Whatever it Takes?

Hey guys,

A few years ago I went through a bulking process, made some mistakes dieted down and then life got in the way. I had been telling myself for a while that I was going to get back into putting on size but things came up, along with not wanting to stuff myself again, and for a time did not care to put on the weight.

Now, the past 4 months I’ve been back to gaining (up 20#s), but of course now something major came up (wife lost her job).

Needless to say the budget is a huge concern, not conducive to eating tons of food. Now there are ways to keep cost lower, but as I’m sure some on here know I highly value quality food, so I don’t see myself making too many changes as far as buying conventional ground beef and such. I may be willing (short term) to buy some non-organic produce. I don’t want to debate the food quality issue, it’s something that is among my highest values.

What I’m wondering is if anyone has run into financial hardship while trying to gain size and what did you do?

One option I see is selling one of our cars, though it’s the “fun” car that I have plans for. For now I drive it at most 5x year. It’s a blast to drive, but don’t use it much. I’m a car guy and after I sold the one I had when I was younger, I regret it/ I’m not as attached to this car as that one, but I’m not sure. It is just a car and could always get another, but would suck to sell since I already have it.

Anyone care to share their thoughts/comments?

I started eating people. They’re free

Id start by eating your wife fore putting you in this situation.

your refusal to budge on the food quality thing is going to cause you problems

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
Hey guys,

A few years ago I went through a bulking process, made some mistakes dieted down and then life got in the way. I had been telling myself for a while that I was going to get back into putting on size but things came up, along with not wanting to stuff myself again, and for a time did not care to put on the weight.

Now, the past 4 months I’ve been back to gaining (up 20#s), but of course now something major came up (wife lost her job).

Needless to say the budget is a huge concern, not conducive to eating tons of food. Now there are ways to keep cost lower, but as I’m sure some on here know I highly value quality food, so I don’t see myself making too many changes as far as buying conventional ground beef and such. I may be willing (short term) to buy some non-organic produce. I don’t want to debate the food quality issue, it’s something that is among my highest values.

What I’m wondering is if anyone has run into financial hardship while trying to gain size and what did you do?

One option I see is selling one of our cars, though it’s the “fun” car that I have plans for. For now I drive it at most 5x year. It’s a blast to drive, but don’t use it much. I’m a car guy and after I sold the one I had when I was younger, I regret it/ I’m not as attached to this car as that one, but I’m not sure. It is just a car and could always get another, but would suck to sell since I already have it.

Anyone care to share their thoughts/comments?[/quote]

Do what you have to do. That also includes buying cheaper food that maybe not organic or local so be it. Its hard times we live in. And when you see brighter days put things right.

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
Hey guys,

A few years ago I went through a bulking process, made some mistakes dieted down and then life got in the way. I had been telling myself for a while that I was going to get back into putting on size but things came up, along with not wanting to stuff myself again, and for a time did not care to put on the weight.

Now, the past 4 months I’ve been back to gaining (up 20#s), but of course now something major came up (wife lost her job).

Needless to say the budget is a huge concern, not conducive to eating tons of food. Now there are ways to keep cost lower, but as I’m sure some on here know I highly value quality food, so I don’t see myself making too many changes as far as buying conventional ground beef and such. I may be willing (short term) to buy some non-organic produce. I don’t want to debate the food quality issue, it’s something that is among my highest values.

What I’m wondering is if anyone has run into financial hardship while trying to gain size and what did you do?

One option I see is selling one of our cars, though it’s the “fun” car that I have plans for. For now I drive it at most 5x year. It’s a blast to drive, but don’t use it much. I’m a car guy and after I sold the one I had when I was younger, I regret it/ I’m not as attached to this car as that one, but I’m not sure. It is just a car and could always get another, but would suck to sell since I already have it.

Anyone care to share their thoughts/comments?[/quote]

I agree with the previous post of not budging on the food quality may hamper things a bit. However, i can relate to being on a budget and also being a car guy. My dad has been in the car business all his life and had and continues to have countless classic cars throughout his life, myself included. I shared the hobby for a long time before i finally realized, even though i enjoyed it, in the end there is little return on your investment.

Unless you drive it everyday, it simply becomes a money pit that you end up not enjoying and become frustrated with. Not to mention if and when you ever sell it you never get the time and money back you put into it, even if that time was something you enjoyed doing. I realized it was a better investment to put that money i was sinking into cars into myself and my health and i haven’t looked back since.

We are all snobs about something in that there are some things that we will buy regardless of what it is we will find a way to get, sell the car and make health and your body the thing you find the way to get regardless.

My dad continues to put money into cars as his health quickly gets away from him, this has not gone unnoticed by me and i take it as a lesson to remember.

[quote]rds63799 wrote:
your refusal to budge on the food quality thing is going to cause you problems[/quote]

I agree, plus its not like it makes a great deal of difference.

The naivety of people who think their food really is grass fed/organic.

Priorities. Your nutrition and lifting are a passion. The car thing is a passion. Maybe there are others. Which is most important? It sucks to put these things in order of importance, but once you do and reconcile it, the right decision won’t be too hard. Maybe a little painful, but clear.

We’d need to see a specific write up of your earnings and expenditures to really help you out. In the meantime, good luck with the job search.

[quote]PaddyM wrote:
We’d need to see a specific write up of your earnings and expenditures to really help you out. In the meantime, good luck with the job search.[/quote]
Yes, and if you could post your account numbers and SS that would also be helpful…

Take out a home equity loan to support your organic/free range/grass-fed fetish.

[quote]strangemeadow wrote:

[quote]PaddyM wrote:
We’d need to see a specific write up of your earnings and expenditures to really help you out. In the meantime, good luck with the job search.[/quote]
Yes, and if you could post your account numbers and SS that would also be helpful…
[/quote]

And photos of wife bent over this awesome car…so we can place bids on a night out with her. She’s gotta carry her weight too.

[quote]strangemeadow wrote:

[quote]PaddyM wrote:
We’d need to see a specific write up of your earnings and expenditures to really help you out. In the meantime, good luck with the job search.[/quote]
Yes, and if you could post your account numbers and SS that would also be helpful…
[/quote]

Sorry, I don’t see you being from Nigeria, I only send that stuff to people from that country.

Thanks for the input thus far guys. I realize it’s an internal struggle of a few things here.

As for the car, at this point, it’s not a money pit, only what I paid for it 2 yrs ago. Though, with what I want to do with it will cost another $7k, thus that hasn’t been started yet.

[quote]Steel Nation wrote:
Take out a home equity loan to support your organic/free range/grass-fed fetish.[/quote]

can’t I just sell my body instead?

[quote]Ct. Rockula wrote:

[quote]strangemeadow wrote:

[quote]PaddyM wrote:
We’d need to see a specific write up of your earnings and expenditures to really help you out. In the meantime, good luck with the job search.[/quote]
Yes, and if you could post your account numbers and SS that would also be helpful…
[/quote]

And photos of wife bent over this awesome car…so we can place bids on a night out with her. She’s gotta carry her weight too.[/quote]

Hmm, sell my wife to support my bulking goals, that’d work.

Maybe write out all of the food and supplements you generally buy during the week and people can give you suggestions on how to make things cheaper, cheaper shops, what can be non organic etc.

Also, what does your wife do, how likely is she to find employment in the short term. How high was her salary in terms of the overall household income?

Sell the car.

[quote]jehovasfitness wrote:
can’t I just sell my body instead?[/quote]

YES, send me a PM.

How much does that 200-500cal surplus really cost you?

Alter your macros ratios perhaps? Shift towards getting more calories from fat sources like EVOO (can still be organic and what not) and reduce expensive protein sources?

Reduce daily activities to lower absolute cal. levels needed to be in a surplus?

Maybe counting beans can offer brotherly advice.

My answer is Costco tuna and rice.

[quote]Swolegasm wrote:

I agree, plus its not like it makes a great deal of difference.
[/quote]

oh it doesn’t make a difference?

[quote]Swolegasm wrote:

The naivety of people who think their food really is grass fed/organic. [/quote]

please tell me about how they actually buttfuck the cows with genetically modified corn hubs before putting them in the grassfed packaging.

[quote]yolo84 wrote:
Maybe write out all of the food and supplements you generally buy during the week and people can give you suggestions on how to make things cheaper, cheaper shops, what can be non organic etc.

Also, what does your wife do, how likely is she to find employment in the short term. How high was her salary in terms of the overall household income?

Sell the car.[/quote]

She’s a writer/editor/communications type of person, beyond that I don’t know much specifics. She accounted for 50-55% of total income. Though her student loans account for about 85% of our monthly student loan debt (damn University of MD).

As far as groceries.
Since bulking, we’ve been spending out $200/wk on food. All but nuts tend to be organic/pastured. I’ve always thought I’d place more importance on organic produce, but this week I found myself willing to buy some non-organic produce over non-pastured meats. It’s not just health reasons for the meat, but knowing so much about how conventional animals are raised, makes me sick thinking about having to buy conventional meats.

Supplements, we’ve cut back already there previously b/c of the higher grocery bill, though I’m cutting back some more.

right now daily supplements are:
Multi, protein, creatine, ALA (dropping), PWO protein, Vit D, fish oil (stocked up for the year when was on sale)