“If you are a newbie in the kitchen, any recipe will take you longer than it should because you are just getting familiar with your bearings,” says Rachael Ray. “Once you get more comfortable with your cooking routine and preparation skills, things will move a whole lot smoother and faster.”

If you’re not used to shopping with an eye on your budget, give yourself time to snuggle up to it. If you don’t know any good recipes, read Rachael Ray’s Yum-o! The Family Cookbook.

And, here are ten tips for saving money on groceries…

10 Ways to Save Money on Food – Rachael Ray

1. Stay focused on your reasons for saving money on food. Why do you want to save your buckeroos — what are your financial goals? Do you want financial independence (and who doesn’t!)? Keep your goals front and center: write them on your forehead if you have to. It’s much easier to eat cheap and healthy if you stay focused on why you’re eating cheap and healthy.

2. Activate two money saving tips a month. This is one of my best tips for saving money on food because we see smart ways to save money everywhere – the internet, budget books, our rich old aunts, on placemats at funky restaurants. But, do we actually apply them to our lives? Nope. It’s too much. So we need to be strategic about the money saving tips. For instance, don’t try to implement all these ways to save money on groceries at once; instead pick one two a month. Focus on making those two money tips a habit. In a month or six weeks, find one two more money saving tips to work on. This way, you’re not overwhelmed with a million ways to save money on food – and you’re steadily progressing towards financial independence.

3. Keep your fridge and pantry stocked with the basics. This tip for saving money on food is directly from Rachael Ray’s blog: “If you find yourself in the middle of a recipe and you realize you are out of something, that’ll set you back while someone runs to the store. Here’s a good list of things to keep on hand.” Avoid impulse trips to the grocery store, because impuls trips lead to impulse buys!

4. Make your own dressings and sauces. We don’t use dressings on our salads; instead, we sprinkle sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raisons on top. It’s cheap, healthy, and tasty! I make my own BBQ sauce — much more delicious than store bought — and my hubby makes cocktail sauce for shrimp and bean dip for our weekly Mexican Fiesta night. Have fun making your own dips and sauces – it’s a great way to save money on food.

5. Yes, I said weekly “Mexican Fiesta Night.” Do you have a food theme night? For Mexican Fiesta, my hubby makes bean dip (cheap and healthy), and I make pea guacamole (avocado, canned or frozen peas, corn, tomatos, garlic, onions — it’s my favorite dish). Having a planned food night — Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Middle Eastern — is a great way to save money on food, especially if you experiment with different (cheaper) ingredients. In fact, pre-planning your entire week’s menu can help you save money by reducing impulse meals in restaurants.

6. Halve the amount of meat you use. Add filler (oats, crackers, rice, mashed potatoes) to your burgers, meatballs, or meat loave. This way, you’ll half the amount of ground beef, chicken, or pork. Instead of bbq’ing a steak or chicken breast, cut half of one portion into strips and put it into a stirfry. Nobody will notice there’s not a full portion of meat in the stirfry (but they will notice a half portion of meat on a plate!).

7. Buy and cook bulk foods — it’s both cheap and healthy! “Joining a bulk shopping club, like Sam’s, Costco, or BJ’s, can be cost-effective if you frequent the club regularly,” writes Kathleen Zelman in 10 Ways to Save Money on Food Shopping. “Bulk purchases can be a great way to save money — as long as they get used. You might also look in your community for shopping cooperatives that sell food in bulk at a substantial savings.” Cooking in bulk can save both money and time, if you prepare huge pots of, say, spaghetti sauce, and freeze it in individual portions.

8. Savor your leftovers. I don’t understand why people don’t like leftovers! Most of the time, leftover food is tastier than when it was first cooked. The flavors have had a chance to meld into a sweet symphony of music in your mouth! If you want to save money on groceries, do not throw anything away (unless it’s so old it doesn’t look like food anymore). I use my leftover rice, mashed potatoes, or stir fry veggies in soups or stews. I eat leftover pizza and potato salad for breakfast. I refuse to cook new dishes until we’ve eaten our leftovers. These little things don’t just help you save money on food, they teach you to be creative in the kitchen!

9. Keep your eyes peeled for the occasional sale on lean meats and vegetables. Another way to save money on food from Rachael Ray’s blog “Stock up on chicken tenders or boneless, skinless breasts, sirloin steak, pork loin chops or tenderloins. Portion the meats out and freeze them so you can cook with them whenever you want.”

10. Experiment with eggs — omelettes, fritattas, quiches. The high cholesterol scare is over! There’s no need to fear eggs — as long as you don’t eat them every day. Eggs are a great source of protein, and much cheaper than meat. Plus, Canadian researchers say eggs may reduce high blood pressure. So, make it a habit to cook an eggy dinner once a week: frittatas, lazy man’s quiches, omelettes, French Toast with Canadian bacon (can you tell I’m a Canuck?). Eggs are cheap, healthy, and delicious.

“When you really want to show some love, keep the flowers and say it with spaghetti.” ~ Rachael Ray.

For more money saving hints, read 8 Smart Ways Women Can Save Money – Suze Orman.

Related posts:

1. 8 Smart Ways Women Can Save Money – Suze Orman
2. 7 Fast Ways to Get Fit and Save Money on Exercise – Venus Williams
3. Doing What Comes Naturally – Rachael Ray

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent,” said Roosevelt – and that right there is a key definition of a successful woman! In this case, there’s no “one size fits all.”

Here are several possible ways to define a successful woman… if you want to go further, click on What Every Successful Woman Knows: 12 Breakthrough Strategies to Get the Power and Ignite Your Career by Janice Reals Ellig and Bill Morin.

The Definition of a Successful Woman – Eleanor Roosevelt

You may also like 10 Habits of Highly Successful Women!

External achievements. Does a PhD, MD, or LLB make you a successful woman? What about a house with an ocean view, or an apartment overlooking Central Park in New York City? Maybe getting a book published makes you successful, or raising healthy, happy children. Does achieving your goals make you a successful woman? (I say YES to that one, as the creator of “Quips and Tips for Achieving Your Goals” ).

Emotions and feelings. If you feel happy, fulfilled, and content with your life – does that mean you’re a successful woman? Sure! But what about perimenopausal or PMSing women? Their moods plummet and skyrocket at a moment’s notice, which may mean their self-identity or measure of success changes as their hormones fly. I think successful women feel fulfilled, but there’s more to success than feelings…

Physical and emotional health. I have ulcerative colitis and mild bouts of PMS every so often…does that mean I’m not successful? Are women who struggle with depression or cancer less successful? No – but women who stay physically fit and eat nutritious foods may live longer and healthier lives. So, I believe there is a connection between successful women and good health. Read Coping With Chronic Illness – Natalie Goldberg if you struggle with illness!

Treatment of others. It probably goes without saying that if you’re cruel, vindictive, or selfish then you’re probably not a successful woman…or are you? I know a smart businesswoman who has burned more bridges than she’s built – and her business is booming! Would she say she’s a successful woman? Yup. Would others say the same thing? Nope. Or maybe they’d say yes, but grudgingly.

What others say. Have you ever been complimented on your achievements, yet feel like they weren’t “all that”? Other people – like your mom – may gush about your life or actions, but that doesn’t mean you’re successful. For some women, admiration and respect means they’re successful. (Beware of the “seeking the approval of others” monster!).

Internal achievements (a strong self-identity). Back to Eleanor Roosevelt’s life lesson: “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” I think the best definition of a successful woman revolves around how she feels about and defines herself. It doesn’t matter what educations she has, whether she’s grouchy, what illness she struggles with, or what others say about her. For me, the definition of a successful woman is about how she feels about herself, and whether she’s living up to her own potential.

A successful woman marches to her own drummer…especially when it comes to defining whether or not she’s a success! Eleanor Roosevelt not only marched to her own drummer – she had her own orchestra. She was an advocate for working women as well as a prominent author, speaker, politician and activist. I’d say she was a successful woman. I wonder what she’d say?

What do you think of these  definitions of successful women? I’d love to hear your thoughts – big and little – below!

Related posts:

1. Overcoming an Unexpected Relationship Breakup – Eleanor Roosevelt
2. 3 Ways to Leave Relationship Abuse Behind – Eleanor Roosevelt
3. 5 Steps to Being a Successful Woman – Katherine Hepburn

“I don’t act the way society dictates that a woman ‘should,’ writes Queen Latifah in Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman. “I am not dainty. I do not hold back my opinions. I don’t stay behind a man. I’m not here to live by somebody elses’ standards. I’m defining what a woman is for myself. Simply put, I am not interested in subscribing to what society has decided for half of humankind.”

Queen Latifah said this even before starting Jenny Craig’s weight loss program – and she’s been very clear that she’s not losing weight to society’s standards. Rather, she wants to be fit, healthy, and strong for herself — which is the best reason! Click on Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman to learn more about her, and read on for ten ways to build your self-confidence levels.

10 Ways to Build Self-Confidence – Queen Latifah

1. Accept that you might feel guilty when you say no – but say no anyway. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you fulfill everyone else’s expectations and behave the way society thinks you should. Instead, say “yes” only to the requests you can fulfill without depleting yourself, and separate others’ expectations from your own.

2. Make your appearance a part of who you are as a whole woman. You dishonor yourself when you dress for others and change your body to please your partner (wax, botox, hate your body, envy skinny models). Don’t compare yourself to others, especially images of air-brushed perfection. To build the self-confidence of Queen Latifah, remind yourself that you are MORE than your appearance!

3. Plan small steps that move you towards your dreams and goals. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you: Clean the house, garden, ferry kids to soccer practice, paint the deck, cook meals, darn the socks when you need to take care of yourself. Stop wishing, and start acting in ways that move you forward.

4. Own your career. Think of yourself as an entrepreneur, even if you work for someone else. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you: don’t speak up at meetings, accept extra work even though you’re overloaded, let others take credit, don’t consider pursuing the education or job that you’re passionate about, or let colleagues destroy your self concept and self esteem. To build your self-confidence, focus on your career as if you were an entrepreneur.

5. Avoid soul-deadening activities. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you participate in activities you feel lukewarm about or outright hate, go to places that make you feel uncomfortable, or act like a martyr. Instead, tune in to your spirit through mediation, prayer, and time for yourself.

6. Take control of your health issues. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you ignore your physical problems and let your doctor, psychiatrist, or counselor totally control your prescriptions, diagnoses, and schedule. Instead of hoping that they know what they’re doing, you can build self-confidence by taking charge of your health.

7. Know what you really think – even if you choose not to voice it. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you swallow your opinions, ignore your ideas, and stifle your creativity. To build the self-confidence of Queen Latifah, express yourself through writing, painting, creating, producing, etc.

8. Learn why you’re overeating, overspending, overcriticizing. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you bury your feelings in chocolate ice cream, heroin, cigarettes, wine, excessive activity. Stop immersing yourself in shopping, watching TV, gossiping, and extreme busyness! Instead, face your feelings head-on. Face what you’re afraid to know.

9. Pick friends who support, honor, and love you. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you spend time with people who criticize, condemn, or deplete you. Instead of letting your family, friends or society dictate who you are, build your self-confidence by tuning into what you really think and feel.

10. Define what “taking risks” means to you – and take a little one every day. You dishonor your body, mind and spirit when you don’t trust yourself, don’t reach out to others, don’t be vulnerable, and above all don’t make waves. Take a small risk every day, whether that’s saying hi to your postal carrier or saying no to your mom!

My new favorite saying is: “To get something you’ve never had, do something you’ve never done.”

How do you build your self-confidence levels? Please comment below – I’d love to hear from you.

Related posts:

1. 5 Ways to Increase Self Esteem for Overweight Women – Queen Latifah
2. 5 Ways to Build Resiliency – JK Rowling
3. Improving a Negative Body Image – Christina Aguilera

The life lesson: to succeed at anything, you need to know how to motivate yourself! The successful woman in history: Amelia Earhart. The unexpected twist: even when you’re pursuing your dreams and goals, you still need to find ways to motivate yourself to keep going!

First, a word from our sponsor:

“When they fail, their failure must be a challenge to others,” said Earhart.

Other people’s failures could motivate you to succeed where no woman has succeeded before – and no doubt that’s partly what spurred Earhart to achieve her goals. Here’s how to motivate yourself, with life lessons from the most famous female pilot in history…and, click on 20 Hours, 40 Min: Our Flight in the Friendship by Earhart for more info about her record-breaking flight.

How to Motivate Yourself – Amelia Earhart

Thrive on the success of others. Amelia Earhart had her own version of See Jane Soar: a scrapbook of newspaper clippings describing the achievements of successful women in law, engineering, advertising, business, and the film industry. Amelia knew how difficult it was (and is) to forge ahead, especially in male-dominated fields. Those articles improved her confidence, motivation, and passion. They represented the victories of women Amelia didn’t even know – women who nevertheless inspired her to soar.

Don’t compare yourself to others! There will always be successful women who are smarter, stronger, more confident, and even luckier than you. And, there will always be less successful women who aren’t as smart, strong, confident, or lucky as you. To motivate yourself, don’t compare yourself to anyone. You have your life to live, and other women have theirs. Read The Definition of a Successful Woman – Eleanor Roosevelt to learn what success means to different women.

Find – and push – your own buttons. If you really want to motivate yourself, pay attention to what drives you. Me, I like earning money for writing – so I’m motivated to keep writing and keep pitching articles no matter how many rejections I get. The life lesson here is that you can’t rely on others to motivate you…you have to find your own triggers, and you need to keep pulling them.

Do what comes naturally. Amelia Earhart broke records in altitude, speed, distance, and solo flying – partly because she was doing what came naturally to her. She was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and received countless other honors. Do you think she needed to find ways to motivate herself? No. She was a successful woman in history because she did what came naturally to her.

How do you motivate yourself? I welcome your comments below…

Related posts:

1. Earning Money to Pursue Your Passions – Amelia Earhart
2. Succeeding by Taking Risks – Amelia Earhart
3. How to Succeed Despite Criticism – Amelia Earhart

The life lesson: your chances of success increase exponentially when you do what comes naturally! The successful woman: America’s beloved Rachael Ray.

“To me, success has always been being able to come home and make myself dinner, to know the bills are paid, that my family’s OK today, to have my dog and to eat good food,” says Ray. “That’s a successful day for me.”

Ray found a way (several ways, actually – her TV show, cookbooks, and magazine!) to do what comes naturally for her. That not only makes her a successful woman, it ensures that she’ll keep enjoying what she does. Here’s how Rachael Ray became so successful, and how you can apply her lessons and wisdom to your own life….and, click on Rachael Ray’s Big Orang Book for her ultimate collection of recipes!

Doing What Comes Naturally – Rachael Ray

“I think that’s probably the key to anyone’s happiness in life — just doing what comes naturally,” says Ray. “I don’t think you can choose whether you are successful in life when you’re talking about money or status, but I do think that you can choose if you’re successful in life if you define it by simply being happy.”

Even “naturals” need practice! Remember that no matter how natural you are at something – cooking, writing, throwing dinner parties, leading meetings, or running marathons – you still need practice. Rachael Ray didn’t become a gourmet chef and cookbook author overnight. She grew up working in restaurants, which gave her basic cooking and baking knowledge. Her mom worked as a restaurant manager, which taught Ray about the long hours and dedication a food career can demand.

Just because you’re a natural doesn’t mean you don’t need practice. In his book Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell writes that truly successful people practice their craft for 10,000 hours. Read 10 Habits of Highly Successful Women for inspirational tips!

Keep trying different things – and work hard. How do you know if you’re a natural at something? Keep trying new things until you hit it! Rachael Ray’s life lesson involves trying different things until you find what works. Successful women don’t try one thing and give up if it doesn’t work.

“Keep trying different things that you can envision yourself doing,” says Ray. “If you really love clothes, there’s nothing wrong with working in clothes. “Take any job. Don’t be a snob when it comes to work.”  To be successful women- to soar - we have to work hard. This means showing up every day and giving it our best shot…even when we’re tired, bored, or scared.

To learn more about doing what comes naturally, read . And, feel free to share your thoughts on this life lesson – I’d love to hear from you!

My source of Rachael Ray’s info is Success for Women.com, Rachael Ray: Answering Opportunity’s Call.

Related posts:

1. 10 Ways to Save Money on Food – Rachael Ray
2. How to Motivate Yourself – Amelia Earhart
3. 5 Steps to Being a Successful Woman – Katherine Hepburn

The life lesson: Listen up to find your direction in life. Focus on the whispers only you can hear – because the Universe is opening and closing doors and showing you the right way to go. The successful woman who teaches us this life lesson? Frida Kahlo, of course!

“…I paint because I need to,” said Kahlo, a Mexican artist who inspired feminists all over the world after her death. She lived from 1907-1954, and was one of the most authentic women in history.

Kahlo began painting because she was “bored as hell” while convalescing in bed after a traumatic bus accident. Have you ever wondered what direction to take in life? You need only listen and look for open doors…here’s how the events in Frida Kahlo’s life told her where she needed to go…and how she went there with passion and intensity!

Finding Your Direction in Life – Frida Kahlo

Kahlo was an artist – some say Mexico’s greatest – who didn’t bother waxing or plucking her bushy unibrow and moustache; she painted them right into her self-portraits. Kahlo subtracted three years from her birthday and claimed 1910 as her birth year. Whether she did this to make herself younger or associate herself with the Mexican Revolution (which started in 1910) is still debated.

Frida Kahlo did what she wanted. Kahlo had Oprah Winfrey’s key to a successful life! According to one biographer, Frida Kahlo swore all the time. She drank tequila and smoked heavily. She sang loud songs and told off-color jokes at the wild parties she hosted; she was a vibrant extrovert who was sexually liberated. “She is a devil,” her father told her future husband. “I know,” said Diego Rivera. Frida’s first male love interest was Alejandro, the leader of a gang at her school. She became a feminist cult figure towards the end of the 20^th century, particularly because her intense paintings were dominated by female themes.

Pain was a huge part of her existence.

Frida Kahlo was real. She was obsessive, passionate, despairing, and brutally honest. Kahlo danced – she loved crowds – and she flirted with and seduced both men and women. Her lust for life was evident in everything she did. Kahlo delighted in gossip, dirty jokes, and pets like spider monkeys. She treated children like adults, servants like family, and students like colleagues.

Kahlo didn’t care what people thought.

Finding your direction in life. Whether you’re fervent like Frida or quietly passionate like Amelia Earhart, be aware of the open and closed doors in your life. Whether you’re struggling with cancer, chasing a promotion, bored as hell, or getting a divorce – those open and closed doors are pointing you in the right direction.

Go boldly, my friend. Go boldy. And, read Getting What You Want Out of Life – Angelina Jolie for inspiration.

If you’re lucky enough to find direction in life, how did you do it? Comment below – I’d love to hear from you!

Related posts:

1. Finding the Right Timing in Life – Anita Roddick
2. What Halloween Costumes Reveal About Personality Traits
3. Finding the Motivation to Do What You Love – Julia Cameron