Rice & Beans

[Bold Self Reliance]

Hey guys.

Working in an office, I used to get fast food a few times a week. I'd also waste money at convenience stores. Between the two, I was spending $5-7 a day on average. When you add this up, that is between $100-$140 per month going completely to waste.

As I stated in my introduction, I am currently working to build a bit of passive income online. I am at the very beginning of this goal and am making about $3.50 per month on average. I recently received a payment for $35 dollars. Not a lot but I've decided to go to an extreme to make that money count.

The idea is simple. My goal was to spend no more than a dollar per pound for dry goods such as rice and beans. I bought 5 lbs of pintos, and 5 lbs of brown rice for a grand total of $9. If I've done the math correctly, this equates to 30 cups of beans, and 30 cups of rice when cooked.

The tiny bit of income that I produced up to this point has the potential to provide me with lunch for 240 days of the year. This is nearly an entire year (M-F) of food, allowing me to save my $5-7 dollars. This equates to $1200-$1680 per year that I can now put towards my goal of buying my land outright.

All this week I've I packed a container with a half cup or beans and a half cup of rice with a little salsa for my lunch. I know this is a bit extreme, and requires a militant will to eat the same thing every day, but it's definitely doable. I am banking on the different beans, salsas, sauces and different methods of cooking the rice provide me with the variety I will need to stick with this goal.

[Morning Sunshine]

welcome Bold.  Nice to have you on board.  my favorite bean and rice meal is what we call Rice and bean tacos.  my 10-yo loves this and makes any chance she gets

Bean & rice tacos

boil:
1 c chicken stock
1 T lime juice
3/4 t honey (or 2 t sugar )
1/4 t salt
1/2 c long grain rice

when rice is soft, add:
1 T butter
1 can black beans, drained, rinsed
2 T dried cilantro (or ½ c fresh)
lime juice to taste
1/4 c water

cook gently until water is gone.

[Carl]

I use Black Beans and rice that I pre-cook in larger batches and sometimes add a precooked chicken breast,pork chop,Ham for variety. Though
a favorite addition is SPICEs like I bought a bottle of Jack Daniel's #7 Barbeque Sauce and add just a bit for good tangy flavor. Your's  is a good
motivation for simpler eating and much healthier for you also.

[David in MN]

With beans, rice, mirepaux (onion, celery, carrot), trinity (onion, celery, pepper), and some sparing use of meat and stock you're capable of a wide array of Italian soups, French legume dishes, and Creole cuisine.

[mountainmoma]

Pinto beans and rice ok. Next month or in the future diversify your legumes ( esp add lentils). So, for only pinto beans and rice:

Chili : pinto beans (half cooked beans left whole, half mashed with potato masher) suated chopped onions, some kind of tomato product (1/2 can tomato paste, or canned tomatoes or whatever you get on sale) salt, chili powder, cumin. I like to add a small amount of corn kernals ( frozen, save the rest of the bag for another day, or 1/2 a can and freeze teh other half can

Serve over rice

Minestrone soup: saute chopped onion. add other veggies, like sliced carrots, celery or zuchini, parsley, a LOT of garlic, whole cloves, dried, powdered, whatever you have, 5 or 6 cloves, tomato product, I can diced or 1/2 can tomato paste, etc... Water (dont need broth) leftover cooked pinto beans and rice. Spices are Salt, pepper, oregano, basil (all dried is great) Or, look up a recipe and just substitute that you are using pinto beans intead of kidny or garbanzo, and leftover rice instead of noodles. I do this all the time, tastes great.

Tamale pie: Leftover chili topped with a corn product, like cooked polenta or corn bread batter, bake in the oven

Baked beans: any recipe, this works with pintos sub'd for white beans just fine. Needs onion, salt, mustard powder, molasses or sugar. Serve over rice

[mountainmoma]

Also, what most of us do in my family, is just make enough dinner so that whatever we had for dinner, is brought ot work or school for lunch. No need to buy food out, or have the exact same thing for lunch each day

[FrugalFannie]

Also, what most of us do in my family, is just make enough dinner so that whatever we had for dinner, is brought ot work or school for lunch. No need to buy food out, or have the exact same thing for lunch each day

this is what I do. I try to make enough so my husband and I can have leftovers for lunch. He actually doesn't mind eating the same thing day in and day out which is nice so that when we have steak, he doesn't go hungry the next day! Cause there's never any leftover steak!

Today I did a batch of cooking though because I am having a hard time with having sliced off part of my finger so DH has been doing cleanup as I cook and I have ben taking breaks. this way i don't have to overdo during the week.

[Richard (richard)]

Today I did a batch of cooking though because I am having a hard time with having sliced off part of my finger so DH has been doing cleanup as I cook and I have ben taking breaks. this way i don't have to overdo during the week.

Did he find the rest of your finger?

[r_w]

You can do it.  Brown bagging lunch and a thermos of coffee or tea instead of Starbucks can add up to huge

Come up with a few spice or add-ons to add variety.  My favorite splurge is a little guacamole.  The single serving cups are fifty cents a piece if you buy them at Costco.  Adds good fat.  Otherwise a drizzle of olive oil adds good fat calories for a few pennies.