by Hannah Walton aka The Cheapskate Mom

Beans, Rice & Your Budget: Intro

Before my husband and I went down to living on one income only due to the little guy, I thought I knew a decent amount about living simply and buying cheaply : I used coupons here and there, I bought generic whenever I could – I skipped the avocados and most of the organic produce.  This was all fine and good – and heck even wonderful for a two income family… but then we got into the thick of living on one income and suddenly my coupon here and there generic food buying routine wasn't quite cutting it for us financially. I read a lot about The Money Saving Mom and how she and her family ate a whole lot of rice and beans while her hubby was in law school and this information empowered me : if my family ate more rice and beans we could have more money to put towards both debt and savings.  I felt like we'd just been given a small raise – we would be able to buy our formula without stress by skipping the tofu and opting for the rice and beans.

Beans, Rice, & Your Budget: Nutrition

Believe it or not, beans are a super nutritious food. According to Nutrition Data at Self.com, Beans are low in fat (1 gram per serving) , low calorie (about 50 calories per serving), and very high in both protein and vitamin C. Add  some rice (brown is best but I confess I love white) for flavor and carbohydrates and you've got yourself an easy, nutritious meal that can satisfy your family on the way, way cheap. The one problem with beans is with canned beans : they're high in sodium from the canning process. The healthier and cheaper option for this is to buy dry beans and soak them yourself – you'll save money and salt this way although I confess I've never done this.

Beans, Rice & Your Budget: Cost

I buy my rice and beans generic at Wal – Mart.  A can of beans costs me about .75 cents and one can is enough to feed my husband and I for dinner with extra. I buy a big bag of rice with about 30 servings for 2.79 (ish). 
 

Beans, Rice & Your Budget: Conclusion

Beans and rice are a great ace up your sleeve for those weeks when you're really down to the wire and are worried about how you're going to feed your family :

So let's see :

.75 cents x 1 can lunch x 1 can dinner = 1.50
1.50 x 7 days = 10.50
+ 1 bag of rice for 2.79 (will last one week)
= 13.29 for one week of eating
Beans and Rice to the Rescue!!!