[Bit]

Originally Posted by Turino

I use my bike in the neighborhood, walk and take public transportation...the car mostly just sits outside. I realize that is a NY luxury.

No, it's not! Or at least, not exclusively! One of the reasons I find Wichita so charming is that neither Gryph nor I have a car--not even a driver's license--and yet we can walk to everything necessary except Gryph's work, and he takes a city bus for that.

I can also take a city bus for shopping and the library.

Lately, we've had a little extra, and so instead of taking the bus, I pay a friend gas money for rides... she's been unemployed for well over a year and her husband has been unemployed for months, so I'm as generous as I can manage. But if she weren't around? I'd be on the bus, and although it isn't comfortable, exactly, it would be okay.

Originally Posted by Turino

I eat at home....

We do this too. One of the things that helps a lot is that Gryph is willing to take his lunch to work, and he likes casserole-y type things. I make a lot of rice-with-veggies-n-cheese, yanno?

When Arwen posted her recipe for Pulled Pork, I tried it, and since she mentioned it makes good broth I put in extra water at the beginning.

Oh.
My.
WORD.

That broth used in the rice? I am actually JEALOUS of Gryph's lunches this week! I had to save some out for me!

One can eat at home the work-intensive way, or the cheap-n-easy way. I find that in the long run, spending the time on cooking from scratch is actually cheaper. Having a week's worth of healthy meals in the fridge and freezer so that one need only reheat is priceless!

I've also discovered that one can up the ante with seasonings... part of that rice-n-veggies I made with the pork broth last week? It got re-seasoned with more garlic and some cumin and chili powder, served with refried beans, Greek yogurt (rather than sour cream) and an avocado as tostadas. Is the pun unbearable if I say we were in hog heaven? lol!