Hi everyone, how are you doing? We are in the mid-point (hopefully) of a government mandated/advised (depending on where you live) quarantine/self-isolation/quarantine (depending on where you live).
Our school was canceled from March 13 until April 24, with potentially reopening on April 27 (depending on what's happening with the virus).
This is all due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic that began in Wuhan China, then moved on to devastate Italy, hit other European countries, Iran, and is now in the US. In Georgia as of March 29 has had 60 deaths with several thousand hospitalized. I am not sure if the numbers for hospitalization are cumulative or current as of this moment.
Anyway, we have been strongly advised not to go out in crowds, so churches have been shuttered, sports stopped, schools as I said are closed, even some parks and other large public places are closed. I went to the grocery store on the way home from school on March 13, and except for two quick runs to the Dollar Store 1/2 mile down the street from me for hard goods, and one trip to the large grocery, I have not shopped, or been off the property except to walk down my road.
I plan to go shopping on Tuesday, but I've done well 'soft rationing' my perishables. I still have some fruit- pineapple and some oranges. I have spaghetti squash and green beans, carrots and tomatoes for veggies. I made a red lentil soup yesterday. Except for eggs, though, I have no protein...unless...
This is where the frugality comes in. Back along, when my grocery store had a sale on frozen seafood, I bought some. I bought a two-pack of Atlantic salmon in sweet and sour Bourbon sauce, and a package of cooked shrimp. I pulled the salmon down and baked it tonight. With one of the filets, I also had a baked potato and green beans tossed in olive oil and lemon for dinner. So good!
I know sometimes it might be a stretch, but when things you eat regularly go on sale, try to buy one or two extra. It's more cost effective in the long run and you will have something on hand in case for any reason you cannot go to the store. I was glad I'd bought two oatmeal canisters last year when I had pneumonia because oatmeal was about all I could eat. My car breaks down kind of often, and suddenly, so it's not something I can immediately prepare for. I go days or even a week without being able to get to access to a store nearby. It's always a good idea to buy one or two extra for any reason that comes up, not just a pandemic, lol. Potatoes keep a long time in the fridge and they are filling, feed a lot of people, are versatile, and cost effective. I noted that potatoes were the first thing to disappear from the shelves on March 13 at the beginning of the pandemic. Fortunately I'd recently bought two bags at the marked down section (99 cents) and I had half a dozen or so in the fridge already.
One thing about Kroger is that since my buying habits are linked through my store card, if I buy something once, it's logged and they send coupons for that thing. They send more coupons the more I buy it. So after I bit the bullet and shelled out $5 for the frozen salmon fillets on sale, I received a coupon for $1 off the next frozen seafood buy. You have to spend money to make money sometimes.
Meanwhile, I have enjoyed spending time with my cat. He does curl up in the little bed I bought him, and it's so cute. But he also doesn't mind taking over at all. As you can see:
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