This is a great meal to take to work or send to the kids in their thermos for lunch. So don’t worry about leftovers. Talk about healthy, nutritious, delicious and affordable!

12 oz. red beans
1 medium red onion
16 oz. mild salsa
½ bunch cilantro
1 large jalapeño
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dry oregano
½ teaspoon coriander
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt & Pepper


Continue reading Frugal Red Beans & Brown Rice Recipe

As things get tougher and money becomes scarcer we all have to start thinking outside the box. We have been so spoiled, for so long, that we take the most basic things for granted. When I was four years old we moved to Bolivia, in the middle of South America. I spent 30 very happy years there but learned many things that I know I would not have learned here. Why? Bolivia is a third world country, one of the poorest in Latin America in fact, and common U.S. commodities were often times not available.


Continue reading Little Things You Can Do to Help Out Your Household Budget and the Planet - Part I

Surviving job loss means more than just surviving financially. But, realistically, if your finances tank, then all the other areas of your life become that much more difficult. Layoffs devastate your finances and lifestyle. Your budget goes nuts. Your family panics and spends all the savings. Your retirement goes. Your house goes. Your life goes.

But what if your company told you that on a specific date, you were going to be laid off? Wouldn’t you get your finances in order? That would make the income stopping less hard. It would make the transition from no income to next income a little easier. The reality is: in this economy, the only thing you don’t know is the specific date.

Here are 5 things you can do right now with your finances, anticipating job layoffs, to get your finances in order.

Continue reading 5 Tips For Preparing a Household Budget Before a Layoff

When people think of healthful food, they often think it costs more. Yet, during the Great Depression, some people actually got healthier because they could no longer afford the frills of processed foods, which were made of refined wheat and sugar. With a bit of planning and armed with the following tips, you can actually get healthier and at the same time spend less!


Continue reading 16 Tips For Eating Healthfully on a Budget