How’s My Low Buy Year Going?

 

I’m going to start right off with a spoiler: my low buy year is going really well! It hasn’t been 100% perfect, but close enough for me. With any endeavor perfection is not the ultimate goal; sticking with the plan despite any hiccups along the way is what counts in the long run.

January was a total win! Fueled by the newness of the challenge, I was very motivated to stick to my goals. In early February we flew to Sarasota, FL to visit family. We had a great time, and for the first time I recognized the appeal of being a snowbird. We were only there for a week, yet it was a great chance to see the area and spend time with family. We were pleasantly surprised by the number of healthy food options available, especially from Crop, a local juice bar chain which also serves smoothies, salads, and desserts.

Vacation Fails?

Although we ate most meals with family at their homes, there were a couple dinners we ate out, and we did indulge our love of coffee. We also enjoyed some wonderful smoothies, especially the ones from Crop. So how did I do food-wise while on our trip? There were three paleo exceptions which occurred:

French Fries - Although potatoes are paleo, being fried in an oil which was most likely not paleo is a no-no. My partner and I got these to share at a local restaurant which makes them from scratch. I don’t really regret getting them because they tasted so good!

Vegan Carrot Cake Bar - When I first glanced at the ingredients I thought it was paleo-compliant, but after I purchased it I realized there were actually a couple ingredients that weren’t paleo. I shared it with two people, so I only had a little bit, and I really liked it. It also inspired me to create a version of the cake at home that is both paleo and vegan friendly, and I was thrilled with how my version turned out. It’ll definitely be a dish to share at family functions that everyone will be able to enjoy. I plan to make it for Easter.

Starbucks Pistachio Latte - I got this at the airport for our flight home. To be paleo I shouldn’t have gotten any flavoring in the latte, but I hadn’t tried the pistachio before and was curious. It tasted great so I’m glad I got it, yet I wasn’t tempted to get more once we got home. I count that as a win!

We probably bought a bit more specialty coffee drinks out than was necessary while on our trip, but trying the local food options (especially coffee) when we travel is one of the things we enjoy. And as far as eating out when not traveling, I have stayed true to my goal.

One Questionable Purchase

My partner had a Michael’s reward that was about to expire, and since there wasn’t anything he needed or wanted to get he offered the reward to me. We had limited time to redeem the reward, and when we were able to get to the store I also happened to be tired and hungry - definitely not the best time to be making a purchasing decision. I bought some yarn, and after the discount the total was more than I had calculated, probably because I was tired and hungry. We left the store, and I decided I would re-examine the purchase in a day or so when I felt better. Ultimately I ended up returning some of the yarn, though in retrospect I wish I hadn’t made the purchase at all. For the yarn I kept, I did save more money than I would have without the reward, but I still somewhat regret the purchase. It could have been thought out better. It’s a reminder of the importance of planning out purchases to avoid shopping under a time crunch or when tired and/or hungry.

To summarize, even though not all my decisions have been perfect, I feel I’m overall succeeding in my Healthy Low Buy Year. Two of the three food purchases while on vacation knowingly weren’t paleo but I greatly enjoyed them. The questionable yarn purchase does fit within my low buy year guidelines, yet that’s the only purchase I have any regret about this year. I’m going to trade my regret for the lesson learned and do better next time. We’ve continued to do lots of cooking at home, and extended family members have been enjoying our creations as well. My hearts of palm lasagna has been a great hit, and I’m looking forward to sharing the carrot cake with them in the near future. If you’re interested in trying out my recipes for these dishes or others, let me know and I’ll post them in the future.