If you're new here, this blog will give you the tools to become financially independent in 5 years on a median salary. The wiki page gives a good summary of the principles of the strategy. The key to success is to run your personal finances much like a business, thinking about assets and inventory and focusing on efficiency and value for money. Not just any business but a business that's flexible, agile, and adaptable. Conversely most consumers run their personal finances like an inflexible money-losing anti-business always in danger of losing their jobs.
Here's almost a thousand online journals from people, who are following the ERE strategy tailored to their particular situation (age, children, location, education, goals, ...). Increasing their savings from the usual 5-15% of their income to tens of thousands of dollars each year or typically 40-80% of their income, many accumulate six-figure net-worths within a few years.
Since everybody's situation is different (age, education, location, children, goals, ...) I suggest only spending a brief moment on this blog, which can be thought of as my personal journal, before looking for the crowd's wisdom for your particular situation in the forum journals.
If you enjoy the blog, also consider the book which is much better organized and more complete. You can read the first chapter for free, listen to the preamble, or see the reviews (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,Z). Subscribe to the blog via email or RSS. Get updates on the facebook page, join the forums, and look for tactics on the ERE wiki. Here's a list of all the ERE blog posts.
It is possible to budget on $150/month (2 adults in California) for food without resorting to coupon-food(*). I generally do that by switching between 3 or 4 different meals which also serve as mutual ingredients in each other—this completely avoids leftovers. (See chapter 5 of the book for the general idea). For example, the bean sauce can be used for tortillas too.
(*) Sorry, I have prejudices against the kind of food that coupons buy. If the food is good, why would it need coupons to bring attention to it?
I can make everything in the pressure cooker from soaking the beans to cooking the beans to making the sauce.
Ingredients
- Sherry
- Balsamic vinegar
- Black beans
- Canned chopped tomatoes.
- Onions
- Habanero chili pepper or similar.
- Flour
- Olive oil
- Spices: I recommend paprika, oregano, thyme, and basil.
Things to keep in mind.
- Make sure the onion is browned, not just transparent. This affects how well it stores and tastes.
- Spread a thin layer of flour on sauce once it’s done and stir it in to thicken the sauce.
- You can chop the chili pepper and throw it in if you want it heavily spicy. If you don’t throw it in whole and slice it up later for those who want it.
Serve with rice, pasta, or on tortilla shells.
Adjust ingredient ratios to taste. Go easy on the sherry there 😉
Originally posted 2010-08-23 13:14:11.
