The numbers are in for our first month of living. Per person:
| Projected | Actual | |
| Electricity | $50 | ~$23 |
| Internet | $13 | ~$15 |
| Rent | $290 | $290 |
| Food | $200 | $103 |
| Total | $553 | $431 |
Aside from the $170 deposit for the electricity and the $290 apartment deposit and the unnamed items we bought at the hardware store, we came in under budget. I am quite proud, although wary of when the electric bill jumps once we turn on the heating. (Electric heating and electric water heater.)
It wasn’t easy though. There’s been issues with the dishwasher not cleaning things well enough so we can’t use it. Now there’s the issue of the dishwasher not cleaning things well enough. That is, if he ever gets around to doing the dishes.
Less of a problem is food. The projected $200/month provides for $6.67 a day for food not including employee meals and food from begging. And I forgot the rice, the staple of our diet and food budget. (I went Anakin Skywalker when I realized and started punching walls. (Not our walls of course, we have a security deposit. I waited until I was on campus.)) So I’m going the Caucasian route and eating a lot of sliced bread with salt and pepper. That’s it, right? That’s the stereotype. I’m not forgetting anything?
Really, the food problem is none of the three of us can cook. I mean, cook cook. We can all follow directions, but none of us can pick up a wooden spoon and pull a Ratatouille and whip up something good and edible. Most of our food budget was blown on $1 canned ravioli or soup. Aside from much milk and cereal of course. And we tend to make a lot of pizza bagels. We’ve made pasta twice before realizing how long it took and our stockpile of noodles and sauce is just sitting around.
Something I have been working on though:
Take some bread, cover with shredded Parmesan, cheddar or whatever’s lying around, add two slices of chicken, add another piece of bread in a “sandwich” configuration. Toast in toaster oven, George Foreman grill, or iron. Dip liberally in tomato pasta sauce when eating.
Do not eat for breakfast. Interaction with alcohol unknown.
Between this and Peanut butter and banana sandwiches, smoothies, and ice cream, I haven’t done much cooking this semester. Perhaps if we bought some vegetables, we would have more options. Right now, our crisper contains a single onion. (It’s a big one though.)
i feel like this blog was entirely dedicated to getting your roommates to do stuff. like wash dishes and buy vegetables and learn to cook and whatnot