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Don't Need Much Money is exactly what it sounds like: a site about needing less, so you have more. More time. More freedom. More room to actually live. The idea is simple. The less money you need to survive, the more time you have to thrive. Lower your living costs, live a healthy lifestyle focused on longevity and mobility, stay out of debt, and build a little savings, and you buy yourself something far more valuable than money: time. Time to do what you actually love, spend with people you care about, and put toward things that matter. This site is my own real life running that experiment. Most of what you'll find here are recipes and day-to-day habits. They aren't filler posts, it's intentional. Cooking from scratch, buying smart, wasting less, eating well, and staying healhty, fit, and limber all without spending much are some of the most direct ways I practice this philosophy day to day. This blog doubles as my own recipe box and exercise notes, and I share it b...

Simple Dairy Free Pesto

Updated 8/12/26

With how well my Chimichurri Sauce turned out, I wanted to see if I could create a simple and quick pesto sauce too. I took a crack at it and it turned out really great. I made it without parmesan cheese because of my dairy allergy and to save cost. I also wanted to skip the pine nuts in a traditional pesto because they can be quite expensive and not something I like to keep in my cupboard. I've tried almonds and cashews instead and both worked as a great substitute. When ground up, the nuts gave that slightly gritty yet smooth texture that the parmesan and pine nuts create in a traditional pesto. Give this a try on your next pasta, pizza, veggies, dip, or any other use you have for pesto.

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup raw almonds or cashews or 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup vegan Parmesan cheese (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves fresh garlic
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper or black pepper depending on spice tolerance
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 cups fresh basil (or sub 2 tsp dried basil with 2 cups spinach)
  • 1 tbsp red or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup (4 tbsp) olive oil
  • 2-4 tbsp water depending on desired thickness (4 tbsp for more pasta sauce consistency)
Directions
  • Ideally boil the almonds or cashews in water for 3-5 minutes. This will allow them to soften and blend easier. If you can't do this step beforehand, just use less nuts. Or another alternative is to use almond flour.
  • Put all the ingredients in a Cuisinart or blender. It may speed things up to pre-chop the basil, greens, and garlic into smaller chunks.
  • Pulse the ingredients to make sure everything mixes evenly. Then blend on high for a few seconds until smooth. It may require opening the Cuisinart or blender and pushing the ingredients off the lid and sides, then re-blending.
  • Pour into a bowl and serve.
Inspiration

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