pas cher

Cheap

For our first couple weeks in Paris, Lindsay and I have been exploring, eating, drinking, shopping, sightseeing, eating, drinking. Despite my previous sprinkled insinuations of cutting back, it is simply impossible for two 20-something women to live on a budget in a city where you are meant to splurge. Until now. It's with a sense of accomplishment that I state, we have finally succeeded in staying within our budget! Kind of. Okay, we have stayed within our grocery budget. But, it is a start!

With a fresh week of busy schedules ahead of us, Lindsay and I forced ourselves out into the rain on Sunday to pick up some groceries. After deflating encounters with strange, two-shelf markets, we finally stumbled upon a promising supermarket. We stocked up on fruit, cereal, pasta, chicken, and a couple frozen meals for our busy days. Our eyes met in shock when the register only rung up 25 euros, about what we spend on a single meal dining out!

Despite our accomplished grocery run, we've still encountered a couple complications with our purchases. 

Problem: I've was so excited to find some name-brand yogurt that I could pack for lunch! Then I realized I have nowhere to store my yogurt during my first four hours of class. (FYI, I am someone that is overly conscious of past due dates and warm dairy products).
Solution: I have make-shifted a container that I fill with ice and wrap a plastic grocery bag around and carry it with care on my 15 minute walk every morning.

Problem: We bought a frozen pizza, reminiscing of what used to be a classy college dinner, now a last resort. Last night, I went to pop it in the oven for us after an 11 hour school day. Oh, our apartment doesn't have an oven. Good to know!
Solution: I had to do some negotiating with the toaster oven. We'll leave it at that for sake of my landlord.

Problem: Our gas stove requires you to stick a match up to it when you're turning it on. I am quite pyrophobic and the only kind of lighter I can use is the kind with the six inch handle. This may or may not be subconsciously related to the time I burnt half of my hair off when I was five.
Solution: My roommate.

As is true in any discourse, challenges are merely scenic rides in the journey. Finally, Lindsay and I cooked a real meal together! Alright, it may not compare to the freshly scaled salmon from last post, but it is a perfectly budgeted meal that doesn't require an oven.

Pasta, chicken, broccoli in Alfredo sauce
and a baguette for a French touch!

Did I mention that all this effort to budget is just so we can hopefully afford Louis Vuittons and a trip to Barcelona? Well, girls will be girls!