Despite the long hours, stress, and tiredness, I'm still remaining relatively frugal. A few things I'm proud of on this trip:
- Planning for snacks and treats. I've been craving the salty and the sweet, potato chips and chocolate bars. On previous trips I've told myself I shouldn't eat that junk, then ended up spending over $15 in a week on a series of over-priced teeny-tiny bags of chips and a couple of candy bars. This time I've stretched a $2 bag of chips and a $3 bag of candy out over days and days.
- Asking advice of locals. A few of the people I'm working with live in this area, and they've been very valuable. For example, I learned that most convenience stores here sell reasonably tasty, filling pretzels for cheap (the ones I've found are 50 cents so far)-- way better than a $2 pastry. And they've pointed me to cheap yet quality eats that I'd never have found on my own.
- Bringing my water bottle. Bringing it from home saved the couple bucks on buying the first one; refilling it and toting it around instead of buying beverages is saving more every day.
- Buying large lunches that will last. I don't have a refrigerator, but when I pick big meals for lunch that can safely last a few hours, they can serve as snacks or even dinner.
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