Monthly or Weekly Food Budget?

[nicollette]

With our research on the raw food diet one thing we have had a hard time finding is an average cost (grocery wise) for raw foodists. If you donÂ’t mind sharing this info I wanted to ask about rough budgets for food costs on a weekly or monthly basis. We are willing to rearrange how much we spend on groceries but having a good idea as to the average cost would help us decide where to cut other costs and by how much. We are a two people household, no children yet. What is your average cost weekly or monthly?

P.S. I know costs will probably differ depending on location. We are in Nebraska. :)

[juliebove]

This is really hard to say. I grow some of my own fruits and vegetables, so right now I'm spending less on food than I would during the winter. I was getting a box of organic fruits and vegetables each week, but have stopped that for the time being since much of what's in there is what I am growing. The box costs me anywhere from $30 to $50, but it also might include things like eggs that my husband eats and I do not.

I grow my own sprouts and ordered enough seeds to where I am not currently paying anything for those.

I get some things at the health food store like nuts, seeds and flax crackers. I probably spend $30-$40 a month on those. And then there are various trips to the grocery store for things I've run out of. And special things I have to mail order for my daughter who has a lot of food allergies. I probably spend $200 to $300 a week for those things. But that includes food for my husband who does not eat a raw diet. And he eats a LOT! It is not uncommon for him to eat an entire recipe of something that is 4 servings and then be looking around for junk food like chips, cookies and ice cream. No matter how much food I buy, it is never enough. He always wants more.

Our food here is pretty expensive. I currently live in WA. Our prices are about the same as what I was paying in CA. Some things are about the same as I was paying in NY. Some things are cheaper and some more expensive. In NY, I could get really good deals on certain fresh vegetables like peppers and lettuce. They were grown in CA. Yes I was paying far less than I did for them when I lived in CA!

I've been through Nebraska a few times during cross country moves. Husband is in the military. I think your food prices are a lot cheaper than they are in other parts of the country.

[rawpriestess]

We actually figured this out last year for the board, and since we grow alot of our own food, and herbs, we spend for two of us, about $100 per month an ALL store items, as we don't buy any kind of medications, bandaids, hair dye, deoderants, shampoo etc.


but that is the average, we don't spend that in the summer, only the winter, in the summer we eat free with our gardens and wild foraging,

and that $100 is mostly nuts, or when we need to buy fruits in the winter.

[ShelShel]

I think this will be a very hard question to answer. :rolleyes: Simply because...some people grow their own food...some buy strictly organic (more expensive), some have large appetites and some small...again as you pointed out location makes a difference. I spend about $100.00 a week. That's a rough estimate...but that is just for me on raw. I don't grow anything. Hope that helps. :D

[Vegan Diva]

I have a large garden. I grow vegetables, herbs, and some fruits. During the summer I spend about $50 – $100 per month. In the winter it’s probably closer to $100 - $125 each month. It’s just my three year old daughter and me.

[dreamrawalwz]

I think this will be a very hard question to answer. :rolleyes: Simply because...some people grow their own food...some buy strictly organic (more expensive), some have large appetites and some small...again as you pointed out location makes a difference. I spend about $100.00 a week. That's a rough estimate...but that is just for me on raw. I don't grow anything. Hope that helps. :D

I spend (ok, my dad spends) $75-100 a week for just me, depending on how much organic I get. Then I also buy a lot every day with my own money...I should stop doing that lol.

[Lay-Lay]

I have a large garden, but it has just started coming in. Before the garden came in, if I would travel to the farmers market once a month it would be about $200.00 a month, but if I bought locally it would be $400.00 a month. I buy mostly organic. I buy for myself and a low raw person. I spend another $100.00 a month on SAD food for my SAD husband, who is trying very hard to eat more raw.

So typical grocery store $400.00
Farmers Market: $200.00

for 1 1/4 person

I live in the southern USA

[Lay-Lay]

Forgot to mention. I have a friend who is raw. She spends $40.00 a week. She buys at the farmers market. She only buys for herself and lives near the market.

[Denise Nicole]

I spend about $150 on raw foods per week. That feeds me (all raw vegan except drinks), another adult and 2 children (50% raw vegan). I spend an additional $50-$75 weekly on their non-raw items. I shop at a health food store, regular grocery store, and am a member of a local organinc csa.

I am still fairly new to raw and have been wanting to sit down and meal plan, I think meal planning would greatly assist my food budget! I end up throwing out about 10%-15% of uneaten food....thus needing much better planning!

Another thing to keep in mind, I noticed a lot of long time raw foodies who don't eat the prepared recipes (pies, cookies, cakes, dehydrated foods), begin requiring and craving much less food to maintain their weight and energy. So essentially, you may not need as much food once you have been raw for a while.

[cassidy]

I give myself $50 a week for my raw food. A good tip for getting FREE fruit is go to the farmer's market and ask if they have a box of bruised apples they can't sell. They will usually just give them away. Or go to the store right before it closes and ask them the same thing. I just got two HUGE boxes full of apples, nectarines, peaches, mangos and tomatos for free. All you have to do is ask... sometimes you get lucky!

[Lay-Lay]

awesome idea cassidy!

[bootzey]

$65/week in Atlanta, GA

[vickiesltw]

We spend $65.00 every other week and the opposite week we spend $150.00.

We have found we always run short on the expensive nuts and stuff at the same time.

We have a garden to date do not notice a depreciation in grocery bill.

Our weekly bills went up recently to the above firgures because we are eating almost all organic and add raw a quart of green smoothies apiece to our diet a day.

Prior to geen smoothies and the organic switch the cost was $40.00 and $125.00.

We believe that it is cheaper than the way we ate before. Simply becuase while our food bill has almost tripled. We do not eat out, or go to movies, or go out drinking. Not doing those things anymore has caused us to find a very lucrative balance in our bank account when it is all said and done.

Hope this helps