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Food for Thought...ful Spending

A great, simple tip given the inflation that has affected food items everywhere.

Food and Money

When the mortgage crisis hit in 2009, I was completely blind-sighted. My employer cut my pay by 12% and I was living paycheck to paycheck, drowning in credit card debt. I was not ready for this. In fact, I will never forget my employer walking up to me saying that anyone not being prepared for this financial disaster will bring it upon themselves by not having an emergency fund.

I have now been debt free since 2012. I went from overdrafting, begging a friend for a loan, to being able to contribute financially in my community. I want to share my journey in becoming debt free, starting with the connections I have discovered between minimalism, frugality and healthy living.

My journey to being debt-free began with Canadian financial advisor Gail Voz-Oxlade. I used her program to pay off my credit card debt in three years while simultaneously saving an emergency fund. Only recently did I discover Dave Ramsey, Ramit Sethi and Suze Orman, in addition to starting investments for my retirement. (It is never too late to start!) I struggle with clutter, and that issue led me to discover the links between financial health, physical and mental well-being. I pride myself on the ability to save now, and what I've gradually discovered is the old addage of "less is more." For example, rather than buying pre-packaged foods or eating out at fast food restaurants, I have discovered the joy of cooking at home. Rather than paying $11-25 for fast food takeout and/or a restaurant meal, I'd be cooking meat in my crock pot for a week's worth of meals—pulled pork sandwiches and carnitas tacos. I now purchase $1.50 bunches of fresh red lettuce, turnip greens and kale rather than $5 for a plastic box of flavorless, limp lettuce that goes bad within a week to where I end up not using/eating. I also make homemade banana breads and muffins for pennies on the dollar rather than dishing out $4-5 for a stale coffee shop pastry. Am I healthier as a result? You bet!

Junk food and physical junk is symptomatic of our consumerist culture where we are funneling away our potential savings for unnecessary items that may be of use once, if ever. I pair down both physical items in my home and also consuming food as fuel, exactly what is required to run my body. The bonus? Saving money that I can use on other things I enjoy!

Can I be frugal and have flavorful meals? Absolutely! I once used pumpkin puree from my mom's garden to make a simple bowl of pumpkin curry soup by frying up ginger, garlic, curry powder and lime juice in coconut oil, then adding the pumpkin and a bit of salt, pepper and cream. The last time I checked at a local Thai restaurant, they were charging close to $20 for this while I made mine for free!

Do yourself a favor and start using your kitchen! After all, in Feng Shui, the kitchen is said to be the heart of your financial well being! Activate that money zone! Trust me. The results are delicious!

Stay tuned for more helpful tips here at Cash Life!


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