Scrape, scrape, scrape...

This is not the first time that I've had to scrape and scrimp to get things together. This is, however, the first time I've been trying to save for a new computer out of my own earnings and savings.

We've made half a cow's worth of meat last for most of this year, and that's fabulous. Now we're out of everything but soup bones... affording another half a cow is out of my budget and might be out of Beloved's for some time yet.

And organic meats are not cheap. Especially if you want them pasture-raised. As far as I know, there's only one place that even stocks the stuff.

It's that or a lot of chicken.

Sourcing healthy, fatty meats is a slight problem since everyone reckons they're not good and price them out of our budget.

I shouldn't worry too hard, though. Beloved and I find ways to work around this kind of noise. It's just... more of a pain in the butt.

I know there's readers out there who like the stories I write. And I understand that it's better to get stuff for free, but I am a human being just like y'all and I need a little income to have nice things.

I give up a lot for my family. And this time I'm giving up a lot for myself. And hoping that I'm good enough to get some help from anyone who actually reads this stuff. And I don't want to go backwards in my efforts.

I have to figure out the right balance between begging for money and producing content. To be present as a need without being annoying enough to drive everyone away.

So... I'm scraping. Getting what I need, when I need it, from the cheapest, yet healthiest available sources and hoping for the best. When I run out of budget money, which might be often, I stop buying things and we go for the stocks in the freezer.

It's not easy to feed four people on $200 a week. Not when you want to keep them healthy. I might have to expand my budget. Or work out how to stretch it in ways other than stew.

Stay tuned. I'll share how we go.