Friday, April 3, 2015

Food Security and Furry Friday


Hubby is back and Buddy has enjoyed playing rope this week in the yard with him between rain showers.  This along with walks is one of our primary ways for him to expend energy during the day so he is good in the evening.  



Buddy is looking a bit shaggy.  As you can see in this photo, it has been 4.5 weeks since his last trim.  He has an appointment with the groomer on Wednesday - next time I will book it for 4 weeks.  I hate not being able to see his eyes so shortly after this picture was taken we did a trim job on the hair over his eyes.  Now he looks a bit like a three year old who got a hold of scissors and did their own bangs lol (I did that as a kid).

Last week while hubby was away he was assisting one of our clients - who happens to be a chain of high end boutique pet stores.  Needless to say being around all those cool toys all week was too much for him - he caved and brought home the dinosaur and skunk in the background.  I hate to think how much they cost - at least he bought them off a client.  On the upside our company is expensive too - perhaps we best just build some pet toys into the contract next time.  

For Easter Sunday we are having my Mom over for a turkey feast.  She is bringing dessert and I am supplying everything else.  As there is only 3 of us I tried to buy the smallest turkey I could - an 11 pounder .95 cents a pound utility grade.  I have always had good luck with utility turkeys, at most they are usually missing a wing tip or have a bit of torn skin.  My family could care less.  They always taste good.  

Last week when I cleaned out the fridge I also did an inventory on both the side fridge freezer and our minichest freezer.  Both are full to bursting with food.  Strange since I ended up at the end of the month at $499.97 on a budget of $550.  Likely the difference was that hubby was away for the week.  I don't include Buddy's costs into our grocery budget as have a completely separate category for him and this way I can compare grocery costs from year to year properly.

Food security is something a lot of people don't talk about much.  When I was a kid my father left the country leaving my mother to take care of myself (age 5) and sister (age 11).  There was no child support - ever.  If that had happened these days there would have been something Mom could have done about it but back then it was difficult to force someone to pay child support when they lived in the USA.  At the time my Mom had been a stay at home Mom.  Did I mention that we had moved to Canada from the USA five years before and had zero family?  She survived, got a job and stayed in Canada with us.  There were food security issues at times - but we always got fed even when sometimes other things had to be delayed - like heating oil one time.  She raised a garden and did the best she could.  That's what a lot of people do.  It might be why I am so frugal - and always like to pay my bills first and have a full pantry and fridge.  Fortunately, through saving and paying our mortgage off it is unlikely not having enough food will ever be an issue again in my household, but you never know what could happen around the bend.  

Food security is an issue for many in Canada but none so prevalent as the far North - where winters are long and growing seasons almost non-existent.  Where animal meat that has been relied upon for hundreds of years is in short supply.  Where fuel costs are so high they have to pay $7.50 CAD for a litre of milk that I can get for $2. Many of these people are First Nations - the original inhabitants of Canada - moving away is not an option.   Just some food for thought this weekend when you are feasting - think about others who may not be so fortunate and what you can do about it.  I know I am.







16 comments:

  1. Always a good reminder to save for lean times, but also give thanks for what we have by helping others. Food banks get low whenever thete are school holidays- no school lunch.

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    1. You are so right. Thanks for commenting Sam.

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  2. My ex left me with no money and then started a nasty custody battle. He also cleaned out the checking and took the only car and left me with the payments. It was terrible and to this day I'm grateful for what I lived through. I'm tough and I can stretch a dollar.
    Bless your mom!

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    1. Well crap on a cracker - what an SOB. You are a tough woman and made things work. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger - isn't that what they say?

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  3. Your Mum sounds an incredibly strong lady and a real inspiration. No wonder you're so thrifty!
    Buddy gets cuter, I swear! xxx

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    1. She is a very strong woman. We made it work and stayed in Canada - she didn't retire with much but has a lovely retirement all the same. He does get cuter by the day!

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  4. I used to stock up on food but it would go bad before it got used. I'm terrible at thinking ahead when it comes to stuff like that. I used to belong to Sam's. Now I just buy what we need from week to week because our income is so irregular. Great shot of Buddy leaping into the air! I'll bet he's glad daddy's home. :-)

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    1. I am pretty careful with items that can go bad as am determined to not waste food but it is so bloody easy when your produce only seems to last a day or two in the fridge. Buddy is SO glad dad is home - his playmate.

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  5. My sister lives about 5 hours north of London and even there her food costs are a lot higher than here. I really don't know how they survive in the far north. You are practical, like your mother, which is a good quality to have I think. My dad didn't make a lot and my mom was a stay at home mom with 5 kids. Even though the fridge seemed empty most of the time there was always a good dinner on the table. It seemed like magic to me. My dad was an amazing gardener thank goodness and my mom canned and froze produce which we enjoyed in the winter. We didn't have a lot but we had enough. Some thing good to think about while we are feasting and others are not...

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    1. Some of the nearby islands that are harder to get to from the mainland (2 or 3 ferries) have really high food costs. I saw someone at Costco the other day with a large town order who was piling boxes into their van to take back. With only one grocer in town they are pretty limited as to choice and cost. We are fortunate here to have almost a year round growing season for some items.

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  6. I feel panicky if there isn't plenty of food in the pantry.I've never been hungry,my Mum could make meals out of nothing...but I still feel as though there NEEDS to be plenty.
    Jane x

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    1. I actually am someone who can make meals out of nothing - I enjoy the challenge lol.

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  7. I think about that a lot -- about how fortunate we are and how hard it is for others. I grew up in a single parent household too but luckily, we had Social Security survivor benefits -- something conservative folks here would call "entitlements" and look down on us for. My mom was frugal too -- but a horrible cook! I went crazy when I first had money to buy what I wanted at the grocery store but realized that is not healthy or financially responsible. We don't spend much compared to others but we have it better than so many others who can't be sure they'll have enough to eat.

    I give money to the local food bank whenever I can. No one deserves to be hungry.

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    1. I didn't start being financially responsible until about age 25 - suddenly a light bulb turned and and things changed. You are so right, when so many have so much and so many have so little.

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  8. I thank the Lord for the riches every day. Both my parents were brought up during WWII and they were subjected to food shortages and rationing. That might be why my Mom was a super tightwad but showed me thrifty basics like butchering a chicken and making stock from the carcass. But in the end it is just common sense.
    I have a full pantry and a full freezer that I can shop from, and that is sure a stress reliever!

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    1. I agree. Give me an 8 kg bag of rice, some veggies in the fridge and a bit of meat in the freezer and I am good to go.

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