Breakfast total: $2.00

half gallon 1% milk:  1.00

one box life cereal: 1.00

menu: beef and vegetable soup with jalapeno bagels and bananas 

lunch total: $4.67

ground beef: 2.00
1 large onion: .10

1 lb. cabbage: .48

1 package bagels: .99

(prorated by size of the family member)

 yesterday's leftover stew, already accounted for in last night's totals, about 3 cups:  no charge

1/2 banana each=5 bananas@ .22 ea:  1.10

snack:  pretzels in a ziplock bag: .48

(8 bags of 16 pretzels, which cost only 6 cents apiece)

menu:  Lentil stew, bagels, and canned peaches 

supper total: $2.82

1 lb. red chief lentils:  .68

2 large onions:  .20

1 huge potato: .11

1 small can tomato sauce:  .25

5 bagels: .83

1.5 qts home canned peaches:  .75

Daily grand total:  $9.97

Hooray!