The thing I have never “truly” understood is why is it so expensive to eat and live healthy.  When Eric was working, we never thought about the costs of shopping at Whole Foods versus Kroger, Publix or Stop and Shop.  We only concerned ourselves with eating foods that were “good” for us, since they contained fewer, if any, preservatives and words like high fructose and fully-hydrogenated in the ingredients list.  But now, as Boomerangers, we have to be much more conscious of our spending habits and our budget.

Reducing food costs tends to be one of the first places people generally look when it comes to stretching limited dollars, whether those dollars are from unemployment or several part-time jobs.  Buying less expensive and often less healthy food is simply the easiest way to accomplish this in the short-term.  But the long-term issues should definitely be considered.  When we purchase these foods, we potentially expose ourselves and families to food that can potentially lead to heart disease, high blood pressure or other diseases.  Then there are foods you absolutely should not eat.  While developing our budget, we chose to use a portion of our funds to make sure we eat well.  Indeed, we have learned that just reducing the fat content in our diet does not necessarily equate to eating well.  Take a look at “Why Fat-Free Isn’t Trouble Free”.

So does buying organic and natural food products mean we have less disposable income for entertainment, kid toys and stuff like that? Yes and no.  Yes, eating healthy is generally more expensive, but we have found that coupons for many organic products can be found online.  Coupons…. the great equalizer!

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Yesterday, when I opened the front door, there was the same beautiful butterfly that appeared Sunday morning – in the same spot on the welcome mat.  As excited as I was the first time I saw it, it was so much more awe inspiring to see it return the very next day.  It was as if it waited there to bring me a message that did not require words.  And although the possibility of words from a butterfly is a complete impossibility, the message was clear to me.  What beauty in this most simple of encounters.  How awesome life could be if we were like the butterfly who returned with a message.

The beauty in being a butterfly is in birth the caterpillar doesn’t even have wings.  Yet one day the caterpillar becomes the butterfly, sprouting wings and soaring to heights well beyond its own caterpillar aspirations.  So the question is “does the caterpillar know that it will become a butterfly or does it believe it is relegated to a life restricted?”  In the same vain, how many of us (the collectively unemployed) believe we will never again have the opportunity to pursue a career about which we are passionate?

If we don’t question our potential or possibilities, we can all achieve far more than we may believe our current circumstances will allow. Become the Boomeranger butterfly and exceed your own expectations, as well as those placed upon you by others ….

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