Day 14 - Bingo!

Well I have broken one of my pledges and I don't feel guilty at all.  Today we went to the Ye Old Sandwich shop in downtown Seneca.  I still go to lunch with people just to visit.  I usually try to eat a little something before to prevent temptation.  Well today while Jay, Dianne and I are sitting at our booth the owner dings a little bell and asks to get everyone's attention.  She says they are starting "dinner bingo" and if they call your table number you get a free meal for the day.  Table number 27 was the first pick but no one was sitting there.  Then, you guessed it, they called table number 1, our table.  I wasn't hungry but I have a hard time saying no to free food.  I ordered a cheeseburger....and it was delicious.

Yesterday, I went to the Dull's house to learn to make baked spaghetti.  Susan showed me all these cool cooking tips like how to "score" the onion.  She was showing how much cheaper it was to make things from scratch especially when as a single you make things you can freeze/refrigerate for later.  She provided all the "ingredients" so I didn't actually have to purchase anything.  Again I don't feel guilty (this was unsolicited help).  It was delicious.

Then I did my second grocery run on the way home.  Cheryl, one of my good friends here in Clemson since I moved here, is really big into coupons.  I think there is even a name for "couponing".  I believe one the the cable shows is doing a mini series on it.  Anyways, she knows knows how to stretch a buck.  Sometimes she can get a van load of groceries paying hardly anything.  She showed me some websites to learn the couponing methods and the double coupon values for bloom, Bi Lo, and Publix.  Some of the techniques seemed a little complicated to me but I found a few items I use and was able to get out of there paying only $2.90.  That was 50% off the sale price and about 75% off there normal prices.  Not too shabby.

I haven't faced any huge difficulties yet.  I know eventually things are going to be more difficult when I start running out of stuff but so far its been pretty easy.  Partly, its because people give me stuff all the time.  Monday, this sweet lady Alice who I do Bible study with every week and is on a fixed income due to her disability gave me some bread and pudding.  She wasn't giving it for my experiment.  She just doesn't eat those things that are brought to her house.

Am I so blessed that I could eat free in perpetuity?   Have I been wasting that much?  I must confess my heart glazes a little when I hear about all the poverty and starving children in the world.  Its so foreign to me.  I don't think God wants us to be miserable because others suffer, but couldn't I show a little more solidarity?  I don't know.  I'm going to have to think about this.  I mean I give about 50 bucks a month to "orphan" charities, hundreds a month to my church and thousands a year to missions.  But should I pat myself on the back and feel good or should I acknowledge I could be giving 200-300/month more if I was really willing to sacrifice?  I don't know.  I think for now I am going to try to keep enjoying this time and be thankful my suffering is light.  Maybe I can curb some of my former wasteful habits to meet somewhere in the middle.