Husbanding is Such a Great Word

The new apartment is an almost-definite. I am composing the email to current landlord and getting ready to drive back out to the mammoth complex (it's larger by about 2000 people than the town my mom was born in) to fill out paperwork and forms. In every way, it's just about the total opposite of a place I'd like to call home: not walkable, not independent, not surrounded by cool indie shops and farmers markets. It is, however, going to let me live much more comfortably and without quite so much panic and stress every month. And also, it's half the commute to work, it's got 8 pools, a giant gym, a theater, cooking classes...it's like a small city. So no complaints, and I'm actually feeling pretty good about the decision. Too bad about the whole moving while working thing (I've only ever had to move during the summer, when I could take all the time I needed or a day off without it being a hardship) but shitballs, if that's the hardest thing I have to do this year, I'll be okay.

Moving is forcing me to use things up fast, which is great for my husbanding skills. Not, of course, the kind my nana would like me to have, but the kind that 19th century housewives used to be trained for: making resources last and making sure they got used well. I think it's charming, in all good ways. Tonight, I husbanded 3 floppy carrots (which for some reason sounds vaguely pornographic) into a French rosemary lentil salad; gave away three bags of poor-choice-thrifting clothes back to the thrift universe; took care of my own small self with some lovely yoga; found a much cheaper alternative to my already cheaper alternative of my face powder. It was quite the day--although I have to say that food prices continue to astound me. My next goal, once everything gets settled down from the move, is to hack 10% off my food expenditures. I currently spend about $7o-80 a WEEK on organic produce, veggies, and limited processed items, like bread and crackers, and that just seems so effing exorbitant. And honestly, it doesn't feel like I have that much to show for it! I try not to keep snack-y type foods in the apartment, and aside from GreenSmoothie makings, often don't have much at all. So where is the $80 going? Where? Where?

(And if anyone raises their hand and says, "hmmm, maybe on $3 bottles of kombucha?" well, you'd be right, but you'd also be a little ripe for a scowling.)

Also, my pantry is randomly squeaking. It is very weird.