Oh yeah, someone mentioned using the quicker cooking beans to save on fuel costs. That is something I do, too. Actually the cheapest beans are usually the faster cooking ones anyway. I cook a lot of lentils. Thye cook in just 40 minutes and adjust well to all those southern ways of cooking beans. (I'm from TN) But of course, always soak your beans before cooking to bring cook time down, ands thereby save on fuel. Beans can be pressure cooked to save, too. Rice can be soaked a bit before cooking, but depending on how you want the texture, you may not want to pre-soak.
If ever you get the chance to get into a big city that would have an import store that caters to immigrants, save some of your "souvenir money" for shopping. I get incredible deals in such stores. Spices very cheap, all kinds of beans and rices very cheap. They might also be a good source of vegetables that you could grow for your own eating. The roots crops especially can often be replanted in your own garden and gotten to grow. Also fresh lemon grass, yucca root, hmmm, in Arkansas maybe even manioc. The advantage of this kind of crop is that just once small piece can grow with very little attention form Farmer Aukxsona into a nice patch. Good to eat...good to sell at farmer's market? (I don't know...I once knew a woman from Mountain Home who had a hard time selling even different varieties of vegetables as familiar as green beans and tomatoes. But maybe near Batesville people are more curious and adventurous with their eating.)
That reminds me-- Have you tried Jerusalem artichoke? It will grow without cultivation and all you need to do is dig when you want some. The patch will expand greatly every year, so best to plant in a space where it will not overtake your other plants. The tubers are starchy, but not as starchy as potatoes. They taste a bit like artichokes (no surprise) or sunflower seeds. This is a vegetable you might be able to get a state of in an import grocery.
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