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It's Costing Me A Fortune! HELP!!

Hello all!! I’m going into my third week of being raw. I love it, I feel fantastic (pmsing at the moment so having lots of naughty cravings, but, biting my lip and battling through it). I feed 3 very picky, SAD food kind of eaters (especially my husband). Everything organic and”rare” is so expensive I’m almost finding it not worth it. I so don’t want to go back to eating the other way, I feel so good, and have already lost 8lbs. Do you have any tips on how I can feed them homemade meals, feed myself (I find myself going to the grocery store EVERYday for fresh food b/c I’m scared to death to spend that much money simply for it to spoil) without it costing me, literally, my left arm? I’m also stuck in an avacado rut…I eat them EVERYday!! I love them!! Is that bad? I don’t have a deydrator yet, I saw something somewhere where the person used their broiler for like, a minute in the oven…eh? I want to make sure I can do this fiscaly (is that a word?) wise before dishing a bunch-o-moola. Thanks in advance everyone!!!!—-I also wanted to add, I’m in Arkansas, not the kind of state that supports this type of diet. It supports good ol’ fried cookin’ and LOTS of it ;) I’m smack in the middle of Wal-Mart land

Comments

  • We spend a TON of money on our food, but we figure it’s worth it in the end…best to invest in your health – so try to stick with it! You can also start growing some things yourself – it’s a blast, and the food tastes better than anything… also, eat as many avocados as your body desires; they are SO incredibly good for you!!! Eat intuitively…your body will never lead you in the wrong direction if you listen carefully enough!!

  • it is definitely more expensive, but i agree with TropicalRawElla… the effects on your health are well worth it! and personally i used to be almost constantly on antibiotics, so i save a lot on medication.

    getting up early and getting to the farmer’s market when it opens every sunday helps me with my budget tremendously. organic is way cheaper buying direct from the farmers than from supermarkets, and if you get there early you get first pick of the best stuff! it also helps you see what is seasonal, and in general sticking as much as you can to what’s in season helps cut costs, too. also sticking to whole fruits and veggies and not prepared stuff, and using more seeds instead of nuts.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    I now order a lot of things in bulk, and that saves me in the long run. Wal-Mart land, huh? I’m very fortunate to have two good health food stores and an Asian market within 30 minutes of my house. I order a lot from Azure Standard – www.azurestandard.com – You could check to see if they deliver in your area – I get things like bulk grains, nuts, seeds, coconut oil, herbs & spices, etc. I still spend more than on my former diet, but it’s not as much of a difference now. I also have A LOT less medical costs and A LOT more energy now – I agree, totally worth it. :) If you want to email me (address on my profile), I can help you with more specific ideas for feeding your family.

  • heyenglishheyenglish Raw Newbie

    I’m spending more on my raw diet too… but on the plus side, I’m not eating out nearly as much. Plus, I try to buy certain produce when it’s on sale, and the best thing is organic bananas! My staple green smoothie is 2 bananas and 2 handfuls of spinach plus 2 cups of water. Cheap, right?

    And as for grocery shopping, I make two trips a week. Usually Saturday and Tuesday. If I know I’m not going to be using the produce for the next couple days, i.e. bananas or avocados, I’ll pick ones out that aren’t ripe yet so they’ll ripen when it’s time to use them. I also try to keep it simple, instead of making all these crazy delectably gourmet raw meals every night. I find going lighter on the nuts and oils keeps my costs down.

    And as for buying organic on a budget, this website http://www.foodnews.org/walletguide.php lists how many pesticides are found in each food, so if you do have to buy non-organic food items, you can pick the ones with fewest pesticides.

  • amysueamysue Raw Newbie

    I think most of us have been in your spot, don’t worry! In the beginning it’s exciting and fun and you might go a little crazy. I had to get under control myself. I’ve heard that farmer’s markets can make it very affordable. We don’t have one locally but if you do, check it out. If you focus on local fresh greens they would be the best thing for you and affordable. You don’t have to do the pricey stuff, start searching the recipe section for recipes that use the basics. I don’t think it’s bad to eat an avocado a day but I can see how that would be expensive, at least it is around here since we’re a long way from avocado land.

  • I agree about the farmers’ markets – I’m also new to the raw diet and find that eating locally cuts costs. If you need help finding a farmers’ market in your area, try the Eat Well Guide (www.eatwellguide.org) – just type in your zip code and it will tell you where the closest one is (as well as other vendors that offer sustainable food in your area). I’m currently volunteering for the guide and have found it to be a big help in finding wholesome food. Also, if you’re interested in purchasing a dehydrator, maybe check out craigslist and other classified sites before splurging on a new one.

  • beanybeeganbeanybeegan Raw Newbie

    I would say don’t buy “rare” foods right now. Instead of using hemp or chia seed for omega 3, why not grind up flax seed in a small coffee grinder. ( I noticed there is not much said about flax seed on this forum. Is there a reason???? ) The other is to buy foods in season. We have a very small farmers market in our area, but even tho they “say” organic, I never know for sure. So don’t go there. Simplicity is the lowest cost. Like an apple and a few nuts instead of an apple pie.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    Dehydrated food is cheap to make and very filling, I think it is a good way of keeping costs down at first when you’re eating a lot. It is common to eat tons of food when you first go raw, it gradually decreases in most people as your body needs less because it is getting cleaner and cleaner.

    I go to the wholesale market which is very inexpensive, I don’t buy organic much, and I always go to the supermarket when they reduce everything and get loads of bargains.

    Eating raw food might be pricey but it is cheaper than getting cancer ;)

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    I don’t spend more. It looks like I’m in the minority but I find when I’m not spending tons of money on meat and cheese and things like that I actually save getting all fresh.

    My grocery store has a small bulk(raw and organic) section where I get nuts and seeds and things but buying the organic lettuce, spinach and carrots aren’t at all expensive. I only buy the fruits and other veggies when they are on sale so every week I get a different combination. So if apples, mangos and cantelopes are on sale one week the next week it’ll be watermelon, pineapples and oranges the next. I only go to the grocery store once a week and I don’t ever have a problem with things going bad in that amount of time.

    I LOVE AVOCADOS…..fortunately you can eat as many as your body needs and you’ll be just fine. Enjoy!

  • I have done a lot of math on this subject in response to critizism from the family and what I can tell is my diet is about the same as the SAD eaters in my life. They spend lots on fast food and drinks away from home or that they bring home that they forget to add to their total food bill. I eat maybe an avocado a day and mostley eat pretty simply but once in awhile I will make a nut pate or something to go with my veggies for the next couple of days. When I go away from home I bring pure water, an avocado maybe and fruit with me so I am covered. I keep a folding knife in my purse and a few napkins. I only eat out in a raw resteraunt once in awhile. All in all I believe it balances out. I would not buy any other dehydrater for raw except an Excalibur. Just save up becuase I have found the others to be mostly useless and they cook your food so what is the point. Keep up the good work and please realize that nothing is more expensive than modern health care. It will bankrupt you and your family. If you don’t have heart disease, kidney failure, cancer or diabetes now (I USED to) that, by the odds, could very well be your future.

  • angie207angie207 Raw Master

    A couple of days ago I had yet another person tell me that she could never afford to feed her family the kind of food I eat. I had a similar thought this morning, as you guys are saying – Cancer, heart disease and diabetes are expensive! Raw food is cheap compared to those. :)

  • troublesjustabubbletroublesjustabubble Raw Newbie

    if you stay simple(which I like the best although I know everyone has preferences) you can really do it very cheap. Besides, any sickness would be far more expensive as Zoe and Angie said. Even something like high blood pressure or diabetes. It doesn’t have to be life threatening cancer to keep you pockets empty!

  • bittbitt Raw Newbie

    so, other folks gave good advice but I will add that at cost me more at first when i was still figuring out what I liked. I also had a bigger appetite back then. I had to eat so much to transition. Now that we (my husband is high raw) have figured out what we like the costs are cheaper. We plan ahead and only get things like jalepinos when we have a specific recipe in mind. We also shop around, for example we go to Trader Joe’s for items like oranges, frozen mangoes, dates and the farmer’s market for greens. We have to get fresh produce probably twice a week from the farmer’s market or farm stand. If you are worried the food will spoil, keep track for a week or so how much you use. Then you will be able to plan better. If you fruit does not get eaten and looks like it will spoil, cut it up and put it in the freezer to throw in smoothies or something. I do that with bananas.

  • Those are good ideas bitt as I too have found that I spend less now because I have learned how to buy food and I have much less waste. Also it does not hurt to take up neighborhood foraging (with permission of course) and foraging weeds for greens. Make sure you learn your plants well though as this can be dangerous but it is fun and very rewarding. Mustards, dandilions and plantain are easy to identify when you learn how, also growing veggies in pots can be good too if you can.

  • I totally sympathize with your location. I have family in Arkansas and I spend 2 weeks a year there. My family is conviced I have an eating disorder and they say it must be a yankee thing…I live in Michigan. I too know that Wal-Mart does not carry many of the items needed for a raw diet. I’m not sure you can even get flax seeds there. My suggestions to you are to shop the produce that is on sale only, with the exception of your greens, spend a few extra bucks and get the organic container, limit your self to one per week. Find the “REDUCED FOR QUICK SALE” produce at Wal-Mart. Set a budget for your self and see how cheap you can get things.(Like a little competition) Next year: invest in a few tomato, zucchini, pepper, and melon plants if you have space. Oh, about the avacados…keep eating them, it is a much cheaper source of fat versus purchasing high quality, cold pressed, olive oil.

  • I forgot to recommend a book to you. Raw Food For 1 or 2 people by Jennifer Cornbleet. I find this book extremely helpful, as the recipes are only 1-2 servings…so waste is reduced. Most of the recipes are 5 or less ingredients and take just a few minutes to prepare without many fancy tools. The book is like 16 dollars, I think it might be money well spent for you if you are serious about raw foods to the long term.

  • I have found that I am spending about the same- I have been doing free range meat for the past three years which is pricey as well as raw cheeses, raw milk (which is outrageous here in Montana because it has to come from Oregon- $16 a gallon)- omega 3 free range eggs- organic produce and so on…. the transition to raw food was actually maybe even cheaper as we already had been doing the organic versions of everything already. I guess it all depends on what kind of diet you had prior.

    I have a girlfriend that eats ramen noodles several times a week- boxed macaroni- cheap junk like that…she literally spends about $250 a month on groceries for her family of 3 and I am baffled on how she does it. Cheap crap- that’s how…so a transition like this would be outrageous for her.

  • Like Rosehebrew said, learn to forage for wild greens, or grow your own! I live in a town that has a group of raw fooders that teach a “foraging for wild foods” class. It in inexpensive and will give you the confidence to forage for a few key veggies.

    Also, ask the produce people in your market when they are going to mark things down; many times they will tell you in advance so you can plan to be there and get the organic stuff at a lower cost before they throw it out!

    I am with you though…we are a pretty broke family, but I know this is the best way to go. In the long run, it will save us lots! Now, if only I could get my husband to eat more raw!

  • I find I am spending a lot as well as I am still learning and because before I went raw I loved to cook. So naturally I went straight to the extravagant recipes. Green smoothies help keep my costs down as they are so filling. They take the place of two meals for me. I did the math one day for the smoothies and in terms of meals it came out to about $3.50 each. A side salad at a restaurant cost more than that. And I buy whatever fruit is on sale for snacks. I spend less when I have a clear picture of what I will be making and make a list of what I need. I go and do groceries 2x a week and try to stick to the list. I also make what my boyfriend calls “use it or lose it” meals. Whatever I have left over will get used before I touch any of the new stuff I buy.

  • hii… i’m also here in arkansas (up in fayetteville). we have a co-op up here, ozark natural foods, but a lot of their produce can be quite pricey. i find that our sam’s club here usually has a consistent supply of organic baby spinach, strawberries, blueberries, and some other constantly used produce. i’m in the middle of stocking up on organic in-season berries, cleaning and freezing them to use later on in the fall when prices go up because they are out of season and are being importing from warmer countries. the harp’s chain also carries organic produce, but it can get expensive. we have a farmer’s market three days a week that i like to get squashes, herbs, and greens from, but it shuts down in early november when it gets too cold to grow anything here. also: i have a small back porch, but i have been thinking of growing my own spinach and peppers and tomatoes out there to cut down on the cost of buying those at the store. spinach is a fall plant… you could always experiment with it this fall to see if it helps with the food bill. finally, i think that ordering bulk nuts and grains online might be helpful. some of the online stores seem to have really good deals on bulk foods these days. i don’t know if any of that was helpful, but i sure hope you find a way to keep with raw foods!

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