Challenge: My girlfriend and I on $1.50 of groceries a day each for a week

[Ultralight]

I managed to talk my girlfriend into doing the $1.50 a day diet with me! Some people call this the Live Below The Line Challenge. Others call it "the poverty diet."

Either way, it is a tough challenge. I have done it three times over the past couple years. I failed once and succeeded twice.

Here are the rules:

-$10.50 of groceries
-No accepting hand-outs
-No hunting, fishing, or foraging
-It is acceptable to use spices and salt we already have
-It is acceptable to use cooking oil we already have
-7 consecutive days are the duration of this challenge
-She and I can combine our $10.50 each for a little more purchasing power

I think that covers all the rules.

We'll start once we've both eaten the fresh food we have at home, so probably in a couple weeks give or take.

[Kestra]

Not intending to be rude, but I have to ask, what is the point of doing this challenge, for you and for her? What do you hope to gain?

[freshstart]

didn't Gwyneth Paltrow do this? She blew her money on all organic produce and IDK, tofu? She had nothing left after 4 days and didn't finish it.

so maybe he's doing this to show up Paltrow, that it can be done? She has some crazy advice website about I think (I haven't actually looked, I somehow know this useless info but cannot remember my own phone number, lol) clean eating, a clean lifestyle, "conscious un-coupling" (divorce to everyone else), parenting advice and it's called GOOP and everything she recommends is uber-expensive in her version of a simple life. Maybe UA and his GF should do it, document their success and post it on her forums. I think she would ban them, lol.

[Tiam]

Not intending to be rude, but I have to ask, what is the point of doing this challenge, for you and for her? What do you hope to gain?

It is legitimate to ask this question. Myself, I'd have no rules about not being able to find free food. There's free food all around, and if I was going to experiment I see no reason to not try to find ways, (legal) to manage it. For instance, the local Salvation Army around the corner from me has a shelf with stuff on it. Dated stuff from Trader Joes or Safeway or even local gardeners who just donate their surplus. The local orchards give them crates of fresh apples and pears and other produce that is just there to anyone who comes by. Somedays there are things. Other days, nothing. I have no problem using that as a resource. Can I glean? There is a local Mexican place that gives away whatever beans and rice are left over at the end of the day. To anyone who comes in and asks for it. Somedays there might be some. On other days...none. So, what is the purpose? Is the strictness of the budget and no leeway the point? Is it to see how far I can stretch the limited cash? Or is figuring out how to be resourceful and managing day to day the point?

[Ultralight]

Not intending to be rude, but I have to ask, what is the point of doing this challenge, for you and for her? What do you hope to gain?

Kestra:

I get this question for virtually all my lifestyle experiments. This one especially...

When I first tried it and failed I gained:
-Humility because I failed
-Knowledge of my lack of knowledge about real food costs
-Some insight into what it means to be really poor
-Some insight into what it means to be hungry

When I succeeded I learned most of the above things (minus the humility that comes with failure). But I also learned:
-It is easier with a friend or two doing it with you
-That even though I was hungry and a bit listless, I wasn't starving -- which is a different experience altogether
-I learned that all the fancy meals and buffets I was going to did not actually make me much happier overall compared to simple meals of lentils, rice, bananas, etc. I still kind of reached about the same level of daily contentment despite my humble meals.
-I think that when we sacrifice and take a moment to be in solidarity with the poor our sense of compassion expands. So this experiment helps me cultivate compassion in myself
-I also think I exercise my willpower muscles by doing things like this; I can be more stoic!

My girlfriend was at first VERY opposed to this experiment. She, like me but more so, grew up poor. She said: "I already done that diet when I was growing up!"
She later explained that part of her was envious of my ability to do these experiments. Admitting that was hard, but then she started trying a few of her own -- like not going grocery shopping for a month, using only a certain number of electrical plugs in her house, and a couple other smaller experiments.

I think she knows there is something mentally and emotionally rewarding on the other side of this experiment and she's curious enough about that to try.

Even though I am an ardent atheist (anti-theist, really) I am something of a "seeker." Experiments like these teach us about the human condition, about our emotions, and about the resources in our environment.

This was quite roundabout. But did it answer your question?

[bae]

Hipster hairshirt economic justice theater.

[Ultralight]

Hipster hairshirt economic justice theater.

I'll LOL to that!

[Ultralight]

These are the dates I think we're doing it:

Oct. 29, 30, and 31 and Nov. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

[kally]

well I support anyone who wants to do this and increase awareness. Go for it.

[Williamsmith]

I support it But do yourself a favor.....at the end of all this self induced depravation through experimentation......take your girlfriend out to dinner at a really expensive restaurant and tell her you've decided to see how it feels to be really rich also .......I guarantee it will be spiritually and emotionally rewarding as well as maybe a few other things.

I Predict November 5th will be a memorable day for Ultraliteangler .

[Ultralight]

I support it But do yourself a favor.....at the end of all this self induced depravation through experimentation......take your girlfriend out to dinner at a really expensive restaurant and tell her you've decided to see how it feels to be really rich also .......I guarantee it will be spiritually and emotionally rewarding as well as maybe a few other things.

Don't worry, amigo. I do that every other Saturday night. haha

[freshstart]

I do that every other Saturday night. haha

I think we just solved the problem and it is free to fix, lmao. She won't care about expensive stuff so often.

ITA on taking her to a nice place, seriously check out that Restaurant.com. I used to get a dinner coupon for $20 at a nice place and cost me $4 or less. When I was picking up the check, I suggested one of these perfectly fine restaurants and surreptitiously included the voucher when I paid. You just have to make sure there are places you like in your zip codes before you buy.

[Ultralight]

I think we just solved the problem and it is free to fix, lmao. She won't care about expensive stuff so often.

ITA on taking her to a nice place, seriously check out that Restaurant.com. I used to get a dinner coupon for $20 at a nice place and cost me $4 or less. When I was picking up the check, I suggested one of these perfectly fine restaurants and surreptitiously included the voucher when I paid. You just have to make sure there are places you like in your zip codes before you buy.

Totally on it!

[lessisbest]

The problem with these challenges is they concentrate on the “moment” – the week. Assume you don’t have anything at all to eat, are without gardening skills, and don’t take into account the economy of buying ahead in order to save money by buying a larger amount initially. If you had the amount of money for the entire month, you would spend it entirely different than if you focus on $10.50 for a week.

Examples:
-If I have 5-pounds of flour, and common pantry items, I can make bread, biscuits, noodles, tortillas, pancakes/waffles, pudding, muffins, cookies, crepes, pizza crust, pastry, etc., for a lot less than buying each of these individual food items pre-made.

-If I purchase a 42-oz. box of oatmeal from Aldi for $2.39 (more than enough for 2-3 months), it will be half the price as a small container from other grocery stores, and probably less per oz. than from a bulk bin. I can now make a variety of foods, besides eating it as cooked oatmeal.

-Purchase one small container of plain yogurt (reduced price), and I also have milk (or have powdered milk), I can make even MORE plain yogurt – not just consume the one container of yogurt.

I budget $17 per person per week, and to date I have $181.31 left unspent of my $125/month food budget. But the key is --- I also practice home food storage and we have more than enough food for a year – all on that budget. So that teaches us the benefits of the old story of the “Grasshopper and the Ants”.

Practical thoughts:



Choose foods from all the food groups, and you may want to shop at a Dollar Store, Dollar Tree, 99-Cent Store near you, and Aldi. Choose foods high in fiber to help you feel full longer. Choose whole grains. Save your trimmings (meat, drippings, bread, vegetables, cooking water) to use for making soup/broth. Have at least one “filler” food – like a box of saltines or a bag of popcorn (NOT microwavable – it costs too much per serving) to use for snacks.
Some of the most affordable “healthy foods” are: cabbage (which you can also use shredded as a substitute for lettuce, and is a really versatile food), dried beans and lentils, bananas, brown rice, sweet potatoes, plain yogurt (always look for a discounted container of plain yogurt whether it’s large or small), peanut butter, whole chicken, oatmeal. Eggs were once affordable, but now they may break your frugal budget. If you can find 6 eggs at the Dollar Store for $1, I would purchase them, along with a jar of CREAMY peanut butter. You will get more servings from creamy peanut butter than chunky.
I would start with a whole chicken (usually around 98-cents per pound and choose a 3-4 pound chicken). You can get a weeks worth of meals from one bird, plus you can make soup/broth with the carcass. Roast the chicken for the first meal and enjoy ONE piece of meat – a leg or thigh. If you can roast it in a plastic oven bag, you will end up with a lot of useful broth. Otherwise, use a slow-cooker and save the liquid in the pot. Remove the breast and slice the meat for sandwiches and other entrees during the week. Remove the other leg/thigh portion. Remove any bits of meat from the carcass to use for stir-fry and other dishes. Cook the carcass for stock/broth/soup.
Don’t be fooled into thinking a can of tuna is “cheap eats”. Even at 69-cents for a 5-oz. can – you only get 2 to 2-1/2 servings of protein. Add a raw egg for tuna patties, or a boiled egg or cooked beans for tuna salad, to give you more servings of protein for one can if you do choose a can of tuna. Figure the cost per pound when choosing meat – which is $2.21 (rounded up) for that 69-cent can of tuna.
Purchase a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. Leave a portion of it mixed, divide the remainder into individual vegetables. You have just given yourself a wider variety without having to purchase 4 or 5 bags of different vegetables.
Purchase one container of frozen concentrate 100% juice (orange or grape). Mixed with water (and you may want to mix more water than the suggested 3-cans to stretch it a little farther). Have one serving each day – and a serving is ¾-cup - which is also a serving of fruit and a needed serving of vitamin C.
If you choose fresh fruit, get the smallest sizes. Since we tend to eat a whole apple or banana at a time (and that is also considered a serving), you will get more servings by choosing the smallest bananas, or the smallest apples (like Jonathan - @ 98-cents per pound). Look for discounted (ripe) bananas so you can get even more. You can freeze them.
If you are doing this for only one week, purchase some oatmeal from a bulk bin (purchase only an amount you can realistically use) or a box from the Dollar Store. If you are doing this for more than one week, then purchase a large box of oatmeal from Aldi. You will have more than enough for many weeks, and you can also make a number of things out of it.
I might consider a bag of flour tortillas instead of a loaf of bread (check to how many servings each will provide and the cost per serving).
Skip the fresh onion and choose a $1 bottle of dried onion or onion powder. If you MUST have fresh, buy green onions (scallions) and when you chop the root end off of them, you can place them in a glass of water (or in soil) and you can grow more from the root ends. Freeze the green portion to use as-needed.
If you purchase cheese, choose a brick instead of shredded or slices. You almost always pay less for a brick per pound than shredded, and shred your own. You can use shredded cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich, instead of sliced cheese.

[Ultralight]

The problem with these challenges is they concentrate on the “moment” – the week. Assume you don’t have anything at all to eat, are without gardening skills, and don’t take into account the economy of buying ahead in order to save money by buying a larger amount initially. If you had the amount of money for the entire month, you would spend it entirely different than if you focus on $10.50 for a week.

Examples:
-If I have 5-pounds of flour, and common pantry items, I can make bread, biscuits, noodles, tortillas, pancakes/waffles, pudding, muffins, cookies, crepes, pizza crust, pastry, etc., for a lot less than buying each of these individual food items pre-made.

-If I purchase a 42-oz. box of oatmeal from Aldi for $2.39 (more than enough for 2-3 months), it will be half the price as a small container from other grocery stores, and probably less per oz. than from a bulk bin. I can now make a variety of foods, besides eating it as cooked oatmeal.

-Purchase one small container of plain yogurt (reduced price), and I also have milk (or have powdered milk), I can make even MORE plain yogurt – not just consume the one container of yogurt.

I budget $17 per person per week, and to date I have $181.31 left unspent of my $125/month food budget. But the key is --- I also practice home food storage and we have more than enough food for a year – all on that budget. So that teaches us the benefits of the old story of the “Grasshopper and the Ants”.

Practical thoughts:



Choose foods from all the food groups, and you may want to shop at a Dollar Store, Dollar Tree, 99-Cent Store near you, and Aldi. Choose foods high in fiber to help you feel full longer. Choose whole grains. Save your trimmings (meat, drippings, bread, vegetables, cooking water) to use for making soup/broth. Have at least one “filler” food – like a box of saltines or a bag of popcorn (NOT microwavable – it costs too much per serving) to use for snacks.
Some of the most affordable “healthy foods” are: cabbage (which you can also use shredded as a substitute for lettuce, and is a really versatile food), dried beans and lentils, bananas, brown rice, sweet potatoes, plain yogurt (always look for a discounted container of plain yogurt whether it’s large or small), peanut butter, whole chicken, oatmeal. Eggs were once affordable, but now they may break your frugal budget. If you can find 6 eggs at the Dollar Store for $1, I would purchase them, along with a jar of CREAMY peanut butter. You will get more servings from creamy peanut butter than chunky.
I would start with a whole chicken (usually around 98-cents per pound and choose a 3-4 pound chicken). You can get a weeks worth of meals from one bird, plus you can make soup/broth with the carcass. Roast the chicken for the first meal and enjoy ONE piece of meat – a leg or thigh. If you can roast it in a plastic oven bag, you will end up with a lot of useful broth. Otherwise, use a slow-cooker and save the liquid in the pot. Remove the breast and slice the meat for sandwiches and other entrees during the week. Remove the other leg/thigh portion. Remove any bits of meat from the carcass to use for stir-fry and other dishes. Cook the carcass for stock/broth/soup.
Don’t be fooled into thinking a can of tuna is “cheap eats”. Even at 69-cents for a 5-oz. can – you only get 2 to 2-1/2 servings of protein. Add a raw egg for tuna patties, or a boiled egg or cooked beans for tuna salad, to give you more servings of protein for one can if you do choose a can of tuna. Figure the cost per pound when choosing meat – which is $2.21 (rounded up) for that 69-cent can of tuna.
Purchase a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. Leave a portion of it mixed, divide the remainder into individual vegetables. You have just given yourself a wider variety without having to purchase 4 or 5 bags of different vegetables.
Purchase one container of frozen concentrate 100% juice (orange or grape). Mixed with water (and you may want to mix more water than the suggested 3-cans to stretch it a little farther). Have one serving each day – and a serving is ¾-cup - which is also a serving of fruit and a needed serving of vitamin C.
If you choose fresh fruit, get the smallest sizes. Since we tend to eat a whole apple or banana at a time (and that is also considered a serving), you will get more servings by choosing the smallest bananas, or the smallest apples (like Jonathan - @ 98-cents per pound). Look for discounted (ripe) bananas so you can get even more. You can freeze them.
If you are doing this for only one week, purchase some oatmeal from a bulk bin (purchase only an amount you can realistically use) or a box from the Dollar Store. If you are doing this for more than one week, then purchase a large box of oatmeal from Aldi. You will have more than enough for many weeks, and you can also make a number of things out of it.
I might consider a bag of flour tortillas instead of a loaf of bread (check to how many servings each will provide and the cost per serving).
Skip the fresh onion and choose a $1 bottle of dried onion or onion powder. If you MUST have fresh, buy green onions (scallions) and when you chop the root end off of them, you can place them in a glass of water (or in soil) and you can grow more from the root ends. Freeze the green portion to use as-needed.
If you purchase cheese, choose a brick instead of shredded or slices. You almost always pay less for a brick per pound than shredded, and shred your own. You can use shredded cheese for a grilled cheese sandwich, instead of sliced cheese.



I appreciate these thoughts and constructive criticisms. :)

For my gf and I this experiment is very temporary. Though having done it a few times, I can say the insights stick with you. :)

[kib]

I'm impressed that you convinced your GF to go along with this! Personally it sounds like fun.


The other day I watched a documentary called "Dive!" which made a very depressing point: the amount of food sent to landfills in the US (personal waste, agricultural waste, restaurant waste and retail store waste) could feed every person in the US who is going hungry or food insecure. Without any SNAP at all. We throw away nearly half our food, enough food to easily feed everyone. :sick: society, this is.

[Ultralight]

I'm impressed that you convinced your GF to go along with this! Personally it sounds like fun.


The other day I watched a documentary called "Dive!" which made a very depressing point: the amount of food sent to landfills in the US (personal waste, agricultural waste, restaurant waste and retail store waste) could feed every person in the US who is going hungry or food insecure. Without any SNAP at all. We throw away nearly half our food, enough food to easily feed everyone. :sick: society, this is.

I have heard that is a compelling documentary!

I think about diving sometimes... saves so much money!

[kib]

It's an effective individual strategy, but really, that food shouldn't be going into dumpsters, it should be either left out or donated. I know this is a legal issue, but it's a really stupid one. We could do so much good for everyone if we had an organized, legalized response team with a refrigerated truck dispatched to local grocery stores and restaurants before edible food sat out for a day mixed in with real garbage. No one really wants to pull warm meat out of reeking trash and eat it, but a package of ground beef that's been refrigerated and just looks a bit tired is a different story in terms of both appeal and any health risk.

ETA: They also posited that if the wasted food were poured into piglets instead of a landfill, every person on earth could receive 3 lbs of pork (a year, I'm assuming). So we don't even have to personally eat the "spoiled" food to mitigate the gross waste of agricultural effort, water, fertilizer, antibiotics, labor, and pesticides, transport, storage and landfill space. Sigh.

[Ultralight]

It's an effective individual strategy, but really, that food shouldn't be going into dumpsters, it should be either left out or donated. I know this is a legal issue, but it's a really stupid one. We could do so much good for everyone if we had an organized, legalized response team with a refrigerated truck dispatched to local grocery stores and restaurants before edible food sat out for a day mixed in with real garbage. No one really wants to pull warm meat out of reeking trash and eat it, but a package of ground beef that's been refrigerated and just looks a bit tired is a different story in terms of both appeal and any health risk.

ETA: They also posited that if the wasted food were poured into piglets instead of a landfill, every person on earth could receive 3 lbs of pork (a year, I'm assuming). So we don't even have to personally eat the "spoiled" food to mitigate the gross waste of agricultural effort, fertilizer and pesticides, transport, storage and landfill space. Sigh.

Profits before people!

[lessisbest]

Out of curiosity, how much do you normally spend on food? Does the SNAP Challenge (or whatever the challenge is) help you get control of your food budget when not on the challenge?

For low-cost recipes, check the library for these cookbooks:
"Miserly Meals" - healthy, tasty recipes under 75-cents per serving - by Jonni McCoy

"Cheap. Fast. Good!" - by Beverly Mills & Alicia Ross



And for the winner in the economy category, check out the Prudent Homemaker for her 40-cent ideas. http://theprudenthomemaker.com/

[Ultralight]

Even though my gf and I aren't starting the $1.50 diet until Thursday of this week we went shopping today because we won't see each other until Wednesday night. And we won't have time to shop there.

We both did the majority of our shopping for the $1.50 week today though, for non-perishables and a couple veggies that will last a long time. I did not spend all my money, I need a few bucks to flex if I need them.



So far (for $8.12) I got:


-Loaf of bread (1.19lbs)
-Pound of lentils
-Pound of black beans
-2.5 pounds of rice
-2 pound head of cabbage
-7 carrots (about a pound in weight)
-A small 1 pound jar of peanut butter.


I will probably spend the rest of my money on bananas. haha!
But I won't go buy them until Thursday.

[Ultralight]

Okay, math major that I am not. My gf just informed me that I actually only spent $6.62 for those items because she and I split a five pound bag of rice that cost $2.99. haha

[Ultralight]

Over the hump...

I just finished dinner, on this the fourth day of the challenge.

Three more days to go.

[iris lilies]

The past few weeks we've barely purchased any vegetables because DH is harvesting sacks of green beans, snow peas, tomatoes, green peppers. There is chard and beets out in the garden going to waste. He freezes lots of this stuff, our freezer is now full to the brim.

July -November here always points out how people can stretch their food budget and make more interesting meals with lots of home grown vegetables.

[Ultralight]

My girlfriend is a gardener, she has a few things stored in various ways. But the "rules" of the challenge prevented her from using them. I saw a mountain of garden goodies and her place and I wanted some! And she has to live with them being there! haha :/

Bravo to you all for making excellent use of your home grown veggies/ :)


I was thinking that if I lived on the $1.50 a day diet then it would cost me about $546 a year. Imagine that! That is just so little.

[iris lilies]

?... But the "rules" of the challenge prevented her from using them.

...

Why eVer can one not supplement $1.50 per day with home grown veg? Aw well, whatever. That is stupid.

Could the the point be that any hint of self sufficiency negates the victim hood message that is intended in this challenge?

[ApatheticNoMore]

Could the the point be that any hint of self sufficiency negates the victim hood message that is intended in this challenge?

well it does make doing the challenge with others across the 'net or wherever it is talked about non-comparable, because $1.50 + home grown veggies != $1.50 a day + no homegrown veggies (because of the obvious situation living in an apartment etc.). But if one is not doing in with others then they could just as well choose $3 a day or $5 a day if it was just a personal challenge (and buy a few veggies already, they'll save healthcare bills! :)).

[Ultralight]

Why eVer can one not supplement $1.50 per day with home grown veg? Aw well, whatever. That is stupid.

Could the the point be that any hint of self sufficiency negates the victim hood message that is intended in this challenge?

Well, it just happens to be the rules of this particular challenge. I'd like to try a challenge of some kind that did include garden veggies.

For me, doing these challenges and exercising stoicism give me a great sense of joy -- and for lack of a better word -- are "spiritual" experiences.

When I was a kid my mom used to say: "Don't judge a man until you walk a mile in his moccasins."

So I try to walk a mile in many different people's moccasins. This is one of the ways I do it. You'd be surprised. Today I shared a portion of my rice with my girlfriend because she forgot hers. I was happy to share -- even with so little that I had. And as I was dishing it onto her plate I found myself scraping every last grain of rice from the serving spoon. She and I just looked at each other and noted, silently, that we would have normally discarded those grains.

Maybe in the future we'll be more mindful of waste because of this challenge.

[Ultralight]

well it does make doing the challenge with others across the 'net or wherever it is talked about non-comparable, because $1.50 + home grown veggies != $1.50 a day + no homegrown veggies (because of the obvious situation living in an apartment etc.). But if one is not doing in with others then they could just as well choose $3 a day or $5 a day if it was just a personal challenge (and buy a few veggies already, they'll save healthcare bills! :)).

This is a good point! I would encourage people to create their own challenges or try different ones out there.

I have done bunches of them. But this one in particular is one that I get so many insights out of that I made it a yearly thing -- one week out of each year, around this time.

[Ultralight]

Definitely hungry today. I feel grumpy too. But we're on day 6. So not too bad.

[sylvia]

I love love the trying out to be rich diet! I laughed so hard Willamsmith I almost fell off the chair.Much needed a good laugh like that!Go Nov 5!!Give us an update!

[Ultralight]

I have one meal left in this $1.50 challenge.

It will be a peanut butter sandwich this evening.

[sylvia]

I love this thread esp lessisbest's economical diet suggestions, can we have more of those?
I could use your thinking.

[JaneV2.0]

I'm impressed that you convinced your GF to go along with this! Personally it sounds like fun.


The other day I watched a documentary called "Dive!" which made a very depressing point: the amount of food sent to landfills in the US (personal waste, agricultural waste, restaurant waste and retail store waste) could feed every person in the US who is going hungry or food insecure. Without any SNAP at all. We throw away nearly half our food, enough food to easily feed everyone. :sick: society, this is.

Progress is being made on this issue in France: http://www.eater.com/2015/5/26/8663151/its-now-illegal-in-france-for-grocery-stores-to-throw-away-edible-food

[Gardenarian]

Very interesting. I look forward to hearing the results!

[Williamsmith]

I have one meal left in this $1.50 challenge.

It will be a peanut butter sandwich this evening.

So tomorrow, treat yourself to a decadent filet mignon , may I suggest a stuffed baked potato, some chicken tortilla soup or a nice Caesar salad followed by a nice chocolate cheesecake. Do have a good wine with it all.

Now please enjoy your peanut butter sandwich.

[Ultralight]

My gf and I successfully finished the challenge last night! Today she ate chocolate for breakfast and I had a Caesar salad and a can of La Croix! lol

[JaneV2.0]

Much like banging your head against a wall, it must feel good to stop.
Personally, I'd have Indian food. Or maybe Thai.

[Williamsmith]

Congratulations! What's next?

[Ultralight]

Much like banging your head against a wall, it must feel good to stop.
Personally, I'd have Indian food. Or maybe Thai.

Indian food is perhaps my favorite. But my body was telling me: EAT A SALAD! lol

[Ultralight]

Congratulations! What's next?

Thanks! It was fun, challenging, and rewarding with some insights. :)

My gf wants to do the classic "no grocery shopping challenge" for December. So I will join her on it, of course. I try to be a good sport. But she says we'll accept handouts and freebies. :)
She tends to stay pretty stocked up, so there will be plenty of food at her place -- though we'll certainly have some odd combinations. haha