Groceries

I went on my first grocery shopping trips for the new place yesterday (and the day before, though it was a very minor trip). I spent about $20 total, and this is what I have to show for it:

Rice: .80
Dry beans: $1.10
Canned goods:
Carrots: .70
Green beans: .70
Mixed veggies: .50
Oatmeal (medium-sized): $4.60
Peanut butter (small): $1.50
Honey: $5.60
Bread: $1.25
Eggs: $1
Water: $1
Bleach: $1 (for cleaning, not eating)

Total: $19.75

I have a few recipes in mind for the dinner ingredients:

Alton Brown's baked brown rice (though I'll need butter):
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/baked-brown-rice-recipe/index.html

Brown rice with veggies:
http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2010/01/brown-rice-with-vegetables.html

Pinto beans:
http://www.myhomecooking.net/mexican-food-recipes/pinto-bean-recipe.htm

Next shopping trip:

Lentil and ham soup:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/slow-cooker-lentil-and-ham-soup/

Pantry spaghetti:
http://brokeassgourmet.com/articles/pantry-spaghetti

"Texas" pinto beans:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/terrys-texas-pinto-beans/

Moving Out, Phase I: Packing

Something I have never learned: travel light.

Maybe it's because I grew up really poor, but somewhere along the line I started to value quantity over quality.
For instance: I own four or five plaid jackets that I never wear because they don't go with anything.
My bathroom is over-stocked with shampoos and lotions and sprays that I use maybe once every six months each.

And as it is, though I thought I put in a valiant effort to liquidate my inventory, I still had way too much stuff when I finished packing.

I threw out bags of clothes, knick-knacks, wall decor, random crap from thrift stores and found objects. But I still had more than a room full of stuff that needed to get moved to my new home.

And it's currently a nice mound-shaped horde of junk and clothes and books in the middle of my bedroom because there's just too much to sort right now.

It took two trips with one car and a truck, which means I had enough stuff to fill two cars and two trucks.

We took most things, but not everything.

(I was even really smart and forgot to take my trash cans.)

I left a few boxes, blankets and posters. The rest can be done in one more trip.

But still: >4 cars' worth of stuff? After six years of living in one place?

I need to learn to downsize.

Exhibit A and B:

And now I'm going to go to McDonald's for dinner because I haven't made a proper grocery run yet. I promise not to hoard the wrappers.