Saving Money as a Couple.

Here is a little tip for the two of you to save a little money.

Go out and purchase some storage containers that you would consider the size of an individual portion.

Now find things that you can make that you can divide into these containers and freeze to be eat later.  This is a great way to avoid all those nasty processed meals you either take for lunch or that you eat at home when time is short.  We personally make a Mexican soup that works out great for this.  We use natural ingredients and then have a wonderful meal at our disposal at any time.  By doing this you will not believe how much money you can save.  So instead of giving you money to those big corporations that give us unhealthy meals we can same some money and eat healthy.  What a wonderful concept.  Below is my recipe for Mexican Soup try it out change ingredients if you like and see how much money it can save you.

Rob's Mexican Soup

Ingredients : Black Beans (1 Can), Kidney Beans (1 Can), Chili Beans (1 Can), Corn (1 cup), Green Pepper (1 Diced), Jalapeno (2 sliced), Celery (2 stalks sliced), Rice, Cumin (to taste), Cilantro (to taste)

Directions : Put all ingredients in crock pot or slow cooker, except for rice, on low for about 5 hours.  Make your rice separately and add after the 5 hours is up.

Divide your portions out and place in your storage containers.  You might also like to top your soup with shredded cheese or tortilla chips.

Fences

A fence not only keeps our fears out - it also keeps them locked in.

Photo by Knowles Gallery - Charles Knowles

Make a trip to the store and fun and exciting thing.

We all have to go to the grocery store at some point and time.  We have to get the food and products to help us survive in this lifetime.  This chore can sometimes become a hassle as you dread the lines and the constant going back and forth for things you forgot.  Actually going to the store can really be viewed as a drain on your day.

I suggest you make it an outing for the two of you.  Don't get stuck in the grocery store rut.  Invite your partner and treat it as a date or a time out for the two of you.  Have some fun act silly and enjoy each others company.  Get someone to watch the kids and enjoy your shopping time without your little loved ones asking for everything they see.  Challenge yourselves to find new, exciting, and healthy foods for your family.  Heck if all else fails you can people watch and see all the characters that come into the store.  Using this technique will help break you out of the boredom of shopping each time you go.  You might even start looking forward to it.

Choose How You View Others

Do you want to change the world around you? Do you find that others don’t understand you? Do you feel like an outsider sometimes or do you feel that if you shared your views people would not understand? Taking a bold stand is not for everyone, but you can change how you view others. We need to appreciate their differences. Sometimes that can be quite challenging especially if someone stabs you in the back or tries to manipulate a situation. You don’t have to accept unpleasant treatment from others – just try to remove yourself from it. Most importantly do not allow yourself to get worked up over it. Breathe it in, then release it and let it be. You can choose to change how you react, how you feel about things even if you can’t change the “thing” itself.



By doing this you will actually change the world around you.  It will no longer matter how understood you are.  You can focus on other things than being left out in the cold - perhaps, being in the middle of those around you at work or wherever would not make you comfortable anyway.  You get to choose how you view others and how that will affect you.
 
Photo by Peter Baxter

Well thought out love notes!

Love notes break through all the self doubt your partner might experience. 

We are firm believers in leaving little love notes for your partner around the house.  However sometimes the placement needs to be a little more thought out.  Is you partner going for a job interview, or has a big presentation to share at work, then you little love note might find it's way to a special spot.  Maybe that spot would be in their brief case or on the first page of their presentation for them to find right before the big moment.  Maybe your partner is taking a big test at work or school and you want to show support so you tape a note to their favorite pencil.  These little thought out places and times to leave notes can make the difference to your loved one.  It will give them a boost of confidence at the right time and make them smile at a nervous time.  These little notes might just be the help your partner needs to make a big splash in what ever they are doing.

Note are great to find at random times, but sometimes they have an added benefit.

Unexpected Opening

You are in the driver's seat ready to go about your normal life.  Suddenly there is a tap on the window.  What you see is not what you expect.  Everything suddenly looks different to you.  Where are you?  You realize there is an opening just in front of you.  An opening you were not expecting.  It is time to give up the path you you have been on and time to seek new territory - perhaps even with new transportation.  This does not mean that we abandon our responsibilities or our lives, but suddenly without expecting it we realize we need to make changes.  We need to find what we are missing.  We need serenity and rejuvenation.

Photo by lefebvre_johnathan

Don't become strangers with each other.

It can be so easy to get lost in your relationship so that you and your beloved become strangers.  You turn around one day and it seems like you don't know your partner.  They might have different interests or hobbies that you didn't even know they had.  This doesn't happen overnight but it might seem like it does when you get to this point.  This is why it is so important to be mindful and present with your partner for if your not, you might find a stranger in your relationship.  You don't have to make it a point that you both have the same interests or hobbies but knowing what your partner is interested in is an important issue in your relationship.  Listen to them and the passion they have for this part of themselves, ask them about it and if it peaks your interest join in with them it is a wonderful way to stay connected.  

Never Ending Quest

There is one journey that never ends.  That journey is the quest for knowledge.  Like the abundance of energy in our world there is learning all around us.  As we learn we unlock many more doors.  Each one having a lesson held behind it.  The more we learn the more our minds thrive for knowledge and the more accepting of this knowledge it becomes.  This knowledge is a never ending stream for as we learn newer and even more advanced lessons are being planned.  Learning comes from the strangest places.  Like a lesson a child can teach us or one that nature gives us.  This knowledge isn’t always from a book nor is it always something we can see.  However, you can bet that this learning is your greatest quest.

Photo by David Hughes

Listen to Your Body

Today I awoke with a great pain in my lower back.  I have not felt anything like this in quite some time.  It is certainly unpleasant, but I thank my body for letting me know that something just isn't quite right today.  I am still not certain what that is, but I know I need to listen.  If I only complain about my back hurting and keep popping over-the-counter pain meds, I am not going to uncover the message my body is trying to get through to me.  Okay, a couple of pain killers aren't a bad thing when it hurts really badly.  Yet, I need to listen.  Why exactly is my back hurting.  Hmmm...I may not figure that out today, but if I pay attention instead of just covering it it I will likely figure it out whether consciously or not.
Photo by Ky Olson

Use the Moment

When you are sitting at your computer and for some reason it takes a really long time to download something instead of feeling frustration - use the moment.  Take that moment to sit back in your chair and breathe slowly and deeply.  Focus on your breath and relaxing your shoulders.  Turn the lights low if you can.  Or you can get up from your chair and run around the room.  Whatever relieves your stress and offers you a sense of peace.  Use the moment...it has been given to you for some reason :-)