there will always be another chance
things can always get better

and we who thought we would live forever
galloped from pasture to pasture
nothing lasts, nothing lasts, we said
but then, some things do

I ran into the problem recently where the Facebook Picasa Uploader plugin doesn’t put up high-res images. I love this button in Picasa as it makes it really easy to share stuff. I like making albums with it and it’s easy to pick out which photos I want to share - great organizing software. But the low-res copies it uploads are really disappointing.

I’ve looked for all sorts of alternatives and nothing really seems to exist currently.

Solution:
- Hit the “Export” button in Picasa. This puts the ones you selected in their own folder.
- Upload photos to Facebook as normal
- Delete the folder when you’re done

And that’s probably just as easy as any alternative *could* be =)

The area in which I currently spend most of my time, Rancho Santa Fe, does not allow for delivery of mail by the United States Postal Service. Basically, there’s nowhere here to put the boxes and nobody wants them here anyway.

I have accomplished what Kramer could not. I have stopped the mail.

the more i shop for my no-kitchen lifestyle the more i realize that many people can’t cook. never really thought about it before.

I’m in the unique situation of not having anything but a microwave for cooking at my new place. I do not have a freezer, only a refrigerator. It’s caused me to think about ways to continue to eat healthily, but still at a reasonable price. Currently I don’t consider my situation a disadvantage as much as I consider it a learning opportunity. Also, anymore I really hate cooking. I hate the time it takes, I hate doing dishes, I hate storing food, I hate buying ingredients, I hate the entire process. So this eating-without-cooking thing is great for me right now.

However, cooking for yourself is a very good way to live cheaply. A meal is something that happens for many people (in the United States) over 1000 times per year, so even budgeting an extra $1 per meal adds up. Eating $5 meals instead of $10 meals makes a huge difference for most people. With the median income in the US for persons over 25 being around $32,000 per year, adding $5 to the cost of your meal would be $5000 per year - 15.6% of a person’s income.

So what’s the next best thing?

So far I’ve found:
- Milk and Cereal. Cheap, nutritious if you get decent cereal. Compact and doesn’t take up room in my mini-fridge. Oatmeal is good too.
- Fruits generally don’t require even refrigeration and are cheap and nutritious.
- Grocery store sandwiches. Usually just as good, if not better than sandwich shops, and certainly cheaper. $4-5 for a sandwich that will easily last me two meals.
- Grocery store deli area foods. The cafeteria-style stuff is often nutritious and cheap. $5 will easily get you 2-3 meals. Often a good way to add cooked vegetables to my diet.
- Pre-prepared foods at the grocery store. No, not frozen meals. These ones are usually prepared by the grocery store themselves and you’ll find them refrigerated near the deli sections. Biggest advantage is that they’re diverse in the types of food in them, store well in a refigerator and taste a lot better than frozen meals. Disadvantage is that they’re expensive - $4-5 for a single meal that doesn’t stretch beyond that meal.
- Deals! My favorite category. At my local grocery store, Albertsons, they have a Monday special where you get: 8 piece fried chicken, 1lb potato wedges, 1lb potato salad, 4 rolls, 2L coke.. for $8. That’s easily 4 meals for me.
Nearby there is also a Rubio’s. The first time I tried them I thought they were overpriced, not that great Mexican food. However, on Tuesdays they have these wonderful fish tacos for $1.50. Three is a meal for me; I bought 8 last time and took them home.

Sidenote: if you drink soda, beer is slightly more macronutrient-healthy option in that it gives you a reasonable dose of protein. Plus, it’s funner =)

Sidenote 2: I have two of everything: bowls, plates, cups, forks, spoons (most of which I acquired at thrift stores). I do my dishes in a bathroom sink.

Sidenote 3: Being at the grocery store a lot gives you interesting social opportunities. I end up talking to a lot more people in my typical week by living this way. You can vary your social scene too. For example, at my Albertsons in Del Mar, despite the reasonable prices on food, most of their customers drive BMW, Mercedes and other luxury-class cars. If I go the other direction toward Encinitas and stop at Trader Joe’s, I’m surrounded by very suburban folks in minivans and SUVs.

Sidenote 4: I live in San Diego, CA. Prices are higher here than most other places I have lived. Per meal, I’d easily subtract $1 (about 20% of the cost of most of the meals I discuss) in much of the Midwest.

Anyone have tips on how to eat cheaply and healthily without cooking?

There’s a Legoland here in San Diego!!
Deeply saddened that it’s built without adults in mind at all though =( Found this and a bunch of other similar reviews on Tripadvisor:

Our boys were 13 and 11 - huge Lego fans. The rides were generally too little for them but they loved Miniland, Xbox game space, Build and test, and shopping. We wish we would have visited here 3-4 years ago! This was a 3 hour excursion for them - no rides.

Legos were my #1 toy while growing up. I probably spent more time with them than I spent time in school.. haha.

Maybe I’ll find some kids to go with. hahah.