So more and more I'm changing my view on things but its slow because I'm stubborn. For example a small change is that I have bought one of those big gross mops that I always said I would never by. But these floors tear up all the other mops I buy and Im sick of having mop pieces all over my house. When I bought it Issac just smiled and said,"finally after all this time."
The other big change is I'm done with one stop shopping, I'm finding its sometimes easier not to do this. That sounds so strange I know. What I was use to doing is what most of you prob do if you live in the states. I would go shopping once a week and stock up on all the things I needed to cook for the week. When I moved here and saw the little dorm style refrigerator that Issac had bought I was like now way. How can you store frozen meat in that tiny freezer and there is no room for all the other groceries. With in a week we had a larger one which in no way is as big as the typical one in the US. I can scoot it around my kitchen for example which is really nice when you rearrange your kitchen as much as I do. I now see why so many people can handle to have such a small fridge. You can buy fresh meat everyday and most of the Carnaerias will even deliver the meat right to your door. When I moved here I was nervous about these places because I saw the men working with out gloves on and honestly its just gross to see a bunch of meat hanging from the ceiling and spewed all over the counters. Then I realized that this is happening to my meat weather I see it or not. With this realization and the knowledge that they would deliver I started to have Issac order all the meat I needed for the week. This actually worked well for us for quite some time now. The meat is still so much fresher than what we would buy at the grocery store even when it has sat in my freezer for about 4 or 5 days. Seriously I never thought I would enjoy the smell of raw ground beef but when its fresh ground that day seriously its an inviting smell. The kind of inviting that says cook me, ok no idea if you will agree with that but its the truth. This cut our grocery costs a lot, I was then getting the same amount of meat for the entire week for half the cost and it was fresher and getting delivered to my door. The other day Issac was like "why don't we just order it fresh each day once you decide what your cooking". I laughed and asked him if he would really want to call every day and he said yes. The only problem I see with this is that it will be harder to budget when I'm not spending the money each week with the pay check, but Im sure I will figure something out there. The next thing was that a friend of mine suggested a fruiteria that was good and cheaper than the grocery store. Its a little further from our house but not enough to matter. The fruit there is always fresh and clean. I had tried the fruiteria thing when I first moved here and the only ones close to where I have lived were not nice and the fruit was always old and dirty. This one is clean and the fruit is clean and fresh and so much cheaper. For example at the grocery store I would spend around 200p for fruits and veggies every week. At this place I spend no more than 60-80p and get the same stuff but fresher. I noticed this week that a new one has opened up close to my house (with in walking distance) so I want to check it out. Im hoping its fresh and clean so we wont have to drive and if it works out that would be a little less gas money for the truck every week.
So at this point the only thing we buy from Soriana is cereal and diapers. We get our bread and wipes across the street at our little tienda and of course anything else we need throughout the week. I actually may look into buy our cereal over there to. The last tienda I tried to buy cereal at was shortly after we moved into this apartment 10mo ago and all they had was way over priced boxes of cereal. But I noticed the tienda across the street has a few varieties in hand made up bags. I want to try them and see if they are fresh. I can put them in Tupperwear when I get it home. If so we may be only needing diapers from the major grocery store. This may not be interesting to any of you but it is a part of life here that is so different than what I was use to. And I think Im getting it finally, wow it only took me almost 2 yrs.
For now I think that's all that this stubborn American has given into but I'm sure there is more to come.
Hi Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI just "found" you last week. I read several of your posts already and I really enjoyed them. I also live in MX with my Mexican husband. I have 4 grown children who live all over the US. We've been here since '05. I told my husband about your "Changes" post while were eating breakfast today--and we talked about our own (sometimes slow) evolutions that have occurred over these past years. I'd love to communicate with you by email, but I don't know how to do that. I looked at your links to other blogs and "found" the gringa-n-mexico, and I'm really enjoying her posts as well. Wish I had found y'all a lot sooner! I feel a common bond, you know, even though we will never meet. Have a good week!
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteI am so impressed with the way you have adapted! I am also a bit envious, the way you are shopping is the way I pictured I would do it here, but usually don't.
There is now a carnicería (Maxicarne) very close to my house, but the meat comes from a central place so it may not be any fresher than the supermarket. My friend lives several blocks south of me and she has a real carnicería near her. The frutería isn't very good either but there is a mini-super (actually now 2) very close by who stock the basics and a bit more who are competitive with the supermarkets but except for deli items they don't stock meat or fresh produce.
I like the idea of setting my menu and then shopping.
You might try what I did when I first lived on my own for budgeting. Its the envelope system. First the rent money (or that paycheck's portion) goes in it's envelope, then the other fixed expenses (including savings,no matter how little an amount). Food is next and then clothes etc.
If you are staying home, you might consider cloth diapers. I remember your laundry situation so you might still need disposables for when the clothes don't dry. But really once you get into the habit it's easier. You can also put disposable liners in the diapers and have the best of both worlds.
I am really inspired to try to do more shopping in my neighborhood. Great post!
regards,
Theresa
Great to hear, Amanda. I love the small store shopping here, as I like the more personal experience. It's also better for local economies, since your money changes hands a few more times. I'd rather pay a couple extra pesos to my neighbors than to the millionaire families that own the big supermarkets. I also find the big stores overwhelming...it's amazing what you get used you!
ReplyDeleteGail- Sorry my response took a while. Im glad you found my blog, if you look through my followers there are actually at least 10 other ladies who are living here with thier husbands or are moving with in the next year or so. I love that you talk to your husband about the blog, I always talk to Issac about the ones I read also. And you are so right even if we never meet we have a connection and the world of blogs has helped me so much in my first two years here. You have a few years on me and Im sure I can learn a lot from you. Oh and who knows if we will never meet, I have meet at least two of my fellow bloggers and love every min of hanging out with them. Here is my e-mail newcreationajhatyahoodotcom
ReplyDeleteLeah-I agree with you completely although what I'm finding is that I don't spend even a peso more and at times I spend less. I was telling the lady at the mini super across the street this and she said its because they buy from with in town. There is actually a factory that makes wipes here in town and that's why her wipes are cheaper than the ones at the grocery store.
Theresa- Thanks so much for the suggestion we acutally do the envelope budgeting. I find it amusing almost because its what I also did when I first moved out on my own at 18. By the time I moved here I was doing the whole checkbook online budgeting and a lot of my bills were taken directly out of my account. I was so confused and lost as far as a budget went when we first moved here. And one day I remembered the old days and this is working great for us. The funny thing is I hadn't ever made a pocket of groceries. I always just divided out the money between the other bills and went and spent the rest on groceries. I need to make
another envelope. ;)
Oh and you should really stop by the Carnacieria that is close to your friends house and find out if they deliver, I ll bet they do just get the number and you can have it delivered.
Isn't it great to shop around for everything and have it fresh? This is how most of the world lives.
ReplyDeleteWe just recently weaned ourselves off of cereal. Hubby liked cereal in the morning for an easy-to-prepare breakfast, but I convinced him to go without it since it costs so much. We can buy a big bag of oatmeal for half the price, lasts twice as long, and is healthier.