Experiment #2: We Need Batches! (Week One Update)

So, how did it go? Did I accomplish everything I set out to do? Were there any unexpected consequences or benefits? Read on!

First of all, Happy Mothers Day! I don't know how all of you mothers do it. I can't imagine having to clean, cook, and organize schedules for an entire family. Congratulations on all of your hard-earned love!

I'm not going to lie; this week was pretty fantastic. I ate well, I handled work email like a champ, and had plenty of time to socialize and relax. Despite the fact that our musical run was last weekend, I had a performance yesterday, and we have our first choir concerts next week, things are surprisingly calm.

The biggest time and effort saver was planning and cooking my meals in advance. No more being "too busy" or "forgetting" to eat. I was never "too tired" to cook dinner. At this point, I'm not counting calories, but I did plan healthy and satisfying meals. I was rarely hungry, and as a result, I was less likely to snack. Unfortunately, all of that cooking has increased the need to do large batches of dishes, and to deal with trash and recycling in a completely different way. I have some ideas about how to deal with the kitchen, but I'll save those for another blog post.

In the end, I decided not to sign up for Direct Debit for my student loan accounts. It turned out to be more trouble than it was worth, at the moment. I would have to snail mail my request and seek approval, and if I ever wanted to discontinue the service, I would have to snail mail another request and wait for 10 business days. Honestly, it takes two minutes for me to pay my bill online, and I'm willing to spend those two minutes to set up on-time payments when I deal with the mail on Mondays.

It took all of two days before I found myself with large swaths of free time...and I had no idea what to do with it! I spent two whole evenings playing the new Mortal Kombat for Xbox 360. I was out all day on Saturday for a school celebration, grocery shopping, and then a friend's birthday party. It was lovely, weather and all. I didn't miss out on anything: TV, friends, video games, good music, good food. Everything should be this enjoyable.

Okay, that's a bit of a lie. As a caution to anyone who is thinking about trying this challenge, the up-front costs can be a little daunting. I spent an insane amount of money on my first grocery trip: around $183. I lost a lot of sleep over the first few nights, as I tried to batch-plan, shop, and cook. I think I may have gotten only about 4 hours of sleep a night, for the first three days. I was also late for work by a few minutes on two occasions, because I was trying to continue blogging on so little sleep. This stage was short-lived though. The benefits presented themselves within only a few short days.

Next up: Day 8 (Blogging!)