Pregnant and Playing Powerball

I'll admit it, I played the Powerball over the weekend and I'm probably going to play it again. I actually walked into the 7-11 last week, looked the woman working the counter square in the eyes, and said, "I've never done this before, can you help me?" I'm a 32-year-old woman who doesn't know how to gamble.

This might not seem strange to 99 percent of you, but if you knew that my father has loved the lottery every day of my life, would that change things? I remember my dad's 40th birthday -- we got him these little bouquets of 40 scratch-off tickets. He's always played the Powerball, too, so I feel like I should have just known how it worked since I watched him play it so many times, choosing our birthdays as the numbers. But I blanked. The woman looked at me like I was nuts, too, which just made the experience all the more awesome. I had $2 in my pocketbook, so it was perfect. 

Did I win anything? Nope. 

Will I play again this week? Why not? 

After finding out just how much it's going to cost me to put both of my children in daycare in the coming year, I either have to win the lottery or cut food completely out of our diet. So, here's hoping HaShem is down with the Gordon-Bennetts this week. 

The funny thing is, this is the reality:

• I have amazing earning potential in the U.S., and with my current work, I make a really good amount of money. But daycare and rent in the U.S. are murder.
• In Israel, daycare is crazy cheap (rent is still murder), but I have basically zero earning potential. 

So. There's that. Mr. T, too, is sort of in the same boat. His credentials don't transfer here, so despite the fact that electricians make a killing in the U.S., he can't work legally as a master electrician, so he's relegated to hourly jobs. We're also reaching a point where he wants to transition to something that isn't so hands on (too many bad bruises and injuries), but the question is: What? 

I probably wouldn't be so obsessed with budgeting and figuring out how to win $1 billion if I didn't have another parasite on the way. Oy! Why does daycare have to be so expensive, 'Merica? 

Note: From everything I learned, prior to purchasing a ticket, it's completely okay in Judaism to purchase one ticket, and one ticket only, and many say you shouldn't pick your own numbers, lest it suggest you're questioning the fact that HaShem runs the universe. So there you go. 

Have a question? Just ask: http://bit.ly/AskChavivaAnything

Eating on a Budget: The Rewind

I really need to start thinking about this SNAP Challenge. Why? Well, Susie over at Daily Cheapskate already has her budget breakdown in mind. She's going to rock 30% on protein and 20% on fruits and veggies, with the rest going to odds and ends.

For me -- the kosher, gluten-free ovo-vegetarian -- my budget will probably look something like 50% fruits and veggies, 20% grains, and 20% protein (eggs) and other odds and ends. Of course, I haven't sat down and actually figured out what I'm planning on making, and it's already Wednesday. This could be a problem. 

The challenge for we three (Susie, Mara, and me) begins on Monday and ends on July 22. If only the challenge could have started on Sunday! I'm getting free meals for part of that day as part of an organizational retreat. D'oh. Okay, so let's get discussing.

There are certain things that I buy every week by default and end up making a few nights a week.

• One bunch kale -- this will provide enough kale for a few meals for me. 
• One bag brown rice -- with the right spices and veggies, this will provide many meals. 
• One bag brown lentils -- I've got two words for you: BBQ lentils. OH YES. 
• Two yellow onions -- this'll last me a week, easy. 
• One bunch bananas -- should provide smoothies for me every morning.
• One loaf gluten-free bread -- one loaf should last me the whole week.
• One bag quinoa -- for breakfast, snacks, sides, you name it.

Then there are some things I'm not sure how to figure out price-wise. I might have to talk to the folks at Mazon and/or read the rules and regulations to see how this pans out. I know that condiments aren't considered in the $31.50 I'm allowed to spend, but ...

• Amazing Meal plain powder -- I use a scoop in a smoothie every morning. Should I price out by scoop? No receipt!
• Almond Nut Butter -- does this count as a condiment? 
• Almond milk -- I already have a container, but I don't have the receipt from CostCo in which I paid something like $7.99 for three cartons earlier this month. What do I do?
• Tomatoes -- what if my tomato plant magically turns all the tomatoes red and usable? How do I count THIS?

Okay, as I write all of this out I realize ... I need a plan. The morning smoothies might not be an option, especially with the price of the Amazing Meal powder I use. On Amazon it's $34.29 for a container that provides 15 servings. That's $2.28 a day, and I usually make the smoothie at least four days a week. That, right there, is $9.12 of my $31.50 budget. Yikes. 

And the coffee! I haven't even thought about the coffee or tea! Good sweet holy mother of ... 

See what stream-of-consciousness posting gets you? What my father would call a cluster[youknowtherest].

Stay tuned. I need to do some hardcore meal planning, folks.