Food for One

By Parita Mar 6, 2011

Hello hello!  I’m finally settled in my “home.”  By “home,” I mean the Residence Inn that I will be living in for the next month.  My lease doesn’t start until the beginning of April, so I am taking advantage of my company’s temp housing benefit.  My room is a lot nice then I thought it would be.  I have a little kitchen that has everything I need but an oven.  The hotel even provides cookware and utensils for you.  It’s so cute!  For those of you who have never stayed in a Residence Inn, here are some pics…

Ignore my crap, please!

Slow Down Challenge

Before heading to the hotel, I stopped for lunch at Panera.  I don’t usually like eating at sit-in restaurants by myself, but I had to suck it up because I didn’t have a choice. 😛  I ordered a half salad half soup combo.  My salad and soup of choice were the Cobb Salad with no chicken or bacon and the black bean soup.  I am happy to report that I practiced slow and mindful eating today!  I put my utensils down after every bite and savored my food, which honestly felt a little weird.  And I also took the time in between bites to look around and people watch. 🙂  It’s funny how much you notice by just slowing down.  The best part of the whole experience was that I was pretty full about 2/3 of the way into my meal!  This slowing down thing really works!

Food for One

After finishing my meal at Panera, I headed next door to a Hannaford grocery store.  In 2009, I interned in the Boston area, and Hannaford was my store of choice.  The first thing I noticed was how expensive everything was!  I guess I just got used to Tucson’s low-cost of living!  I was happy to find everything I needed/wanted except for a few items that I will try to pick up at TJs or WFs later this week.  As I was checking out, I started thinking about how shopping for one is a royal pain in the butt!  I haven’t always been the best at it either as I tend to overestimate what my food needs will be and thus overspend.  I know Boston is an expense city, so I want to be an even better money saver while I am here.  My goal is to get better at it by practicing the following with regards to grocery shopping:

  • Clipping coupons – When I was younger, my family would sit around the living room every Sunday reading the newspaper and clipping coupons.  And guess what?!  I’m bringing it back to save some $$$!
  • Having go to meals made with the basics – I hate wasting food, so I think that by creating a list of go to meals for days where I don’t feel like cooking something elaborate and time-consuming will help me use up and not waste my basic ingredients. 
  • Creating a list and sticking to it – From now on I’m going to maintain a running grocery list, so that I don’t end up buying more than I need.  I think this will help me find good deals because I can start looking ahead of time if I know what I need. 
  • Cooking freezable meals – I am definitely going to be on the lookout for recipes that freeze well.  This will help me not waste my food and save time and money.  A triple whammy!

If you cook for one or have ever had to, what are your money/time/waste saving tips? 

Here’s a peek at some of the stuff i bought today (keep in mind that I am starting from scratch)…

Tomorrow is my first day in a new role at work!  I’m really excited. 🙂  I hope everyone has a great week! 

By Parita

0 thoughts on “Food for One”
  1. aw, looks like they put you up in a great place! my money saving tips…well, i usually hit the store 4 days a week so we rarely waste food (it’s only a 10 minute walk away.) buying frozen veg is always good! they say it has just as many nutrients as the fresh stuff.

    good luck on your first day at the office! how exciting!

  2. wow, living in a hotel looks pretty nice! I’ve always ben impressed with Residence Inn.
    looks like you’ve got yourself a nice full fridge too : ) good luck with the rest of your stay!

  3. Glad you were able to slow down eating. It’s god to be in tune with your body like that. 🙂

    Good luck with your new position tomorrow! Are you nervous? Don’t be! They wouldn’t have spent so much money on you or promoted you if the didn’t think you were perfect for the job.

    Your goals are great. Coupons will save you more than you think. Also buy things that are on sale that you know you will have to buy eventually. If you have a coupon for THOSE then that’s even better.

    1. Yeah, it’s coming along…I just have to remind myself to slow down. And my day went well…thanks for your words of encouragement!

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