Shopping for 8

My beautiful housemates and our pot roast dinner!

Sharing a food budget with seven other women might sound impossible (it did to me when I first learned that was how I would be eating for the next year!) but it's not! Although it has proven to be challenging, it has been awesomely challenging. I have learned an incredible amount about budgeting and although our system is far from perfect, I think we are finally getting the hang of it. Some tips I have learned along the way...

1. You cannot buy the off brand of every product. Although it might be cheaper than Cheerios, Rollin' Oats might possibly be the worst cereal ever. Just think milk soaked cardboard and you're basically there.

2. With most of our schedules requiring early mornings with hasty breakfasts, chewy bars have become a safe haven for something quick and easy in the morning. Buying in bulk is a must for certain items and saves us a bunch of money. We must go through close to 40 a week. Thank you Sam's Club!

3. Leftovers are awesome! Apparently 8 women living together in a house is a magnet for leftover food. I cannot tell you how much delicious salad, bread, pasta, meat, and cake (actually a lot of cake) has been given to us after occasions. It rocks.

4. We cannot keep anything sweet in the house. I'm pretty sure the box of donuts that someone so graciously brought home was gone in less than 2 hours. I know this because I was too late and left with crumbs.

5. My housemates can cook! So far I have been treated to home made bread, breakfast casseroles, pasta, pot roast and some chicken dish that Hannah threw together (still have no idea how she created such an amazing flavor with what I thought was the most random combination of spices). Although it's hard to coordinate 8 schedules, I value any time some or all of us can share a meal together.

I knew that this year would be about learning but the things I have learned about have been so surprising! Confident as I am, I thought food shopping would be the least of my worries - I've been food shopping for myself for the past year - but when its for 8 people on a tight budget it's not the same. I am also enjoying growing in my intentional community. I have never had a space with my peers where I can openly contemplate my relationship with God and my spirituality. I am truly blessed to be sharing this journey with such awesome women.

Lesson from the Journey: Don't doubt your roommate when they start mixing every spice in the house, butter, salad dressing and god knows what else into a pan with chicken...they are onto something.