What do you spend on groceries every month?

[laurabfig]

I'm interested to learn if eating raw is really more expensive. I've only been doing this a week, but already I'm feeling the grocery bill is WAY higher than normal. All the nuts and organic stuff are not cheap (initially up-front in the monthly budget I mean....i know over the long haul they ARE cheaper since i'm paying the price in so many other ways if i don't eat them..however, hubby does not see it this way most of the time!). I'm going to try to get things locally at farmers markets but there is always some recipe that i'm trying to make that i need one more ingredient for. anyone have suggestions on how to eat raw while living on a limited income?

[spicyfull]

Just keep it SIMPLE. Fruits and Salads. Even Sprouts that you can make yourself. Smoothies.

Trying new recipes, buying ALL the ingredients can take a big CHUNK out of your budget. Buy a New item each week.

Some food does not need to be Organic, Oranges, Bananas, Coconuts. You can peel a regular apple. Hang in there, you can do anything.

You can also GROW your Greens, they grow fast and are Organic.

I wish you everything you need to Stay RAW....Welcome to MY World...........

[PATH301]

Hi laurabfig,
I just recently went to the store and bought some items:

black grapes - 4lbs
red grapes - 5lbs
black plums - 2.5lbs
yellow onoins - 6 in a bag
green skinned avacados - 2 of these are equal to 4 of the hausses
cucumbers - 3 of them
brocolli - one head
oranges - 8 per bag
zuchinni - 3 per lb
romain lettuce 2 of them
sweet corn - 5 of them
mustard green leaves - one bunch
star fruit - 5
bananas - 19 lbs
1lb of almonds
2lbs of raw peanuts
all this cost me $47.00

If I was buying more stuff like oils, seasonings,cashew or macadamina nuts or pine nuts or raw honey or more oraganic items my bill would be alot higher.

I guess that I spend between $150.00 - $220.00 a month. - Depending on what stock items I'm being = oils, nuts,seasonings,, or exotic fruits, of course this does'nt include my gas mileage which would be be higher for the exotic fruits and organic stuff.

[eatyourbroccoli]

it is SO much more expensive (or so ive personally experienced) to make raw meals on a daily basis, than it is to just buy simple fruits and veggies and do smoothies or a cut up apply with cinnamon.

also..buying in bulk will help a lot too. i can get 1 pound of raw honey in a bottle for $5.69, or 2.82 lbs of raw honey in bulk for $3.29.

nuts and dates seem to be the most expensive for me here. maybe try to substitute out the nuts for avocado as an alternative fat source?

my grocery bill has definitely gone up. but its moreso because i eat a TON when im raw, and less so because the foods more expensive.

[Bingka]

I have been thinking about this alot. Every time I go to the store or farmers market I spend about $40. That puts me about $225 per month. So that is my entire food bill. I used to spend less on SAD food.

BUT, HERE IS THE KICKER -

I also used to spend about $20 a day eating out. Atleast twice a week that bill was $50 a day. Then add Drinking with friends at a bar/club. That was a $100 bill atleast 3 times a month. Plus all the quick sodas, bag o chips, etc, I am not even counting.

RAW = $225.00 + $100 extras = $325.00

SAD = $1500.00 (I looked at receipts - this is realistic for me)

Raw changes other areas of your life too. Not just your food bill. Try and look at the big picture. You may not have spent as much as me, but i am sure you are saving in other areas as well.....

Raw for life....

Ken

[carousel]

i'm still researching this. i have all my receipts stuck up on the fridge for counting later. i've only been doing this since sept 4, and not continuously. i've also been buying most of the non raw food my hubby eats, so its kinda hard to tell. i do know that i spend WAY more when i'm preparing "meals" or working out of recipe books. when i just buy fruits and veggies i don't seem to spend as much. i also need to go to the farmer's markets around here, but i never seem to find any fruits. it's just a matter of getting there early i think. i never get there until almost the end.

[Blissed]

the $150- 225/mo. range is typical for me, and also I realize all the money I'm saving on doctor's bills in the long run and figure this is WAY cheaper and healthier in the long run too :)

[rawlapalooza]

I go with my wife to the farmer's market every Sunday and we easily spend about $120 on produce. Then we buy stuff at whole foods that we can't get at the farmer's market (sun-dried tomatoes, coconuts, mangoes, pineapples, nuts, seeds, olive oil). That's probably another $100 averaged out.

220 x 4 = $880/per month

for 2 people.

Yeah that's freakin expensive.

Ok mine's way higher than the rest of you. Maybe I'm wrong on the whole foods bill but the farmer's market is accurate.

[laurabfig]

I go with my wife to the farmer's market every Sunday and we easily spend about $120 on produce. Then we buy stuff at whole foods that we can't get at the farmer's market (sun-dried tomatoes, coconuts, mangoes, pineapples, nuts, seeds, olive oil). That's probably another $100 averaged out.

220 x 4 = $880/per month

for 2 people.

Yeah that's freakin expensive.

Ok mine's way higher than the rest of you. Maybe I'm wrong on the whole foods bill but the farmer's market is accurate.

That seems accurate to me.

I know before i started eating raw we spent around 800/month on groceries and we're a family of 4. Now i think i've spent 300 this week alone....however, i have to remind myself that i am stocking up on things like nuts/seeds/agave syrup/coconut oil/etc. Those things that i never bought before that will now be staples on my grocery list just all hit the list at the same time, i think! I'm going to try to use up all the ingredients i already have to avoid spending more money.

[Raine]

I read a study recently that evaluated what a Super Size meal REALLY costs.

It's about .39 - .50 to supersize but then you take into consideration the added calories & fat which makes you heavier which increases that mount of fuel you need to transport + additional medical bills due to the high cholesterol/diabetes/heart disease it averages out to about $7.00 in additional costs to your for each Super Size meal.

[misslinda]

Hmmmmm, gosh food bill is drastically down since I started this fast

I would say I spend $250-300 for all organic fruits,vegetables and water.

A typical day for example:


1/2 cantaloupe for breakfast ($3.50)

4 fresh figs for snack ($2.00)

pint of blueberries for lunch ($2.99)

lettuce with another veggie ($2.00)

:)

[pomegranatebliss]

I go with my wife to the farmer's market every Sunday and we easily spend about $120 on produce. Then we buy stuff at whole foods that we can't get at the farmer's market (sun-dried tomatoes, coconuts, mangoes, pineapples, nuts, seeds, olive oil). That's probably another $100 averaged out.

220 x 4 = $880/per month

for 2 people.

Yeah that's freakin expensive.

Ok mine's way higher than the rest of you. Maybe I'm wrong on the whole foods bill but the farmer's market is accurate.

Ours is almost as expensive as yours is. My husband and I budget $200 per week for groceries, and we're usually right there or $20 over. We have a new challenge though...when I first started high-raw, he tried it with me, but he didn't stay with it. So we're buying a lot of separate foods. Even when he was high-raw, our bill was that high though. If I eat a breakfast of ten kiwi fruits, for example, that's five bucks for one meal for just me (assuming I'm lucky enough to find them for 50 cents each around here).

This being pomegranate season, I'm sure the grocery bill will climb a bit temporarily. I don't do bottled pom juice. It may be available year-round, but it's not the same. I saw one yesterday labeled 100% pomegranate juice, yet the label said "from concentrate with natural flavors." What natural flavors, I wonder?

I'm too much of a purist when it comes to my poms....and I spend a good $20 or $30 a week on them during the glorious pom season.

[Goldsplinter]

i spend around 400-600 every month, just for me.

[misslinda]

i spend around 400-600 every month, just for me.

dang, what are you eating???? I end up throwing stuff away every month. Ugh, that's where the money for your Vitamix is goin my good friend ;)

[Goldsplinter]

dang, what are you eating???? I end up throwing stuff away every month. Ugh, that's where the money for your Vitamix is goin my good friend ;)

dunno if you implied that you're getting me a vitamix, or that I should save up some of the money I use to get a vitamix.

confusing-ass world.