Thank Goodness It's Friday

I can see the "end in sight". It feels palpable. I have enjoyed a light breakfast and a satisfying dinner, perogie leftovers. Not too many but enough to see me through to tomorrow.

I woke up to a grey and rainy day. It almost feels like spring, out there. And, that works for me. It has been a busy day. I have been focused on a project that is starting to take shape, with the Township of Sioux Narrows-Nestor Falls. It is a tiny studio and ideas project, that is centred around residencies and the "tiny houses" phenomena that is sweeping across the continent. There was a pep rally at Naotkamegwanning First Nation, at the ChiKeyWis Arena as they make a bid for Kraft Hockeyville 2016. I liked that. The Ojibwe community has a chance to make hockey history. Let's all share and like their posts on Facebook and tweets with the hashtag #khv_chikeywisarena

I almost forgot that I was participating in the poverty challenge. Today, was the first day that I didn't think about menu planning and the daily challenges. Well, until it came time to unfold the little piece of white paper. I have to admit, I was secretly hoping for a "pass go and enjoy a free dinner" ticket. That did not happen. My daily challenge was to take care of an oozing sore. I was instructed to buy a product to take care of the wound. I found a small bottle of peroxide. It took a chunk out of my reserves. I am down to $4. Tomorrow at 12noon cannot come soon enough.

I feel buoyed by the idea. It really is almost over. On that note, I am going to watch some TV. I haven't done that since Tuesday evening. And, the Westminster Dog Show is on and I love dogs. Oh, and I am going to have a small bag of zesty cheese tacos. So, make that $2.50 to go.

Random Thoughts on Day 3

I have been thinking about my challenge for most of the day. Wondering what I would have to accomplish by the end of the day. I only have $17 left. I did not want to have to forfeit anymore of my spending dollars. How have I spent $29.29 since Tuesday at 12noon. Well, here is a bit of a breakdown:
1 dozen eggs: $3.50
2 frozen orange juices: $2 (on sale)
1 bag of rice: $6.30
1 lb of ground beef: $3.29 (from a side of beef, purchased from a farmer, so the cost is considerably less per pound)
1 small rack of ribs: $4
1 can of diced tomatoes: $2.50
1 package of spaghetti: $3.00
1 head of cauliflower: $2.00
1 500ml of coffee cream: $2.70

I have not completed my meal plans for Friday or Saturday morning. And, I am thinking that I still have 8 eggs left and almost 3/4 of that bag of rice, so maybe that frees up about $4.25. Which is a good thing. I need it for my toothpaste, shampoo, and other toiletries that I have been using throughout the challenge. And, if anyone is wondering - I have only showered once since the challenge begun. Every second day is my goal. I think I will make it.

And, for the record, I shared that spaghetti dinner with my partner. And, I am having the same meal as she is tonight. I have accounted for the full cost of the cauliflower, even though I will not be eating the whole thing.

Now, what I have not had to do since the challenge began is pay for any transportation. I live almost 40 minutes from Kenora. I will not be going into town for coffee or a drink or a quick visit. I will only leave the yard tomorrow, and that is to go to work. One of the first questions I asked was - will any gas, insurance, maintenance costs, with owning a vehicle, be part of this challenge? For work purposes, we are exempt. So, I am going to go to the municipal office for a couple of hours tomorrow - for work.

This leaves me with $20.71 until Saturday at 12:00noon. Oh, no. I just remembered. I have had a cup of coffee each day, so I probably should subtract at least $1.50 from the total. Down to $19.21.  With the numbers in front of me, it becomes painfully obvious what I could no longer afford to enjoy. I wouldn't be able to subscribe to satellite TV or the internet. I might be able to use a pay&go phone, but probably not an iPhone and not on a plan with data, and texting, and unlimited cell service. I wouldn't be able to care for my three dogs. I cannot even think of my life without Breyre, Penny, and Sofi.  The creature comforts of coconut and pineapple cocktails, doughnuts, fabric softener, steak and baked potatoes, shrimp on the BBQ - would likely be few and far between. I would see my family and my friends, less. I think so anyways. Most of my family is in southeastern Manitoba. We are all very close. We spend oodles of time together, whether it is here at Black Lake or on the Prairies. How about my friends? I have really good friends in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Milwaukee and we stay connected through Facebook and texting.

It all sounds sad and depressing. But, we are not supposed to talk about "sadness" or "depression". From a very young age, we are conditioned to put on a happy face and put one foot in front of the other. For the most part, I have always subscribed to those teachings. If you work hard, if you are a good person - you reap the rewards. With the very limited resources afforded to me through Ontario Works - that would be a very tall order, indeed.  Funny, right - I am still the same person. In fact, I would hazard a guess that I could toil a lot harder for every dollar that one might make, making minimum wage or living just above the poverty line. I might never see the light at the end of the tunnel, feel the whoosh of satisfaction, or enjoy the fruits of my labour. And, that brings me to my challenge for the day.

YOU RECEIVED A DONATION OF 5 BOXES OF KRAFT DINNER AND 1 CAN OF CRANBERRY SAUCE. PURCHASE THE ITEMS WITHOUT USING YOUR 5 DAY BUDGET $.

Heh, not too shabby. I could have people over for dinner tomorrow night.  That is a whole lot of KD. What will I do with the cranberry sauce? Put it over my toast? Is it good on oatmeal? It would be amazing on a chicken or turkey burger. But, that is not within my budget. I think I will try it on oatmeal. I guess, I am having oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow. Eggs for breakfast on Saturday. Kraft dinner, for dinner on Friday. LOL.  I just might squeak through this.

Getting Back to Basics

Food. Water. Heat. Shelter. When I think of the basic needs for human survival, I also think of institutions. Like the World Health Organization. UNESCO. The United Nations. What do they qualify and quantify as standards for basic necessities? And, why on day two of a poverty challenge - does this seem to matter more? It probably shouldn't.  I know I have $50 over five days. Managing the budget might be tricky. And, yes, at the beginning and end of each day, the running balance dwindles. It is getting smaller. Two challenges have been a part of the balance sheet. Yesterday, my challenge was to simply do a "good deed".  Easy enough. Right?  I started thinking. Who would I do the good deed for? One of my three dogs? My partner, Mary Anne?  Or perhaps, I should do something nice for Greg, who was visiting us for a few days.  In any event, I would be rewarded with $2.00.  On any other day, $2.00 does not seem like a lot. It will not buy me a coffee at Starbucks. It will not buy me a bowl of soup. A chocolate bar, maybe. A small bag of chips.  On the first day of the challenge, it felt like manna falling from the heavens. I was going to add it to my daily allowance for Day 2, upping the ante to $12.00.

Day 2 has been busy. It started with a lengthy discussion in my head. You see last week, I came down with a flu/cold.  And, for most of the weekend, I stayed ahead of the sickness by propping myself up with Advil cold & sinus, cough syrup and Halls' cough drops. Yesterday, I was out of cough drops. I walked by the aisle with the assortment of lozenges for sore throats. I looked at my favourites - the honey lemon drops, the cherry drops...and then before picking up a package, I looked at the price. $1.50. That seemed like a lot. I stayed in front of those colourful packages for a few minutes. Should I put it in my grocery cart? Or not? What do you think I did? I passed on purchasing the cough drops. What would you have done? I don't think it would be very easy, to be sick...if I only had $700 every month for housing, transportation, and food. Not that being sick is "easy". But, I certainly can and do make myself as comfortable as possible. I steep loose tea. I add honey. I buy really nice "kleenex". And, that is the "long discussion" that took place in my head.

Now, it is day 2. I was pretty confident that my choices today were adding up to $5.00 or so for breakfast and lunch. Leaving a whole $5.00 for dinner. And, then along came challenge number 2. BANK CHARGES $3.00.  Hmnnn. Okay. I will pay the fees. And, that leaves me $2.00 for dinner. Homemade perogies it is. I am Ukrainian. I come by peasant food, honestly. And, I like it. I know how you can use cabbage and flour and rice and ground beef and onions and stretch it into a real meal. I like cabbage rolls and perogies. And, the list goes on - borscht (with beets), polenta (before it started trending in restaurants across North America), little buns with bread dough wrapped in beet leaves - these were all staples in my house, growing up. Our polenta was never cut up in neatly cut squares. It was always served up in a cast iron pot, steaming and bubbling with a pale yellow goodness.

And, before I stop thinking today. I am wondering why so many things that used to be traded and bartered for - now all have price tags. And, somehow the global market matters. Commodity? Since when is a side of beef, a commodity? Or corn? Or wheat? Well, it is - when that side of beef is raised along with thousands of others and are owned by corporations. Large herds of cattle in feed lots. It is when corn is more valuable, and trade deals secure a percentage of the farmer's yield, regardless of blight, bugs or bad weather. Ethanol? More important than food security. And, why can't I get a freshly caught fish right from a commercial fishing family at Whitefish Bay, just down the road from Black Lake? Why do I need to pay more for that "very same fish" and have it go through the processing plant, the grading facility, the inspectors stamp?  It will have traveled for hundreds of miles - before it gets back to me. And, then it will cost more, too. For my safety? I am told. For the good of public health. The literature says. I don't know. Common sense, tells me - it is still the same fish. Oh, well. I will try to figure out what "sustainable" means another day.

Which brings me back to the beginning? What if I did not have $50 for five days? Or, $40 to see me through to Saturday. What if my landlord had decided to raise my rent? What if my dog had needed medical attention this month? Or what if public transportation was not a viable option? In my real life, these three questions need not apply. I own my own home, on a small lake about 40 minutes from town. I do have a dog (three in fact) and my household income supports  their basic needs. And, I have two vehicles in the yard, so we can travel freely - knowing that our insurance, registration, licenses, and regular maintenance are all a part of our lifestyle choices.  Sometimes, life gets in the way. But not so much - that my choices are between food or heat or water.

And, on that note, I will sign off. I am thankful for the shoes I am trying to fit into. So far, so good. No big blisters. No, uncomfortable pressure points. Just a different kind of walk...

$50 for 5 Days and It's Day 1

I have accepted Making Kenora's Home - Poverty Challenge. While walking through day one, I have noticed that everything is a choice. Will I have a can of Pepsi with lunch or wait and treat myself to a glass of pop later in the evening? At lunch, I choose to have a glass of tap water.

I have consciously set-up a little worksheet to record what I will use on a daily basis: the costs of food and what feels like essentials (toothpaste, shampoo). I will look at it on a daily basis, tracking consumption and doing my very best to stay within the $50 limit.  I feel confident that I can make this work.

What other parts of my world do I need to change or re-arrange? Our primary source of heat is wood. It is split and stacked. And, I just stoked the woodstove. I might wear a warm, wool sweater instead of relying on the secondary source of heat (a freestanding propane stove) to warm up the house, as the sunsets and the temperature drops. And, I happen to live completely off-the-grid on a small lake, about 15 minutes North of Sioux Narrows. I feel lucky. My electricity comes from a bank of batteries, storing DC power when the sun shines. I hope it is a sunny week.  I do wonder about the daily costs associated with satellite TV and the internet. After doing the math, I do not think I can afford the luxury of both - over the five days. I will limit all internet use this week, for work and for blogging. I will only watch TV, every two days. I think I am going to become even more familiar with CBC radio - over the next 120 hours.

Here I am. Still safe, with a shelter over my head. I am especially thankful for that, tonight. To my fellow participants, good luck! I feel like we are in this together. Good evening Craig, Fred and Marion.