Hey /adv/, So after a year of not being able to work and going

>>17727432
>food, clothing, entertainment
first off cut that down to
>food

>>17727434
That was just me saying that I have $888 to spend on literally anything other than the non-variable options.

With regards to food, what do you suggest I buy to keep myself healthy and well-fed? I imagine rice for carbs, but is there anything you can recommend ?

Biking is next to free besides replacement parts are you close enough to your work to do that?

I used to commute 10 miles each way every day when I was working and my thighs are still toned as fuck.

>>17727442
ask /ck/, ive seen several threads over there about cheap cooking.

>>17727443
Work is 8 miles away. According to google maps, it would take the same amount of time to bike to work as it would to take the bus. Great idea, I can go buy a bike on craigslist for real cheap.

>>17727448
Yeah it sucks for about 3 weeks and then it gets considerably better.

I love biking I make up reasons to bike all the time and I don't have any special gear or clothes or anything besides my panniers and cushioned seat.

>>17727447
Sounds good, I'll lurk around for a cheap cooking thread.

>>17727453
>cushioned seat
I didn't even think about that. I'll be sure to get one of those and a rack for my work shit.

>>17727455
Panniers are a must for commuting unless you want a sweaty back from your backpack.

>>17727476
I live in WA state, so trust me when I say that sweat is the least of my worries. I'll be lucky if I'm not completely drenched in fucking rainwater. I'm thinking my best bet is to pack extra clothes in waterproof bags and gritting my teeth through the rain.

Honestly, learn to perimeter shop only at grocery stores and build up your cooking skills.

If you learn to bake a whole chicken (look up something like Chef John's Salted Chicken), or buy a Rotisserre Chicken, that's a TON of food for 1 person for $6-8. That chicken can be eaten by itself, in a quesidilla, in spaghetti, etc. Stuff like Yogurt and Granola is good too. A stock of Chicken Stock or Broth, Onions, Garlic, Potatoes, Tomato Paste (Super Cheap, and can be easily made into a sauce), Diced Tomoatos can take you really far. You can adjust how much you buy once you get a better handle on everything, but nutirionally you'll be pretty solid, you'll be improving a life skillset, and on the occasion you want to get something fast or splurge you won't feel like you fucked yourself/didn't deserve it/etc.

Remember, especially if you start biking: Water. Water all the time.

For clothing, honestly, Black Friday shopping can't be beat from department stores (for underwear, socks) to even places like Hollister or Old Navy that do BOGO, or 40-50% the entire store.

>>17727510
Good advice. How much do you reckon I should allot for food per month? I'm the kind of person who follows directions really well, so when someone gives me a set number, I tend to stick to it.

I honestly think your taking this to an extent. Simply save 50% of your paychecks after bills. The rest you can spend or let it roll over. At that point, all you got to do is maintain a job and you're good.

>>17727551
I dunno, I just like having a plan in mind. My problems in life stemmed from me having no real structure in the way I did things, and now I'm paying for my mistakes. I don't mind being a little anal about how I spend my money as long as I never, ever go broke again.

>>17727528
That's a little hard to say, honestly. I would see how far you can make it on a $60/week budget.

Wholesale clubs like BJs or Costco, you can buy 8 pouches of chicken drumsticks (4 a pouch) for like $9.00 or a whole tube of ground beef for $15. What I do is usually separate the chicken pouches and toss all but one in the freezer until I'm ready to cook it. Also, with ground beef, same thing, cut it up into smaller portions and freeze. The Wholesale club, even if they charge a yearly fee, is a great place to also buy home essentials like toilet paper, papertowls, cleaning stuff (clorox wipes/detergent/trash bags). Not to mention stuff like tomato paste or chicken broth that you buy in bulk and have in a pantry a loooong time. Wholesale may not make a whole lot of sense for 1 person, but it's free to walk in and just check out prices.

Don't forget about rice, or overnight crock pot recipes. The name of the game is eating well without wasting spoilable foods. If you buy something like a bag of apples, make sure you eat 1 a day until they go. Same with Bananas.

General life advice is setup a calendar somewhere, could be digital or a wall-one and spend the 10 minutes to fill in when rent/utilities/phone bill are due. Automate almost every payment you can (autopay on credit cards, rent, etc). If you receive random money, like gift money, a bonus, etc, spend it. This is not stable income you can rely on or factor into your payments, it's simply a bonus.

You sound like you'll be totally fine, just don't punish yourself mentally for past mistakes.

>>17727663
All great advice. Thanks for the info, I'll be sure to not to ever reach my lowest point ever again.