I have been working very hard on my food supplies, my meals, my health, my budget... I have to say that I realized this month that I have never had so much food in my whole life... and even more organic food.
I now have a monthly CSA delivery -- not much, but if they didn't deliver, I wouldn't have it. I hope to see what kinds of foods grow locally this summer and fall. :-)
I have a container garden this year with
- two tomato plants
- strawberries
- vine peas
- leaf lettuce
- garlic scallions
- organic white potatoes
- store bought red potatoes
- sweet basil
I am hoping to find more money to get containers, dirt, and some long-term plants :: rhubarb, blueberries, and asparagus. That's not a sure thing.
I am trying to increase my food budget by $40 this month and through the summer by using my EBT/SNAP benefits to get Double-Up Bucks at the local Farmer's Markets. I also signed up for the SENIOR Farm Checks this year... which is $24 to spend at the Farmer's Markets.
This month I am TRYING to shop once a week. I started this last month but didn't do too good at it. This month has problems, too, but I may end the month on budget... maybe. I don't know how much I need to buy to eat for just one week. I am learning by trial and error. This month, with the Farmer's Market foods, I will still need to supplement with store foods. Learning how to buy the ongoing staples like flour, sugar, etc., is also a challenge.
That's what improving your life is all about :: tying, learning, starting over, getting better, looking for new ways to solve problems... it make the future better, but when you are very poor the mistakes can be hard to overcome. I ended up homeless in the past. I am trying not to have that happen again.
We never really know how a new effort will work out. We just have to try. Then we use those experiences to make the next effort better.
I just finished a post on some things I learned from YouTube (free to watch) about a book called Atomic Habits by James Clear. Check it out and see if what I shared there will help you.
https://faith-and-prayer.blogspot.com
I wanted to share about my food situation because there is hope that poverty will never change. You can find a way to build your food supplies... even with the government's level of food support. It's a long hard struggle, but it matters... especially if you have kids.
I am just beginning to review my online strategies again... so watch for changes. The problems are the same, but I have been trying to find answers... I just haven't found the ones that work for me yet. :-)
Until next post,
In Christ,
Deborah Martin, work2gather.us
