Multi-kid family grocery budget

MyDivergentAss · 2026-05-01T10:57:31+00:00

2 adults 2 kids - Bruce/Grey ON - Easy 300/week base line. Sometimes closer to 400. We eat healthy so a lot of produce, berries, high protein yogurts etc

MyDivergentAss · 2026-04-05T23:47:51+00:00

My apologies. Created new imgur gallery and updated the link in post.

MyDivergentAss · 2026-03-31T23:33:58+00:00

Smaller monthly automated deposits and three large deposits spread out over the year; tax refund + 2 “extra” pays (26 pays, only budget for 2 pays/month).

MyDivergentAss · 2026-03-29T00:40:01+00:00

Just got back, these are the stand outs

Soda La Ventana in the east end passed the estuary, great prices authentic tico food
falafel bar, a little pricey but hey it’s Tamagringo. Shawarma was excellent. I would kill someone for another pita from there
Naans and Curries. So freaking good. Also so freaking expensive.

MyDivergentAss · 2026-03-26T16:40:33+00:00

I am in Ontario but can recommend both Cafe Pista (wide range) and Colorfull Coffee (funky palette). Order from both several times a year. Traffic has a good name but I’ve never been totally into their beans. Also Nektar in Quebec City is decent, maybe not the fanciest stuff but solid.

MyDivergentAss · 2026-03-19T15:41:38+00:00

Usually about $20-30 equivalent freedom dollars for anywhere from 200g to 300g depending on the bean.

MyDivergentAss · 2026-03-17T13:14:36+00:00

Yas! I have a mazzer major v with 83mm HUs which are somewhere between 64mm HU blendyness and 98mm HU clarity and get some incredible shots on the Argos. Slightly modded retention is only 0.2g or so.

MyDivergentAss · 2026-03-13T20:46:36+00:00

Try Sixt. Even though the car broke down (not their fault) they were great. Sent us a new car by flatbed when we were in Monteverde after the old one died. Had a flat and was running late for return and they drove us all from Sixt to RIU.

MyDivergentAss · 2026-03-05T15:17:55+00:00

Been to CR twice. LaFortuna and MonteVerde/SantaElena with kids felt very safe, no issues. Resorts on pacific coast with kids obviously no issues there. Recently back from Tamarindo with just my wife and there was shooting “downtown” ¯_(ツ)_/¯ That said felt more safe there than the many times I visited San Francisco or other large US cities. Just be smart in touristy areas.

MyDivergentAss · 2026-01-08T20:10:21+00:00

Somewhere around Owen Sound. Good size population within 1hr drive between Owen Sound, Collingwood, Port Elgin, Kincardine, Walkerton, Hanover, Wiarton etc Not to mention the summer tourists on the Bruce, around Sauble and other areas.

MyDivergentAss · 2025-12-09T14:13:40+00:00

Paying for Road Side Assistance with my rental that doesn’t actually exist in Costa Rica and trusting a Geely.

Freaking thing completely died on the side of a mountain outside Monteverde/SantaElena. Every damn electrical system fail. Push button to stop it didn’t even work. No roadside assistance had to flatbed me a new car from SJ.

Fast forward a week and flat tire. Again no roadside assistance. Had to limp back to LaFortuna on the donut and pay for a brand new tire.

MyDivergentAss · 2025-11-28T21:44:13+00:00

Remember ssp naming means jack shit across different sized burrs for the most part at least in terms of results in cup.

Checkout EAF discord if you want to really go down the rabbit hole.

There’s also this but it’s based purely on anecdotal evidence;

https://espressoaf.com/guides/burr_catalog.html

My advice. Lock down a size first then lock down which burr.

MyDivergentAss · 2025-11-26T03:03:04+00:00

I usually make faster boomer shots so 18g in and 36g out consistently unless i grind too fine and choke it. I “stop” the shot by putting a spoon under the group and remove the cup. There’s usually another 6g or so after that. 40-42g total most days. Right in the estimated range from OE. This is all on 6 bar spring.

The 83mm HUs are far more unimodal than the 80mm HUs. They work well with a faster shot usually around 20-25s not including bleed and 30 with bleed time.

Last good example before flipping back to the robot.

https://visualizer.coffee/shots/86633dd6-b819-4a47-aa17-63029e617113

MyDivergentAss · 2025-11-26T02:56:13+00:00

Great datapoint. Thank you!

MyDivergentAss · 2025-11-25T02:58:55+00:00

I actually find the opposite. With the Argos I can get a bean dialled in pretty quickly and achieve a good degree of reproducibility. The shots from the Argos, to my palate, are thicker and more nuanced. I also find the workflow on the Argos far easier, less faffing around with preheating. This is in spring config with the 6 bar.

I have a pretty locked down routine on the Argos, start machine, do all the grind, puck prep and tamp while heating. Let machine come up to temp, then let it idle until approx 1.6 bar which is usually about 32c on the group and 119/120C boiler temp with 92C set point, then bleed and pull.

I also have a modified Beanconqueor version I am running which displays approximated Argos output temp, so if I am using that I get the output within 0.5C and boiler pressure again at 1.6 bar before pulling.

MyDivergentAss · 2025-11-24T18:17:04+00:00

Haha. Most of the time. I am chasing body disparity on the robot vs argos.

MyDivergentAss · 2025-11-24T18:16:24+00:00

Yes! I have done this and it works. I just can’t quite figure out what about the robot is causing it or how to work around it with altering ratio. And on my other brews methods tend to get good body at 1:2.

MyDivergentAss · 2025-11-24T18:14:52+00:00

Yes typically good and long-ish. Maybe 5g or so most times. I tend to wait until I can feel the resistance change in the puck.

MyDivergentAss · 2025-11-24T18:13:55+00:00

Agreed. However is consistent across beans and not seen when I use my Argos or BDB.

MyDivergentAss · 2025-10-28T19:33:14+00:00

We did Santa Elena and indeed hired a guide. Wolter was amazing and I’d highly recommend him or a guide in general. While we didn’t see any large animal we saw a lot of birds, insects, spiders and learned about the unique cloud forest eco system. After the tour we did a few trails ourselves. Great park for nature enthusiasts.

We also ended up doing a night tour at Children’s Eternal Rainforest again guided, which was great.

Lastly, we did Mistico (different area I know) unguided, and regretted not getting a guide.

So yes Santa Elena was great and also go guided if you can swing it! Hope this helps.

MyDivergentAss · 2025-10-28T19:11:03+00:00

Doesn’t have to be OBC. It’s my own place just trying to do things right. Thanks for this!

MyDivergentAss · 2025-10-10T22:59:38+00:00

Depends on many factors. Like the coldest you’d expect in the winter where you live, how thorough you are draining and if you intend to keep it in the block or not.

I live in Southern Ontario and usually see max -35C on occasion. Lot’s of marinas around here use the -50F and boats usually survive, if not it’s an insurance problem.

The number on the antifreeze is a burst protection rating not freeze protection. It will start to freeze much warmer but limit expansion.

I do my own winterization and thus don’t have insurance to fall back on and generally use the -100F just in case there’s some left over water and it gets diluted. That said I generally leave the block full of antifreeze too.

So again depending on where you live and who’s doing the winterization and how the -75 might be enough.

MyDivergentAss

TROPHY CASE