Everyday Life and SNAP

I got up this morning to find I had no clean ‘house’ clothes. House clothes are those pants and tops that I wear around the house. I like them to be soft and cottony. I don’t care if they get or are stained because I wear them to do housework or work in the yard. Anyway, this morning I had to wash and dry them before getting dressed. Now, I am outfitted to do whatever needs to be done; like take a nap or watch the Season One Finale of Big Love.


I do have a question. Why do my black jeans have this funky smell? I wash them like all the rest of the clothes, which smell just fine. But the black jeans just smell, off, somehow. I have tried using baking soda and/or vinegar in both the wash cycle and the rinse cycle. Fabric softener has no effect on that smell. Scott says I am just too sensitive. I don’t think so.

I talked with Dad last night. I told him about my fall and he said he took a tumble in his lower garden. He was walking up the hill and slipped on the wet clay soil. Said when he got to the back door, he had to strip off and toss his clothes on the lawn. After he cleaned up, he used the hose to get some of the mud off. Then, he washed them twice and still doesn’t think they are clean.

Anyway, he thinks he may have broken another rib. Man, is he ever brittle. He is still having some residual pain from breaking his hip 18 months ago. I hope it’s just a bruise. He is recuperating from back surgery a couple of months ago. That surgery has really helped him a lot. He moves so much more easily now.

Penny Saver over on The Saved Quarter is participating in the SNAP Challenge posted by the non-consumer advocate. That is, only spending the SNAP (formerly known as Food Stamps) allowance for the month of June.

I have decided to give it a try as well. The average SNAP allowance is $101 per person/month. Since Penny and Katy are using that amount, so will I. That will be $202 for the two of us. This excludes everything except food and seeds for food plants.

Yesterday I spent $20.18 at BiMart for:
4 cans pork ‘n beans
12 cans tomatoes
1 can deviled ham
1 can corned beef
6 cans tuna
2# pasta
Leaving me $181.82. I also have some food in the pantry and freezer that we will rely on as well.

Now, as to the amount I spent on the dogs:
14 large cans dog food
20# dry food
5# treat biscuits
Totaling: $38.04 for two weeks.  The cat food runs about $13 every two weeks (they eat only Purina ONE Urinary Tract Health which is like only 1/3 the cost of the stuff at the vet's office.)  This amount does not come out of my SNAP challenge monies.  It's just to show having a pet is not cheap.  And having five pets ranges on the insane.

Today I am loving our new health care plan. We get 90 days of drugs for the price of 60. So, we have been slowly moving over to this method. Not only that, they ship them for free.

I’m off to the Farmer’s Co-op to see about tomatoes and peppers. I am also going to get some Territorial Seed Lettuce Blend seeds. Maybe some onion sets, too. I will do my best to forgo getting a new cat. There are always cats in need of homes there.

This being National Adopt-a-Cat month, if you have the room why not? After all, they help hold down the rodent population and are some are great teddy bears.