Wondering how to stretch your money a bit at the grocery? Follow this little primer on eating like Puerto Ricans. Almost as good as how to cook a f#$%ing steak. And, it makes sense as well. Quick notes: black beans and rice and PORK SHOULDER.

Add a pinch of Cayenne pepper so you remember that you have a set of cojones

Eating Well (healthy) on $1 a Day really is possible. If you’re interested in lowering your grocery bills I’d recommending reading through this 30-day experiment. All it takes is a little bit of planning, some coupons and smart use of coupon overages.

I’ve tried to do this sort of thing once before and frankly I don’t think I’m smart enough to do it. But, I’m inspired again and will put some of these practices to use. Maybe I’ll even report back with my results…

Going to secondhand stores and finding a little treasure … that meant more to me because it was more of stab in the dark … because you didn’t know if you were gonna be able to afford it and you don’t know really what you are looking for, and when you find it, it’s more special to you, rather than having a thousand dollars and going into a store like that just buying the whole store…

– Kurt Cobain (video)

My mother always said that we were too poor to buy too cheap

– Jil Sander (love this advice).

I’ve always believed that saving a dollar here and a dollar there makes a huge difference. The attitude of, “it’s only a dollar (difference)” kills me. I believe that if you focus on the details (small amounts in this case), everything falls into place on the larger scale. Finally, someone who agrees with me: small amounts do add up and matter.

Small amounts matter. Your everyday habits have a huge impact on your financial success. Frugality and thrift help build good habits, and make a real difference over time. Plus, there are tons of opportunities to flex your frugal muscles.

One of my favorite blogs is An Affordable Wardrobe because it shows that style doesn’t have to be purchased at some fancy boutique. It doesn’t hurt to have coin to drop like that, but it’s not necessary either. Anyway, here’s a very thoughtful guest post Giueseppe wrote describing why he shops at thrift stores. I’m not sure there could be a better, more well-thought out rationale.

Mark Boyle gave up cash. He doesn’t have money and lives off the land, so to speak. A quick read with a few examples of how he lives, I found the most interesting piece to be what he’s learned (emphasis is my own, so I remember it).

What have I learned? That friendship, not money, is real security. That most western poverty is of the spiritual kind. That independence is really interdependence.

Kottke.org points out the Sandwich Calculator, which is wonderful if, like me, you are curious how much you spend on your meals. My “blue collar sandwich”* only costs me $0.49.

* I know I’ve detailed what the blue collar sandwich on Twitter, but I can’t find it (annoying). But for future reference, a blue collar sandwich is cheapest bread available, a kraft single, bologna with the red string and yellow mustard.

When shopping for food, did I have to choose between my budget and my beliefs?

This piece by Salon answers this question and goes into some detail on how – a subject not many tackle, but rather just say eat organic, it’s better – and what to eat but at a reasonable cost.