I guess it's all a wash anyway, eh?

I'm referring to eating, particularly when you're staring unemployment dead in the face.

On one hand, I'm eating cheaper. Eating at home, cooking, etc. I rarely eat out at this point. It's become a Sunday ritual almost, grocery shopping. I spend no more than an average of $30 a week...that's a top-of-the-head estimate (I spent $50 when I first was laid off to stock up, but about $20-30 per week since.) I also eat at my parents' or Gina's parents' more frequently. That's free. Then, there are days when Gina cooks and I eat there (I also cook for her on some days too). So, monetarily, I've been saving. That's great. Great habit.

On the other hand, I'm eating more. I now eat breakfast, lunch (much lighter than it had been in the past), dinner and a late snack. If I go out (on occasion), that snack is not tiny, and it's likely fast or bar food. The multiplicity of my eating is good for my metabolism--keeps it churning. However, while I don't feel unhealthy, I think I have gained a few pounds lately. Although for the most part I eat pretty healthy food (no TV dinners, actually...not a TON of fried food), I do eat more I think than I did when I was employed.

The other good things: I drink more milk now and far less beer. I eat a lot more grains (other than hamburger buns) now because of the cereal I have for breakfast and the sandwiches for lunch. I eat stuff that *I* cook, including vegetables, canned or frozen, and that's good. I still eat stuff that has plenty o' preservatives in it, but certainly that's far less amount of preservatives than any fast food stuff.

The bad things: I may eat more in a day than I did, and I don't get any more exercise (yet, softball hasn't started and it's occasionally still too cold or rainy to ride my bike--that will change) to counter it. Although I am cooking things, they're not entirely the most healthy things in the world. Hamburger Helper is great, but not if I wolf down half of it. Girl Scout cookies are a fine pre-bed snack with milk, but not half a box (as I polished off last night--the peanut butter sandwich cookies--I resisted half a box of Thin Mints tonight...don't know how). Chips and salsa is fantastic for a very light lunch, but not half a bag and half the jar of salsa.

But hey...at least I'm not living on bread and water right now. Thankfully. Ah well, enough ranting on food...I'm gonna go to bed. Goodnight all.