First off, it's important to let everyone know that this article reflects my personal views and the way I like to live. I respect the way everyone chooses to live and the path they must follow may that be a corporate lifestyle our one of living off the land. Everyone is here to experience there own journey and I respect all of us and the courage it takes.
With that said, let's start.
Iron Man
I was in the newspaper business as an artist & prepress artist for over 20 years. I always had a good paycheck coming in but most of the time found myself struggling for money soon after pay day. Of course I blamed it on not being paid enough and it wasn't until I left the corporate world that I learned that not being paid enough was not my problem. It was what I was spending it on and how much money I was actually throwing away.
I decided to leave the corporate world after I reached the weight of 335 lbs. I was very badly depressed, close to suicidal and saw no hope in life. I had no idea how hard my decision to leave the corporate world would be and I had no clue how rewarding and inspirational it would turn out.
I learned that money wasn't as important as I thought it was and that it didn't bring me happiness, it was honestly part of my depression. What I have learned sense the summer of 2004 I have to give thanks to Joe, a homeless man I met in Homer, Alaska. I think he could tell that I was out of my element and he took me under his wing and taught me how to survive.
The first thing you need to understand is that people can survive on much less food than what they consume every day. My journey to Alaska proved that, I had a daily food budget of just .00. That's right, .00. The funny thing is that I never seemed hungry, I was to busy trying to find wood to make life just a little more comfortable.
When I got back to the lower 48, I was still unemployed so every cent counted. I would go to the grocery store and look in the reduced price section of the meat department but most of the time it was still to expensive for my budget. I found something that added flavor to each meal and it cost next to nothing. This may sound disgusting, and maybe it is but the key ingredient in many of my meals at the time was pork fat. I know, Oh my God and junk, that's disgusting. I will be honest, it took a while to get used to it but it did add flavor and was filling. I usually mixed it together with Ramen noodles for a filling meal.
When I did find miscellaneous employment here and there I still didn't splurge but kept my food choices to not the best cuts of meat. Some of the cuts that I really enjoy are Pork Boston Butt Roast, Beef Chuck Roast and Chicken Thighs.
Uses for Pork Boston Butt Roast:
- You can cut it up to make pork fajita
- Slow cook it for a great tasting roast
- Slow grill(3 to 4 hours, med. low heat) for one of the tastiest meals you can imagine.
- Slice thin to make BBQ sandwiches.
- Cut pieces, pound with mallet, flour and make your own chicken fried steak.
- Grind to make pork burgers or homemade sausage.
- Cut or sliced and served with Ramen noodles.
Experiment with different seasoning and marinades to desired taste. This is a versatile cut of meat.
Uses for Beef Chuck Roast:
- Cut it up to make beef fajita
- Cut into steaks, grill or fry (taste like steak, not roast)
- Slow roast with potatoes and carrots for a pot roast meal
Uses for Chicken Thighs:
- To many and varied to list here. Grilled, fried, baked, whatever way you prepare always ends up in a good meal. Experiment and explore the web, you will find great and cost efficient ways to create a great meal.
I know everyone loves Pizza but let's be honest, Pizza is terribly expensive. I have a great recipe at the end of this article for a simple pizza made with tortilla's that is surprisingly good, the kids will love it.
Use something at each meal that will help fill you up. Some cheap ways to do this are with rice, potatoes or Ramen noodles. A good way I have found to make rice is to use either a beef or chicken broth instead of plain water. I like to use chicken and beef bullion cubes, they cost less than the pre made broth.
When it comes to canned foods and fresh vegetables check the grocery stores newspaper ads for deals. Also shop smart, look for deals and always buy at least a weeks worth of groceries. Stay away from going to the grocery store every day, getting what you are hungry for at that time. It will cost you.
If you have the means, grow your own vegetables and herbs, even if you live in an apartment you can do this. My wife and I live in an RV and still grow some of our own stuff. Place planted pots of veggies and herbs on your deck, build an above ground garden, making sure it has good drainage. Also, join in if your town has a community garden. It's a great opportunity to grow your own stuff and a way to make new friends. Check the web for other opportunities.
Another good way to save money is to make my own bread. The recipe I use along with others are listed at the end of this article.
I have been known to visit the dollar menu's at some of the fast food restaurants and when I do I make sure to take an extra pack or two of condiments and napkins. Even though this may sound unethical, you have to be honest with your situation at the time and it all comes down to survival.
A very important rule to remember is to never steal, purposely hurt or take advantage of another human being. When I was in Alaska, I had my life savings stolen from me and as tough as that made things, it had a good affect and taught me allot about myself in the end. Like Earl, I believe in karma and what goes around comes around. That's something I don't want to be on the losing end of.
Like I stated earlier, my wife and I live in an RV year round. If you don't own your own place this is a good option other than renting. When you rent you are just throwing your money away. If you are concerned about living in the RV during the winter don't be, read my article Winterizing Your RV - Enjoy a Comfy and Cozy Winter Retreat.
We still pay rent for the land we are parked on during the winter, 0 a month and that includes sewer, water, cable and the internet. During the summer months we drive up into the mountains and just find places to park. You still need to pay to dump the tanks and fill up the fresh water tank but that costs just pennies a day.
There are many ways to live a less expensive life, it's up to you to find your comfort zone.
If you would like to read the story of my trip to Alaska you can find it on my blog listed in my profile. The stories name is "Homer in a Hurry".
Backwoods Bread
This is a very simple recipe and easy to make, you don't even have to kneed the dough.
Ingredients:
6 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of active dry yeast
2 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of either garlic salt or onion salt. (optional)
3 cups of room temperature water
In one bowl mix the yeast in the water. In another bowl mix the salt and garlic or onion salt into the flour. Pour water into flour and stir with a wooden spoon. This will make a sloppy, stringy wet dough. Cover with a cloth and let sit for 12-24 hours.
After 12-24 hours dust the top with flour and roll into a greased cooking bowl or crock, it does not do well in a pan. Once in baking dish, let sit for 1 hour before baking.
Bake at 375 degrees for 55 minutes in high altitudes, 45 minutes at lower altitudes. Let cool on cooling rack for 1/2 hour. Butter and enjoy.
Extra:
Very good if you butter the bread, place on cookie sheet and bake at 410 degrees for 10 minutes or until crisp. I add a fried egg on top for a quick and tasty breakfast.
Indian Fry Bread
4 cups of flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoons of salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup warm water
Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add in the shortening and water. Add only enough water to make dough stick together. Knead dough until smooth, make into fist sized balls. Cover them with a towel for 10 minutes then pat them out into circles about the size of a pancake. Heat shortening in cast iron skillet and fry until brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels and serve.
Great with butter and jam.
Pork Boston Butt Roast
Ingredients:
1 (5-pound) pork butt roast
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2 tablespoons seasoned salt
4 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mix salt and pepper, garlic salt and seasoned salt together in small bowl.
Sprinkle 1 side of the roast with liquid smoke and rub salt and pepper, garlic salt and seasoned salt mixture onto meat, making sure to rub well. Flip the roast over and repeat. Place the roast in a large roasting pan. Add the onion and water to the roast. Place in the oven and cook for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until thermometer reads 170 degrees F. Let meat cool for a few minutes and then slice.
Serve with your favorite barbecue sauce.
Cooking in the great outdoors always seems to help the food you create to taste even better. We wanted to share some of our favorite recipes, thus the reason for this cookbook. Every recipe indicates our personal preference of ingredients, so you can make changes to any recipe for your personal tastes. If you love the outdoors, enjoy cooking and love the way food tastes in the great outdoors, we think you will enjoy these recipes.
Crispy Grilled Pizza
Single serving with your choice of toppings
Ingredients you will need:
1 medium sized flour tortilla
4 tbls. spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
You're choice of toppings: Pepperoni, sausage, ham, mushrooms, etc...
How to prepare your meal.....
Spread the spaghetti sauce evenly over the flour tortilla. Cover the spaghetti sauce with the mozzarella cheese add your toppings. Make sure not to over do it with the toppings or cheese, this can cause the finished pizza to be soggy.
The grill should be on a medium to medium high heat. Rub grill with olive oil, this will help the pizza not to stick and give you pretty grill lines
For a crispy pizza, place pizza directly on grill. If you don't want your pizza to be crispy, place on a cookie sheet.
Grill for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Can also be done in the oven. Place pizza on rack and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese has melted.
Living Big on Little Money - A Guide to an Inexpensive Lifestyle The Adventurous Adventures of One Direction Tube. Duration : 18.20 Mins.Rating: 4.93121
*Watch in HD, y'all.* The evil Lord Faptaguise is back! And he has a plan so dastardly, only one hero can stop him! Well, five heroes. ONE DIRECTION! Join 1D on their wildest adventure yet, as they save the world from doom and discover the true power of friendshiphood. Twitter: @markalanparsons Tumblr: markalanparsons.tumblr.com
Keywords: One Direction, 1D, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne
No comments:
Post a Comment