Ohh this can't be right!!!

[Namaste Mama]

I just finished shopping at Whole Foods and after getting everything on my trusty get started on raw list (well i did buy some gluten free things for my daughter and a steak for my husband) My total came out to over $200!!!!!! OMG!! I don't know if I can afford to eat raw! Please tell me this gets cheaper, that I did something wrong or something, because I can't keep spending like this!!!

[DebB]

Even though our town is big, we're 4 hours from the closes WF or TJ or such markets. I've heard (?) that WF can be pretty expensive.

Have you ever looked into Azure Standard (dot com)? If you're on their route - you may be able to get some items through them cheaper than WF.

For the rest, I just have to do the best I can at our local grocery stores and little health food store. *Ü*

[Mikey_H]

Good food can unfortunately be expensive at times. I spend lots of money on food, but it's such a crucial part of life and I see it as a number one priority, so I don't regret it for a second!
Plus if you keep eye on what's in season and what's available at a good price you should have no prob!!

[Namaste Mama]

Do you all spend this much for a weeks worth of food? I already spend about $250 a week on feeding my family, I could not afford to double that.

[Stina]

Use the advanced search button and you will find that this topic has been covered extensively, some great info to dig through and a lot of experience to learn from.

The most important thing I did was to ask questions in my community and found out where the health food stores were buying their produce from. Then I called the wholesaler and set up an account. So I get my produce at about half off of what it would few be at retail.

I've also gotten back into the habit of sprouting and growing mini greens. That's really economical.

Over the years I've seen some really poor people stay raw, partly determination, partly they prioritized their health.

[Namaste Mama]

Thank you for that advice, I suck at searching but I will look up and read what I can find.

Its good to know there are other options besides spending insane amounts of money on food. I just finished my first batch of sprouts and I have a container garden outside with lettuce, kale, carrots and broccolli and will add warmer vegies in a a few months. I can't wait till this summer when I can harvest Mesquite pods for flour!

Sticking to RAW is very important to me and for my health. I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. I am determined to stick with it, I am 7 days in and about 95% raw! ;)

[Stina]

I sometimes compromise with my standards. My greens are organic ninety give percent of the time, but things like melons, mangoes, bananas........quite often not.

[changeisgood]

I spend close to $300/week (we live in the desert - prices are very high) for me and my husband. There are only two places we can shop at. We love to cook and have fresh organic fruit and veggies(He's almost weaned himself off meat and eats tofu or vegetarian)- it is our only pleasure besides reading and hanging out together. We stopped eating out a long time ago -part boycotting due to the treatment of animals and part because the salads aren't fresh or organic, we're not movie goers or much else that costs money, and we don't want to compromise our health. We would rather cut back in other areas. I'd rather have a great meal then buy something material.
The pain of it should wear off as soon as your tastebuds start to taste real food and when you go shopping and pick up an apple, for exp, anything fresh, you will remember just how good it is and appreciate it without minding the cost.

[GoodCat]

I have a family of eight and we all eat high raw. I spend about $330.00 a week for all of us. Thats about $41.00 a week per person.
I buy my produce through our coop. I also buy our seeds, grains, nuts, and such through the coop too. I do not shop at Whole Foods anymore because they are soooooo expensive.
I would look around and price match some of the stores around you. That might help.

Blessings,
Cathy :D

[Aleesha Sattva]

bulk bulk bulk!!! i got to know the owner of the local market and started ordered cases of everything i use a lot of. over time... they decided to gift me the wholesale pricing.

;) but yes... healthy food is expensive but once you work out how expensive things like meat, coffee, alcohol, bread products, junk food... heck i'm saving heaps of money raw!

[klomasius]

Yeah, I agree with the bulk, I buy bulk things like seaweed and dates. I also buy things like bananas and other fruits on special and freeze them for smoothies and ice cream. The last on special bananas I bought a couple of days ago were organic and only $1 a kilo! I bought them at my local whole foods store.

Also, I wonder, if this was your first raw shop, did you get a bunch of start up things that you wouldn't normally otherwise buy for ages, and never all at the same time. This happens when you are changing over to a new diet.

Shopping at markets really helps, there are usually heaps of specials and the not on special stuff is more likely to be cheaper than any where else.

Good luck! :)

[Namaste Mama]

Yes I did buy things I wouldn't buy every time, Cacao powder, hemp seeds, nama shoyu, nutritional yeast, miso, coco butter, lacuma power, maca powder. I realize now this may have accounted for close to 1/2 of what I bought. I was in sheer panic when the total came up and it took awhile for it to wear off. I have been reading other threads and I really think I can do this. It may take me a couple weeks to get it really figured out, but I am sure I can get my costs down.

I do not drink coffee or alcohol and never have ;0) Its hard though when you have a budget and you have no choice but to stick with it. I wish that the book I bought hadn't said you need to buy all these new strange and wonderful foods for your raw diet, but rather maybe suggested getting a couple things at a time. Oh well live and learn!

[klomasius]

Ah, now I see your problem (wipes hands on dirty oil soaked rag and spits on the ground). Hehe.

These things (if you buy them at all) will be expensive to buy together and will be a large chunk of your budget.

IMHO, stick to the basics as your focus, and buy those sorts of things as little luxuries or one offs if you want them. You don't NEED these things.

Fresh fruits, veg and greens can be cheap, plentiful and often on special, so these things should be your food your foundation, these are the health givers, the life promoters

We all live and learn, :).

Stick around here and you'll get lots of helpful tips.

[Aleesha Sattva]

i bought them ALL when i started out raw. i have since thrown most of them into the garbage.

yup... live and learn.

good news is... you won't have to buy them again!

[Namaste Mama]

Giggle! We live and learn. I do like the Maca becasue I have problems with my adrenals, and the Cacao was a given, I love them hemp and nutritional yeast too, the others we shall see!

[BlackKat]

I was gonna say what a few have said already. Buying everything at once is very expensive especially from Whole foods. In the summer time I go to farmer's markets and buy what's in season. If you don't that can be very pricey too. The other day I bought some strawberries (i was craving) from Whole foods and they were $5.99 for a 16 oz. container. In the summer they are way cheaper.

When I first became interested in raw I did buy a lot of things I normally wouldn't be buying in an average week. Luckily nuts and seeds can be stored for a longer period of time than fresh produce.

Once your body gets adjusted you'll find out what you can't live with out, and what you can get by without. It's expensive at first, I agree. You need to experiment. ALOT. Heck, I didn't even know half of these fruits and veggies were out there! Once you get in the routine of things its quite fun.

Also pre-made raw food items are more expensive than making them on your own. Like raw granola or raw food bars... I used to invest in them but no longer do.

[Stella Green]

Whole Foods is also known as...Whole Paycheck. First, get your organic produce and such from the regular grocery store. I usually limit my Whole Foods venture to once a month, getting only the super duper uper fancy stuff only this store has.

[terry brown]

Whole Foods is also known as...Whole Paycheck. .

Sad but true...
It is an odd trip when I leave there spending less than 50.00. I am pretty sure I am spending the same amount now as I was before turning raw. 118 degrees has a deli there so I get pre made food there too. That adds up.

[luna99]

I haven't read every response to this thread so if what I'm about to say has already been covered, I apologize.

The first thing I thought about this topic was to substitue where you can! Maybe instead of using cashews see if you could follow the same recipe with sunflower seeds or a cheaper nut... or maybe if there are certain nuts that are on sale, buy those and try to see if you could use that. Instead of cacao, try carob if that's cheaper at your store. A lot of recipes you can substitute one thing for another and it will still be fine... of course, it all depends on your tastebuds too... but who knows, maybe you'll find you prefer carob over cacao or sunflower seeds over cashews. You just have to pick and choose which recipes you want to do this with.

Number two... I don't know if it's just you aren your hubby doing raw or just you but I've noticed lately that the recipes that I've seen actually make a few portions from it... I believe Alissa's book is like this as well ... so maybe when you follow a recipe just cut it in half and see how that works out for you. I know when trying a new recipe it helps to cut it in half anyway so you aren't making a ton of food and then finding out later that maybe you don't prefer that certain recipe.

try to eat less nut heavy or almond butter recipes and stick to things that have more fruits and veggies in them.. the nuts, tahini, almond butters, dates, coconuts.. those types of meals tend to be more expensive since the ingredients are more pricey.. stick to salads, green smoothies, things with sprouts, vegetable dishes, soups, etc. and prepare desserts and heavier recipes with nuts as a special treat once in a while.

I hope this helps!