Total Wealth and Happiness

How I shaved 40% off my groceries without clipping coupons

raquelsoto — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 15:35:58 +0000

Like most Americans now, especially this week as we trimmed our budgets to get some serious shopping done, I have learned this year how to be frugal.

One of the best ways to increase your income is by decreasing your expenses. It’s instant money that you can either save, put into another investment, pay off debt with, donate to a charity, or, well, you get the point.

As an author of e-books I’m continually reading. One of the hot topics this year was how to feed a family of four or five for about $500 a month. I can actually say that I pulled it off for the five of us (2 adults; a baby; two kids in elementary school).

For about a month.

Then I just couldn’t do it anymore. To much time was spent in looking for coupons, looking for sales, seeing if anyone wanted to trade, looking for more coupons. Urgh! Those who can pull it off (at least what I have been able to find online) are those who DO NOT live in a city. They have cultivated a small vegetable garden in their backyard and get their fruits and veggies primarily off their little organic farm out back.

Honey I love you but give me Park Avenue…

Then came My Harvest America.

Did it do what it said? Do you have all name brands at rock bottom prices? Uh, yeah!

In less than 15 minutes I clicked on the grocery items I wanted online. When I ran the numbers (I worked in finance for years so it’s a habit) I found out that I saved 40%! I was shocked. Finally, a company that did what it said.

What did I save on? Items like:

*Pampers (and I mean the actual Pampers brand, not diapers). It was over 30% lower than what I pay locally.

*Applesauce ~ I have small children so I go through a lot of the natural kind. Oh my gosh! Nearly half of what I was paying.

*Baby Food

*Dawn to clean my dishes

*Smucker’s Peanut Butter (I’m a stickler; has to be Smucker’s)

*All Fruit in Grape (I know; I’m so picky on what I want in my house)

I can go on and on telling you about all the items I got for a mere $50. Don’t think this is the threshold. There is no threshold on how large your list has to be making it ideal for singles, single marrieds, or married with children.

Best part? Free shipping to me via Fed-Ex. I love shopping in my PJ’s!

So now I think I might go back to trying to do the $500 a month thing. At least with MHA I think I just might be able to pull it off.

Now, what to do with that extra few hundred dollars…

Decisions, decisions….

60 second Southwestern Spicy Tomato Soup for about 50 cents a serving

raquelsoto — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:30:45 +0000

So far so good on our $500 a month to feed 4-5 people project. Wanted to give you a quick post about one of our fave foods:

One of our favorite staples in our house is this simple and quick recipe. I pop everything into a food processor (you can easily do it in your blender) and it’s done in under 60 seconds. Feeds four:

1 can of diced tomato (14 oz or so ~ the whole thing; including the water)
1 can of any white beans (15 oz or so ~ the whole thing; including the water)
2 cups of chicken broth
7 slices of jalepeno from a jar
Spice to taste (I use Adobo ~ my catch all ~ and a bit more of onion and garlic powder if I’m in the mood)

Blend it all together and you are done!

I love this recipe because we can either eat a double helping to make a meal or serve it with a salad for four and still feel very satisfied. Since every bean has it’s own texture and taste you can even eat this quite frequently and change up the flavor by changing up the bean.

We purposefully don’t heat it up because we are like eating our food that way. But feel free to mix and warm it up in a pot.

Simple and nutritious. Best part? You can make a bigger batch and freeze what you aren’t using in individual servings so that the next time you want it, it’s done!

Please feel free to share your favorite super quick recipe!

How we ate for $1.24 a person last night for dinner

raquelsoto — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:59:49 +0000

So, (I know; not the proper way to start a sentence) something has been bugging me the last few days. I keep on hearing that a family of 4-6 can eat at under $500 a month. Sounds great doesn’t it? Some even feed 7 on that budget.

But…

When I looked at what they were eating it was, well, on my no-no list.Most of the food consisted of bad meat (like hot dogs) or pasta. Even,e gags!, ramen noodles!

Don’t look at me with that tone of voice. You know that’s not good for you as a staple!

Hot dogs and even pasta has it’s place, but eating it frequently in one week is not how I want to invest in the health of my family.

That being said…

I’m starting an experiment to see if I can pull this off, all the while staying in that $500 budget for 4 weeks. I’ll share what I’m doing and finding.

Today started with a junk food day. It’s Friday for us because the children are off tomorrow. So we had breakfast for dinner:

Waffles for the kids: 48 cents total
Sausage, egg and cheese biscuits with hash browns: $1.94 total (for Hector and I)
Cheese Danish for dessert for the four of us: $2.28
Milk for Hector and the kids; coffee with stevia for me: 50 cents total
Baby Food (Organic) for the baby: $1.00

Total cost: $6.20
Cost per person: $1.24

I calculated that by Angie eating for free @ school and Alexander having free lunch that saves us about $22 a week. Wow! That’s better than clipping coupons! That’s how I’m “cheating”. I also know that Angel Food Ministries is great, giving you a week’s worth of grocery for only $30, but that’s a bit harder to organize because you need to find a place close to you that is distributing. But that’s another great way to feed your family for a low cost. I’ve seen the menu. It’s very good!

So if you have any tips, let me know! I would love to learn!

Stay tuned…

Woooot! Lost 5.5 inches in 2 days SAFELY (2 of those off my hips!)

raquelsoto — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 13:50:49 +0000

My testimony and my husband’s testimony on the new hot product; product review of the new Energy Matrix by GBG:

We just came out with a fat burner/energy drink that is DIABETIC, diet, and GI friendly. I actually didn’t belive it would be as good as they said (burning 4 hours of fat in one drink). And then there was the price. Only $2 a serving when other energy drinks sell for $5? Could something that costs half as much actually give you good energy (non-jittery; no crash) AND be safe? We hardly believed it.

Well, we were wrong!

I lost 5.5 inches in 2 days; 2 off my hips; 2 off my waist; 1 off my thighs; and half an inch on my upper back.

My husband, as you may have previously read, takes diabetic medication. He has also lost weight in two days. Now, because of his system and the medication even good vitamins hurt his body. But he has lost weight and he said that the most significant thing is that he is no longer winded and that his body is now building muscle. He is starting to feel like Vic Taney!

BEST OF ALL it’s not messing with his sugars, JUST LIKE THEY SAID!

http://www.shopgbg.com/?ID=359025 is the website.

We are taking two each a day, so we get the biggest pack they have (enough for the both of us @ 2 packs a day). I have a friend who is taking three; he’s lost 10 pounds in less than a week. I thought it was just because he is a guy (you know how fast they lose!); but it turns out it’s great for us gals to!

This is something anyone can do EASILY that can potentially help their life (the less fat in your body over what it needs is key) or at MINIMUM greatly improve the quality of it. That’s my personal belief anyway.

There is a 60 day money back guarentee. You or someone you know has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

I’m so excited about it! FINALLY! Something that actually DELIVERS what they promised!

If you know of a product that is similiar and would like to comment and give a brief review, please do so! Thank you for it in advance.

May you prosper and be in health as your soul prospers.

The Inexpensive Low Fat Protein

raquelsoto — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:01:47 +0000

Growing up in a Puerto Rican household nearly all our meals had rice and beans on the side. It was my dad’s choice. He couldn’t have any meals without rice and beans. It was lasagna ~ rice and beans. Mexican tacos ~ then rice and beans. I could go on, but do you really want me to?

I was working on a dish yesterday and pulled out some of Goya’s small white beans for it. The beans were delicious. I was always taught you needed to cook the beans, even if they were canned. That got me wondering, since I want to incorporate as many raw foods as possible, do I really need to cook them?

I didn’t and the dish came out beautifully. The Goya small white beans were a creamy texture with a light taste. It reminded me of another great protein, the cashew. The benefit over the cashew is the fat and calorie factor. I think I’m in love.

Today I looked it up and it turns out that the canned beans are already cooked. Found a few good links and figured I would share one of my favorites ones.

Will I buy raw beans and sprout them? I don’t know. Maybe when I’m more comfortable with it. I had such a bad experience with the sprouted wild rice and I don’t want to invest the time to try it at the moment. I know that our bodies loved not having the beans cooked again. It did make a difference probably because then we weren’t overcooking them.

Found a great article on it, just in case you want to learn more about this great inexpensive protein, the bean, from Supermarket Guru.

http://archive.supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/30190

Till next time, may you prosper and be in health as your soul prospers.

Repurposing:It’s not just for marketing, it’s for Raw Food to

raquelsoto — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:27:46 +0000

One of the great things about incorporating raw foods into your lifestyle is that it causes you to think about how to make the most out of everything.

The other afternoon I was playing with my new Bullet Express and put the shredder side of the blades instead of the slicing part. I ended up making a beautiful bed of vegetables and added some boiled eggs to them. It was pretty and tasty!

The shredder in this thing is so strong that it seemed to multiply the food. Now I had way too much left over. It was enough for another meal for two. What was I going to do with it? Throw it out? No way!

After some inspiration, I ended up taking the mixture, adding some seasonings and almond meal (in place of breadcrumbs) and made some veggie patties. Can I tell you how delicious that was? Oh my gosh. I repurposed ~ or used what I already had and made it into something else of value ~ the food I had. It is now one of our favorite (nearly) raw foods.

Repurposing your leftovers is not only good for your pocketbook it’s good for the planet. So go ahead and repurpose your leftovers. You’d be doing the earth a favor and, well, now you’ll have a little extra money for a rainy day (or when those shoes you’ve been eyeing finally go on sale!).

May you prosper and be in health as your soul prospers.

Why learn from the richest man who ever lived?

raquelsoto — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:59:49 +0000

Download today’s free podcast by clicking here

We become like those around us, and who wouldn’t like to have wisdom that surpasses all understanding to bring us health, wealth, and happiness in every area of life? Who wouldn’t like an audience with the richest man who ever lived?

Although he lived more than 2,000 years ago, we are fortunate to have some of writings in the Book of Proverbs. King Solomon’s net worth makes Bill Gates and Oprah’s combined look like minimum wage!

Studying Proverbs made Steven K Scott a millionaire in three years. What can it do for you?

Join me on this journey of studying and obtaining some insight from the richest man who ever lived. This is day one from the book, The 1 Minute Guide to Health, Wealth, and Happiness: Wisdom from the book of Proverbs brillantly read by Gary Ellis.

I hope it inspires you to make Proverbs a must read on a daily basis.

May you prosper and be in health as your soul prospers,

~Raquel

Tueday Tip: Get the right tool for a simple life

raquelsoto — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 22:20:57 +0000

One of the things with raw food, especially for someone who loves to eat and loves food in general, is making sure you eat a variety of foods daily. Like children discovering what their fave foods are, you can put yourself on a schedule and don’t really notice it. What we have to remember is that it takes a variety of foods in order to receive the full range of nutrition that your body needs.

One of the best ways to do that is get tools that make your life easier or help you create quick delicious meals in virtually no time at all. I was loving the fact that I can now walk an hour with the children, walk up the stairs, and not have that feeling like I was going into cardiac arrest. But now that the baby is 6 months old and I want to get back to some of my art projects, the time I was spending thinking about what to make for our meals was diminishing. I was spending so much time chopping and prepping the veggies it was like I was, well, cooking!

I am the infomercial queen. I hate to admit that, but it is what it is. I love gadgets. All kinds of gadgets. I love anything that actually delivers on what it claims to do, especially if it’s going to make my life easier.

Two things were starting to bug me about raw food: the juicing clean up time and the chopping or shredding time. In comes in my time saver, the new Bullet Express.

This machine is so strong that veggies literally shoot out of the thing. I had to have my children hold a bowl very close to the nozzle because the veggies were shooting out fast and furiously. It works, just like the commercial said!

With it, I was able to shred to perfection a mixture that makes up a veggie version of a burger or crab cake texture. It was delicious! It was completely by accident (or I think Divine Intervention) that I set the mushrooms on the wrong side. Being inspired, I added a few ingredients and BAM! Created something my husband states it’s one of the best things I’ve ever made. And because it shreds so finely, somehow it multiplied the food! 2 giant portabella mushrooms, 2 celery sticks, a half of a giant red pepper (shredded in the Bullet Express), some seasonings, and some almond meal ~ in place of bread crumbs ~ made 12 patties! I made an impromptu sauce with olive oil mayo, organic ketchup and mustard and, oh my gosh, don’t even miss eating a burger. And for my husband to say the same, you know it had to be good!

The juicing component is so great. That motor does not play around. It was juicing faster than my very powerful juicer I was using.

The best part? Clean up is a breeze! I was dreading juicing because it would take an hour to juice and clean up. Now I can make one glass at a time if I want and I’m done in virtually no time at all. I love it!

The great thing is that this can be used if you aren’t doing raw food. I was looking at the shreds and thought how great this would be for those that like to make pasteles (a Puerto Rican version of a tamale; except it’s not dry). One of the reasons why they aren’t made is because of all the shredding by hand that needs to be done. I’m pretty sure this thing can do it. The possibilities are endless!

There is always a way for you to eat healthier and faster. You just need to open yourself up to some creative thinking. For me, because I decided to get the Bullet Express it opened up ideas for other meals. For you, it might be just doing what I’m going to talk about on Thursday.

You don’t have to spend a lot of money. You just have to spend what you have wisely.

Till next time, may you prosper and be in health as your soul prospers.

~Raquel

Motivation Monday: The World Cries Out for the Supers

raquelsoto — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 16:20:41 +0000

I know, I’m so late to the party. Finally saw Superman Returns last night, thanks to a friend of my husband’s who gave us a DVD. Did anyone else think the opening credits ran waaaaaaaay too long? But I digress.

One of the things that struck me most of “Lois Lane’s” line:

The world doesn’t need a savior…and neither do I…

Of course, she’s proven wrong.

And while many people feel that way still about our present world, the truth is that many are awaiting the manifestations of the sons of God. They are awaiting for the Supermen and Superwomen to rise up and take their place in this world. To rise up and be the becons of light that they are destined to be. To rise and be the supers that point to a Father from another realm. To rise up and not hide behind the masks of glasses to blend in and wear the costume of religion when it suits them.

No! The world is awaiting the supers to rise and shine and declare the works of their Father. The world is awaiting and dying while the children of this other realm get overly concerned in their own affairs and fears instead of taping into the greatness seeded within them. Instead of going to spend time in the fortress of solitude with the Father to get advice, knowledge, understanding, and acquire wisdom we run into the false comfort of our offices making that our source of being. All along the world cries out: Where are the Supers???

Where are you Superman? Where are you Superwoman? The world needs you. It doesn’t need your perfection. It needs you to be who you are created to be without reservation, without fear, and without apologies. It needs you to tap in the vastness of the wonderful destiny created for you. The Father sent you into this world to be a reflection of all that could be. To be a reflection of this other realms love, grace, mercy, and power. Will you not finally take off the glasses and fly? Will you not spend time in the fortress to get ready so that when someone dies in front of you, you can then bring them back to life? Will you not spend time reviewing the crystals – The Word – to acquire the wisdom that will bring life to those around you? Will you not get ready so that when the spiritual thieves show up you capture them and send them packing to hell where they belong?

The world is dying while they are waiting, Supers. Will you take your place and be the hero you were meant to be? There are things only you can do; only you are called to do. Don’t presume someone else can do it instead or do it better than you would do it. That is not their call to do what you are called to do. Rise up, Superman! Rise up, Superwoman!

It’s time to fly….

Until next time, may you prosper and be in health as your soul prospers,

~Raquel

Freedom Friday ~ Prophetic Word for the Summer (Part 1 of 6)

raquelsoto — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:07:47 +0000

Seasons Come, Seasons Go : God is Faithful

And the Lord shall guide you continually and satisfy you in drought and in dry places and make strong your bones. And you shall be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters fail not (Isaiah 58:11 Amplified)

Beloved, your spiritual life holds many seasons. Sometimes, just like in the natural, they seem to defy normal courses of action. There are years in which there seems to be no spring, no summer, no fall or no winter. In the natural there are often years of drought when times of rain seem a distant memory.

Yet, there are times when the weather is just perfect. In response, many plant their gardens in anticipation of better and more beautiful days. Out of seemingly nowhere a cold front moves in and all they planted suffers death or setback for they did not look to the weather forecast for any signs of possible change.

Those who were diligent to watch the weather covered their plants…they hid them in the secret places, under buckets and cloth until the weather was clear. Suffering only slight damage to the external edges…with roots intact, they were able to grow and produce a harvest. So will you.

Those who were careless or refused to watch and prepare suffered great loss to the seasonal things of their garden and missed some opportune times…missed having certain fruit. Often when this happens, many forget the perennial and evergreen aspects of their garden only to concentrate on the immediate. Perhaps they only planted seasonal items. Regardless, there are lessons to be learned and faith is tested.

There are those times regardless of whether one does or does not watch and pray where loss takes place in unexplainable ways. Once again faith is tested, for it rains on the just and the unjust…rains on both the good and the bad. In these times, remember I am faithful and I am not hindered by circumstance or situation. I am the God of the impossible. What is most important to Me is abiding with you. Don’t let anything persuade you to (not?) pull away out of resentment, anger or self-loathing for not having overcome in any area of your life. I will satisfy every place of dryness, need or worry (Isaiah 58:11)

Beloved, the difference is not in the type of weather, but in the gardener and his perspective…the difference is what you have planted in your garden and knowing what kind of plant you are. The difference is in knowing who you belong to…in knowing, though life is seasonal, you like the evergreen, are rooted in the eternal. Seasons come and seasons go, yet I remain the same. I am faithful.

Even in the dead of winter, I spring eternal. I am able to resurrect for I am the Resurrection. All manner of dead things come to life in My Presence. Move in close and let Me resurrect the dead things never meant to die…let Me invigorate afresh all things in full production…let Me breathe a future and a hope into every area of your garden. You are indeed beautiful to Me, and just to let you know, Solomon’s bride has nothing on you.

Copyrighted by Brenda Craig

Used by Persmission

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