A new format

So, I started this blog last winter when I was on break from school...probably somewhat out of boredom, and my need for fulfillment during a time when I had no homework and few deadlines. I wanted to prove that I could stay within the USDA's "thrifty" food cost budget while still fulfilling my nutritional requirements. It was fun, but also a lot of work. I had to keep track of what I was eating by taking pictures and entering all of the foods in the MyPyramid website. Then, I used an Excel spreadsheet to cost out all of my meals and compare my weekly total with what the USDA said I should be spending on this budget. It was actually very much like a project I did at school my sophomore year.
I had myself kind of stuck on the idea of keeping this thing up, even when school started again in January. Little did I know, this would be one of the most challenging semesters ever!! I started to fall behind in my schoolwork when I was blogging, and behind on the blogging when I was doing schoolwork. It just wasn't going to work out...one of them had to go. Unfortunately, having a blog won't get me that degree that I've been working toward (and paying 20 grand a year for), so the logical choice was to cut it out. I really missed it, because it was a nice creative outlet for me and definitely kept me in check on my eating and spending habits (I sure felt guilty when I had to post pictures of takeout more than twice a week, but it happened).
I really learned a lot during my little "blog experiment", and I did pick up some new habits that helped me spend less and eat better. For example, I no longer need the MyPyramid site to count up my servings...at any point during the day, I can tell you where I'm at with grains, fruits, etc. I have also become very adept at planning meals that will fulfill my requirements; I hardly have to think about it now.
I have decided to start this new blog with a much looser format; I will not be "forced" to post every day, or weekly, or any time at all. I will post when I have an experience to share...a particularly successful shopping trip, a highly nutritional and satisfying meal, or just really interesting things I read or learn about at school. I have added "be happy" to my title, because that is a very important element to the equation that I have decided represents what I believe in...cheap+healthy+happy.
Cheap: To some, this word is synonymous with "crappy". To me, it signifies non-wasteful spending. I will mostly relate this to food, but I also believe in low cost clothing, furniture, dishes, etc. If it can be purchased used, that's all the better....reduce, reuse, recycle!
Healthy: I'm an avid label reader, and I decide whether to buy something based on what I see there. In certain cases, I may choose the higher priced item so as not to sacrifice this element.
Happy: A very complicated term indeed; happy to me might not be happy to you, and vice versa. I seek to reduce cost and increase nutrition only to the extent that I remain happy doing so. No, I'm not going to eat something I don't like just because it's good for me. Yes, sometimes I just feel like going out for dinner instead of cooking at home. That's life though...nothing is flawless!
So here begins my new venture in blogging. Please comment as you feel necessary.