You know what I just realized today? This week is my only full week of work in the month of November. My trip to San Francisco shortened my first two weeks of the month and next week is Thanksgiving. I always knew November was one of my favorite months. 
To kick off my first full week this morning I had a serving of Mixed Nuts for a snack.
For lunch I had the rest of my Black Bean Salad from Saturday.
I served the black bean mix over a bed of spinach with plain yogurt and shredded corn tortillas layered on top.
Twas a very delicious & festive lunch. 
I forgot to bring in my left over cake this morning, so I grabbed it when I was home at lunch and set it out in the main kitchen upon my return.
I grabbed a piece myself to make sure it hadn’t gone bad overnight or anything.
Still good. And I’ve already had a few co-workers comments on the cake and ask for the recipe. Success!
Thanksgiving Challenge Update…
This far I had been very proud of myself on the Thanksgiving Challenge front. Before this weekend I had managed to only spend $25 and some change on food for the month of November. Unfortunately the keywords in that sentence are *before this weekend.* Somehow I lost all of that great control on my finances in the past two days. Le sigh.
Friday night and Saturday morning I was lucky enough to have my Dad treat me to dinner and breakfast out, so neither of those charges were factored in this weekend’s total. However, the combination of eating out on Saturday, the Food & Wine Festival on Sunday and two impromptu visits to Publix more than tripled my total. Ooopss…
As of today – not counting my San Francisco weekend – I have spent a total of $80.04 in the month of November on food. That leaves me with a little less then $20 for the rest of the month which includes a road trip to Tallahassee this weekend and Thanksgiving the following weekend.
Hmmm…. after spending so much money this weekend alone, I’m not sure I’m going to make it. Yikes! I am still going to give it my best effort though – Wish me luck!
Don’t forget you can follow my Thanksgiving Challenge progress here.
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
and that is EXACTLY why i refused to sign up for the thanksgiving challenge. LOL. i think i would’ve been an epic failure. you are doing pretty good so far, though!
WOW! Luck you! I don’t think I had a full week in November at all
(YES!)
That is one foxy salad–I’ll be trying to clone it for my lunch tomorrow!
I am getting close to over budget too! Scary!
you will do great with your budget!
jenna
so I’m paying for everything in tallahassee??
Yay for sharing cake with coworkers- that frosting looks so creamy and delish!
http://www.joelygolightly.wordpress.com
Good luck on the challenge!
You are doing a GREAT job with the challenge. With the whole point of it being to become more aware of what you spend I think it’s perfectly fine that you might overspend. As long as you keep trying, you’re doing fine.
Must make some bean & corn concoction – we need some festive food up here in dreary Seattle!
Haha I love Derek’s comment. I say as long as you are being mindful of your spending that you are at least in the spirit of the challenge
Congrats on at least trying the challenge. I’m terrible about spending money on food. If I told you what we had spent in just the last week you would have a heart attack!
It’s the effort to live frugally that counts!
I applaud you for even trying. There is no way I could do this… Well, if it were just me, that would be one thing, but I have a husband whose stomach is a bottomless pit!
WOW you made a good effort though. I doubt I could have done it…. I have a food shopping addiction like most people have a clothes addiction.
One full week of work? SOO nice! I have the whole week off of school over Thanksgiving which is pretty darn exciting.
your so hard working, i think you can bang this challenge right outta the park!
http://saladdiva.wordpress.com
Hey, at least you tried! And it’s not over yet so don’t give up hope. Any money saved is better than none.
Thanksgiving challenge huh? Sounds like that might be dangerous
There’s NOTHING like a black bean salad. LOVE Mexican food–yum!
I think you will make it
Bahahaha… you said “Le Sigh.” You rock.
I would have been an epic fail at that challenge. I spend too much money on groceries… I eat alot, and Jason does too
At least you spent your $$ on experience though, not just like throwing it down the drain. I would have done the same thing!
Kudos for including the meals you eat out, but FYI when I did the challenge only groceries counted and we got one free meal out a week
You can make it only if you do top ramen
I think you could of done the thanksgiving challenge and be successful with it if you weren’t so busy traveling!
Hot breakfast idea:
this recommendation comes a bit late to the relevant post, and apologies if someone already mentioned it, but a baked/nuked sweet potato is a good hot bfast idea that could still satiate that morning sweet tooth
I scoop out a zapped sweet potato and sprinkle it with vanilla protein powder and cinamon for a nice hot breakie.
Wow, I wish my Novembers where like that. I work in a casino, I have to work more, lol.
I never thought about adding yogurt to spinach and tortillas, I might have to try that sometime.
Pumpkin Cornbread, thats CREATIVE!
-Courtney
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