Money’s getting’ scarce
If times don’t get no better boys
Gonna leave this place
I haven't been entirely honest with you all.
In an attempt to keep my private business private I've been leaving out important information that might help you people.
The first "confession" I made was my age. I couldn't tell you I was in my "late thirties or early forties" any longer. Those in their mid thirties would be concerned about having my health conditions when they had a lot of time to go because I'm 43. If they are 35, they really needn't worry so much as if they're 40.
Similarly, some readers have been impressed with my low blood pressure. This comes from minor physical activity (which I get less and less of lately.) and what has been, up until recently, a very healthful diet.
What I neglected to say, in a bid to protect my anonymity, is that my diet is pesco-vegetarian. In short, vegetarian plus seafood. I used to eat no chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, mutton, pork, bacon, ham or any of their various forms. I'd make rare exceptions, but not any significant amounts. This may have helped me achieve the number I have.
Money is tight lately and among the foods I enjoyed were veggie burgers. Allow me to praise Morningstar Farms for producing "Chicken" patties so good even Dyingwife prefers them to the "real thing". Top a Morningstar Farms "griller" with Morningstar Farms bacon (Breakfast strips) and a slice of cheese, and it's hardly fair to call yourself vegetarian.
No more.
Morningstar Farms was acquired by Kelloggs and since then has rocketed up 60% in price and my salary has not kept up. All other foods have suddenly become rather dear and the Morningstar Farms products are one of the first casualties of scaling back our grocery bills. Morningstar Farms "hot dogs" are a rather good imitation of the real thing, but at quadruple the price, I can't justify their purchase anymore. Fortunately, the bacon is competitive with the real thing and the dried mixes sold by "Fantastic Foods", (veggie chili and sloppy joes) has always been a bargain. The chicken patties are also out of my price range now that eggs hit a buck fifty a dozen. Veggie burgers can be had fromBoca Burger if you get them in bulk at Sam's Club, but they are not as good as Morningstar Farms. Not by half.
After 20 years of largely abstaining, I now eat chicken franks, dark meat chicken, and hamburger. I haven't sunk low enough to eat bologna yet, but I make no promises. The kids go to college in 6 years and the budget isn't supporting socking money away at the rate needed.
This has largely been necessary because when we weren't eating veggie meats we were eating soups and grilled cheese, ravioli and tuna. Not expensive things in general. There aren't a whole lotof things we can cut back on further.
We have some debts to pay off (like most Americans) and once those are retired, I may buy some more Morningstar Farms foods again and deep six the carnivore thing again. For now though, I am a meat eater and that is going to introduce extra calories. Veggie meats are high in fiber and low in fat. Made of soybeans and egg white, they are high quality protein. They are health food. I have substituted saturated fat laden meat for health food. This may produce results that I'll need to be very wary of.
It may be that I need to forego the treats I've been able to indulge in because of my vegetarian diet. I frequently get a hankering for ice cream and it is an affordable luxury still. Money may not be the issue when I stop buying that too. When my blood pressure consistently tops 120, it may be time to get serious about the sweets or get moving on the exercise program I'm dabbling with.
Times, they are a changin'.
