Can I eat a mostly raw, somewhat organic, vegan diet on the cheap?
Queen Turnip,
Lately I’ve been really driven to try a bunch of new alternative therapies. Why? Because I’m a health junkie and a writer. I want first-hand experience, not recycled articles with agendas. This past month I had a little downtime so I decided to give oxygen treatments a whirl. I had been reading about their benefits for years, saved some money from my speaking gigs, and dove head first into goodness and madness.
Recently, several comments regarding the cost of a healthy lifestyle have stuck in my mind. Forget my out-of-the-box treatments; the main problem is the raw, vegan, organic diet, and all the goodie-boosters that go with it. It’s expensive! Some folks get really miffed at me for promoting this way of living – if they can’t afford it then I shouldn’t write about it. Now that’s not fair or constructive. My point is to address problems and find solutions. But clearly I have more work to do.
Our system is broken and it makes me angry. I promise to do my part in a more constructive, inclusive way – or at least to try. In these times we all need to dig as deep as we possibly can to find and share cost effective ways to improve health, spiritual wealth and happiness. Will I always succeed? Will you? NO WAY. Bottom line: It’s cheap to get sick and expensive to be healthy. Integrative medicine should be covered by insurance. Insurance should be affordable. Advertisers should be more responsible. Your doctor should know more about nutrition – and so should you/me/us. I want to “eat my veggies and shake my ass” but I don’t want it to break my bank. Since my diagnoses I have spent most of my money on chow. How about a vacation? Or better yet, some home repair and my credit card debt!
Listen up Mr. Obama (who I love and crush on), if you really want to bring the troops home in the war on cancer (and other dis-eases), don’t just focus on new drugs. Get uber serious about how you’re gonna’ spend the money allocated for “prevention”. Seek advise the RIGHT people. If one more nutritionist tells me to boil my skinless chicken I’m gonna’ snap! We’re wasting tons of cash chasing our tails. Bring me on board, Mr. Prez, I’d be happy to sit down over a green drink and give you some pointers. 
But I digress…
A vegan, mostly raw, organic lifestyle costs more than McDonalds – or so we think. It’s pricey because it’s not subsidized! The costs of a fast-food, nutrient-deficient diet are hidden. That burger may be 99 cents today, but its cost to your health and the health of the planet down the road are huge. Kids are fat and loaded with diabetes in our country. Cancer is a shit pickle that you don’t want to find yourself in and yet it’s cheaper to follow a lifestyle that promotes it. The poorest countries in the world struggle with infection – we come a long – westernize their diets – BAM – stroke. Heart disease is virtually non-existent where indigenous diets of rice and beans are king.
Good foods, on the other hand, may cost more now, but in the big picture, they’re actually a bargain… But of course that doesn’t solve the elitist problem right now for someone trying to get through a busy day. Add superfoods, supplements, potions, powders, raw snacks and forget it.
So I’m gonna challenge myself to be thrifty. This morning I downloaded McDonald’s menu but there were no prices so I called the location of the nearest drive-through feeding trough. Here’s a sample of what I thought an average day would look like if I ate this way:
Breakfast:
* Egg McMuffin – $2.40 * Medium OJ – $1.70 * Large Coffee – $1.50
Lunch:
* Big Mac – $3.80 *Medium Fries – $1.55 *Medium Ice tea – $1.40
Dinner:
* Premium Salad with chicken – $4.95 *Oatmeal raisin cookies – $1 * Medium Coke – $1.40
Total: $19.70
I can certainly eat healthy for $19.70 per day but not if I don’t make it myself! How about $10? $5? Not if I jam the juice.
Join me. Save your receipts, blog about your experience. Be honest and be healthy. Ramen noodles and ketchup don’t cut it. I know that I can slice my food bill by buying a combo of organic (for the 12 most sprayed) and conventional fruits/veggies, bulk grains etc. I’ve written about this stuff many times but have I ever REALLY tried to limit myself? What about the staples I’ve stocked? You know the oils, Braggs, hemp seeds, dulse, spices, nut butters, etc. Do I start from scratch or can I average that stuff in? Hmmm. As many of you know, the big $$$ gets laid out in the beginning. Once we stock the basics it’s easier to save do re mi.
How do you cut costs and live this lifestyle on the cheap?
PLEASE share. Let this blog be a solution and not a bitch fest.
Peace & coupons,
Kris
- Posted by Kris Carr on March 2, 2009 at 12:17 pm
-
Tagged as: Environment, food, Obama, policy, politics
Other posts by this author:
1 Trackbacks/Pingbacks
- Pingback: Hungry like a wolf « Jo.::InSeattle::. on May 20, 2009
Kris, I LUV you and this post! Girl, you must have read my mind. I’m sitting here trying to figure out how I’m going to pay for all the good, greenies I need AND feed my family….not to mention 19 year & girlfriend coming home for spring break! I can’t wait to hear the responses and continue to add myself =) Let’s just keep ringing the warning bell to everyone who will listen!
I’m off to clip my WF coupons for this week! XOXOX
Becky
Thank you for this post! Just yesterday, i was just
meditating on how to lower my grocery bills, whilst sticking to my vegetarian lifestyle. I shall save my receipts & keep you apprised of my progress : )
Thank you Kris for this blog! The cost of canser,and being healthy in general, is breaking the bank for sure.
I have no major solutions at this time but will share with ya’ll what is working for me….
I am a 28 year old raw/vegan canser boogaloo. I was living overseas when diagnosed, a year ago. Not being a ”grown up” yet and not financially stable I headed for home. Luckily ma and pa have a basement suite and I moved in (lucky lucky me….)
Ok so I’m not workin. This is where things get tricky. All the wonderful superfoods and supplements are mucho expensive we all know…but we want ‘em and need ‘em! Here’s a list of my tips to keep some of the costs down…
*sprout your own beans. (Buying them is way more pricey)
*Make all your green smoothies/juice/wheatgrass at home. (buying them out is crazy..only for emergencies)
*spend some time comparing prices around town for supplements. (it’s amazing how they vary!)
*Get a few people together and split the cost of a big order of wholesale bulk seeds/nuts/beans etc! (bigtime $$ saving)
*ask for $$ for therapies for birthday’s/christmas etc. (we don’t need anything else really)
*try eating at home as much as possible..(My local raw food cafe is beautiful but costly..i should have a share in the place by now)
MOST of all talk to people…share ideas..ask for help. That’s why I love and admire what Kris is doing! So helpful to wake up every day and have a good read of these very useful blogs! THANKS KRIS!
That’s all I can think of for the moment…more to come!
xxxx
Number ONE money saver: Farmers market: fresh stuff, half the price of whole foods
Number Two: produce mark downs that just need a little cut off, like apples, pears, cukes. Cruise the back of the produce section!
Number Three: when a fruit or veg is in peak season and on sale, freeze or dehydrate/dry it and bag it for later.
Number 4: sprout your own greens, cheap easy and fast
Much love and cheap greens to y’all!
deb
Love and Peace to you Kris.
I am currently juice feasting. I spend $25 per day and about 30% is organic. I keep to a strict list–only buy exactly what I need and use. I don’t use much supplements–maybe $50/month and when I am just eating raw vegan I can easily keep it below $20/day–of course making everything myself. I don’t eat out much and save the nuts and exotic stuff for special treats.
Great post Kris, and great tips so far.
Trader Joe’s is also about half the price of Whole Foods, so I shop there this time of year, and go to the local farmer’s markets in the summer.
I am considering starting my own veggie garden in the spring.
I am also considering buying some shiitake logs, since I eat a lot of shiitake mushrooms for my immune system.
And I get my vitamin D from the sun (free).
I try not to say anything unoriginal or recycled or perseverative so I don’t waste other peoples time. I save time and money by filtering out attention seekers and paying them no mind. It frees me up to be productive and take care of my children.
Oh how lovely! Keep the comments coming. This will be a great resource for folks. XO! Kris
Ok I am up for the blog challenge! I will be opening up my blog at Xanga for everyone to read about it…. (www.xanga.com/rachelmsw)
If others decide to blog too, could we get a blog roll of everyone?
Absolutely! Great idea.
Great blog Kris!! I’ve had to really change how I spend my mooney and really put my priority on food and supplements- no vacations, no new anything, no spa days with the girls- but the best food, therapies and supplements I can aford- buying health is where most of my money goes – but it really is worth it – and I don’t see that there is a choice really. I do grow my own sprouts and have a 10×15 garden. I exchange veg with freinds that also have gardens, use farmers’ markets and belong to a food co-op for purchsing whole grains, seeds and nuts. The co-op allows us to bring the costs down significantly.
Growing salad greens is super easy, and way cheaper than buying them. You basically just throw the seeds in the ground and add water.
Here’s a suggestion: check out your local Food Not Bombs chapter http://www.foodnotbombs.net. (Or, if there isn’t a Chapter in you area, you can organize one yourself!). I just went to the FNB in Seattle for the first time yesterday. Woah, what an abundance of organic produce they were giving away! I scored cucumbers, heaps and heaps of romaine, a big bag of carrots, lots of apples, pears, oranges, lemons, bananas, etc. ALL ORGANIC & ALL FOR FREE! Although some of the lettuce was wilted and the pears were very ripe, they were perfect for juicing! This food would have otherwise been thrown away by local grocery stores & co-ops if it wasn’t for an amazing crew of people that get together once a week and collect food from these places and then distribute the food to the public. Anyone can go and get produce. Makes you realize how much food unnecessarily goes to waste every single day .
Oh, and another suggestion for those particularly adventurous types out there who aren’t afraid of getting a bit gritty: there is no shame in dumpster diving
PS- Kris, it would be cool to see an expert gardener on your Blog Posse who could share some gardening tips with us all!
Melissa – you are SOOOO right on. Anyone have any ideas? A savy garden vixen?
Hi Kris,
I love your books and your attitude! Keep up the good work. I don’t take all supplements all the time. For instance, pro biotics, B and C vitamin I take daily and some minerals, but Aloë Vera juice I drink one bottle a season.
When I’m through with Spirulina then I start with chlorella and after that with enzymes. I bought 2 funky flasks, I keep filtered water in one and in the other I take smoothies or juices (self-made of course) with me. Greetings from Belgium
I second having a garden hero on the blog to teach about growing our own organic goodies!
To save money, I:
1) grow my own sprouts and eat LOTS of them
2) buy seasonally
3) buy from the farmer’s market
4) buy nuts, seeds, dates, in mega bulk and store in freezer (use a food saver to help conserve space)
AND, buy in bulk with friends/family to share the discounted price
5) make all my own stuff, eat the same thing a few days in a row
6) if you’re also doing some cooked vegan, then it’s extra easy to eat cheap and organic. Go to the bulk bins for organic oats, grains, lentils, quinoa… you get my drift
7) And, remember, we don’t have to gorge ourselves! Eat smaller portions of super high quality and alkaline foods and I bet that you find yourself eating less in the long run! (Of course, if you’re blessed to be preggo, eat enough for you and babe!)
Cheers,
Kristen
Belonging to a CSA saves huge on veggies. You can also share your share. I also have a garden, shitake logs. If you look around the internet you can find some favorite brands bulk, saves as well.
Thanks for the post!
Kristen! You goddess you. I love your wisdom. Thank you. XO
I elect Anthony aka Raw Model for a gardening god, he knows tons about growing your own food.. and bees!
deb
Oooh one more thing that came to mind as I was out in the woods just now: Wild Edibles!! You want cheap superfoods? Well Mama Earth has got ‘em! As I type this, the first spring shoots of Stinging Nettle are bursting to life right in my backyard. Did you know that Nettles provide an amazing source of iron? (excellent for people with anemia or any preggo ladies out there). They are also full of lots of other nutrients which help nourish and detoxify the entire body.
Stinging Nettle is just one of the many abundant, wild “superfoods” out there that are a great supplement to our diets. Most people cook Nettles to get rid of their stinging hairs, but I like to juice them- yum! Another highly nutritious wild edible is dandelion, which grows practically everywhere!
Luckily I’m a trained naturalist so I know how to ID these plants, but for those of you are not so familiar with your local flora, I suggest investing in a good field guide getting in touch with a local naturalist who can take you around and identify wild edibles with you (NYCers, check out Wildman Steve Brill’s website: http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com). There is something really powerful and perhaps even spiritual about foraging for wild edibles.. it just feels so good and nourishing… and it doesn’t even cost a penny
YES, a Gardening God/Goddess would be great!!
And a Crrrrazy Sexy Community Garden in every state or county for those who don’t have the space to grow their own!
Power to the People!
Remember the concept of Victory Gardens during WWII?
Hi Kris
I read your blog everyday and I am totally inspired. I am have been on a long journey and have been redeveloping my health one step at a time. I started by cutting out whites, loaded on the veggies and now am onto raw until dinner.
It is a lot more expensive to buy whole foods and amount of fruit and veggies that I do. My grocery bill now works out at 8% of my overall salary. I used to think that was outrageous but then I realised less than 10% on your health is really not a lot.
Not very helpful for those that don’t have the cash right now, but when I looked at it within my overall spending it seemed pretty low.
Thanks again for all the inspiration and would love to see a gardening guru also.
t
I’ll bet Obama would approve those Crazy Sexy Cancer Victory Gardens too!
Any fresh veggie ideas for those of us who live in colder/northern/mid-west type climates? In Colorado the growing season is very short & even the farmer’s market (when it opens in June) doesn’t offer much until July! WF is definately too expensive, but where’s a gal to go for the raw goodies??
I have a photo of our most recent grocery shopping trip and a blog in the works about this very topic.
Eating fresh, raw organic produce *IS* expensive for most of us who live in areas where our produce has to be shipped in. I pay almost double my monthly mortage payment for our monthly produce–and my mortgage isn’t cheap!
I’ve made eating this way my #1 priority, so I find ways to make it work. We all find ways to get what we truly want in life, don’t we?
Lots of love to you,
Wendi
XOXOXO
Great blog Kris. It’s a real concern for many so it does need to be addressed often.
Over-spending is so often linked to over-eating and emotional eating so this core issue needs to be addressed if it’s a regular problem.
Also, stick to the simpler, fresh foods rather than raw vegan treats to save a lot of excess expenditure that is usually unnecessary. If I want raw treats then I’ll throw some dates, nuts, coconut and spices in a food processor and make them myself in under 5 minutes and very cheaply! Then I’m not paying $10-$20 for a pack of 3 crackers or cookies.
I also shop 3-4x per week to save wastage and to ensure I am using everything I buy before buying again.
Have to make it work of course, it’s key for brilliant health!
Cheers
Casey
First of all, thank you for this moment of truth. It is difficult to keep the budget, no matter where you are. The finance cries strikes all over ? And if that is not enough, Norway is cold and right now overflowing with snow. The sun shines only for å couple of hours and organic and raw is seldom. But, I found my own solution ? First, highly motivated by your crazy sexy thoughts, then again a bit not so motivated by saving the world…. It is a lot to ask, not only for me, but my family, to save our community, and then the world, sorry but it took me a bit…. I save the world by doing what I’m doing…. The beginning was cancer, and we kind of have a lot on our minds as it was……
So, I love to keep the thought and loving from the beginning… We all have to take part, do our share, but a small step for one man is a giant step for the world. With this I mean; keep it as simple as possible….
My solution was simple. I wanted a better life. If I had a better life people would see it, and the ask ? We are now 8 families who is sharing. Say I find carrots, organic, orange, fresh and nice. One texts message and last time I bought tons. We are not completely raw, so we make a big casserole and then share. Names on the container make the delivery smooth, and very joyful. This weekend we went to a small island together. Everybody got their assignment. It was a very tasty and wild experiment. Children, husbands, dogs, neighbors at the island were more than happy. No one spent too much time in the kitchen, and by that there was more time for joy and fresh air.
Weekdays we use emails. Example; don’t have time to deliver, pick up for soup six o’clock. A stressful husband, a lucky child, smiling babysitter, whatever was at the door….. ?
We turn of the lights, our dog is from a shelter, we shower short, use our legs, and we do what we can. But sometimes we let the lights on, we stay crazy, we drive short, drink some wine, but we eat healthy… ?
Dear Kris, I really love you and still do. You have been an inspiration and goddess for me, and still are….. I loved the intimacy you brought thru your old blog, but, and I’m sorry, I’m just a simple girl from Norway, doing what I can, the last months have been too demanding. Wednesday fast, very ok, I felt like I was in a big group hug…… You lost me a bit on the way…., sorry….
I have been working with the young adults with cancer in Norway for 5 years. I give them communication tools, as a laptop, mobile phone and good and healthy food at the hospital. I tell all the people around them to use their car for visiting, that’s it is ok to have lights on during nights at the hospital, take loooong showers, whatever makes them comfy…. They can save the world by saving themselves…..
Sharing is a very good concept, a good laughter, a story, a meal, glass of wine, a hug, even brought by car, important things for quality of life….., life with cancer….., and that’s where it all started…..
I hope you xcuse a loooong massage from me here up north, love and good health, and good luck with Obama, we were celebrating and still is… ?
Anne Fi, Norway
Having your own garden is definitely the way to go and or a CSA as well. Growing enough for freezing and canning to carry you through the winter is possible. How about weekly pot lucks with like minded folks who share your sense of quality and nutrition? Here in Montague we do weekly community pot lucks sharing food and building community.
There is a lot of question marks in my message, they must be replaced by a smiling face….. sorry, did not know… ? as in a smile……
Hi all, my supermarket has one of those cards that adds the total you spend in a month and then sends you a coupon worth $ to use the following week….every penny counts and I love it.
Kris, what do you say we all March on down to Washington and talk to Mr. Obama!!! maybe we can all make a difference. A meet up in DC!!!!
Thanks all for the great ideas!
Anna
Anna
Went shopping today at the local market for smoothie ingredients.
But enough for 3 smoothies – 1 day’s worth.
3 bananas, 1 lb of Spinach, 1 lb of carrots, 3 lbs of apples.
Total cost a little over $7. Now there is no way I could eat three meals on that amount of money.
Eating raw vegan food should always be cheaper because every time food gets processed there is an additional cost added.
So shop wise and shop local. You’ll save money and feel great.
Girls, look in the papers, eat whats in season. My local paper had an ad for fresh organically grown fruits and veggies, whatever is in season for 20 weeks. $425 for a full bushel basket each week, $275 a half bushel a week. Do the math and look around, there are things out there.
I don’t have a green thumb — at all –but I find it is super easy to grow my own wheatgrass. It costs me less than a dollar to grow a beautiful big tray of wheatgrass that lasts me at least a week. That is pennies a day. The quantity I harvest with each tray costs $19.99 a bag at WF. If I was the industrious type, I would think about growing extra and selling a few bags of wheatgrass each week and using the profit to buy my organic veggies. I grow my own because is it is so convenient and saves me time — I never have to drive to the store to get a shot.
Thank you for this post Kris – You are so right. Remember, where there is a will, there is a way. If you want to eat healthy, really want it, you will find a way.
So what if you don’t dive straight into the organics right off the bat. Start with the veggies in the regular produce section. Then move to organics a bit at a time. Make it a treat!! Then the next time get two organic veggie items. Do what you can to move in the right direction. If you want it you will find a way.
This is exactly why I would never move out of California. Even if there are some things that are going so great with the state, there is always an abundance of organic raw food that will not cost you a bundle. There are many more options in California than in most other states. Just in my city along there are 15 farmers markets on a Saturday! The organic choices are endless and the prices are just right. Makes the organic raw food lifestyle easy around these parts. Many Californians are health conscious and demand good food, so there is a consumer demand out here and I am absolutely loving it. I love my state!!!!
Thank you so much for this post! I agree with everything you said…On my website, I am trying to show others that it IS possible to eat a healthy diet and not break the bank. I am tracking all of my receipts and I put them in a kleenex box. At the end of the week I empty it out and examine each receipt carefully. It is a real eye opener! Did I really need the whole wheat bread when I can make my own spelt bread for a fraction of the cost?
Personally, I would love to see an example of your grocery trips. Do you think you could take a couple pictures and show us the types of foods you buy and how you cut corners?
Angela
Great post, Kris!
Just to everyone out there, I am literally at what society would call the poverty level and I am proud to say that I have been nourishing my body on raw food for one year and feel abundant! So if I can do it, you can do it! No, maybe I have to for go the yummy raw snacks and chocolate bars or the raw restaurant meals, but that’s all extra stuff that I know I can try in the future. In the beginning, I worried about how I would afford it, but the more I just bite the bullet and get over the prices the more abundance I enjoy.
As raw food eaters where most of us are into sustainabilty and organics we can feel good that are money is being used to create more demand for products that are good for the planet. I also like to buy from raw business owners that I know have integrity.
My tips are to just buy with your body’s needs in mind as opposed to your emotional needs and to also be confident with money and not be afraid of letting it circulate : )
Much love!
I get a large weekly bag of organic fruit (2 types) & veg (5 types) for a mere 12 euro 50 at my local healthfood shop. The downside is you can’t choose which veggies you pick: it’s a fixed package of seasonal fruit and veg. The upside, of course: it’s a lot cheaper that way. For my juices I tend to vary: sometimes I buy organic produce, but at other times the prices are just too steep. I too am living on a very tight budget
My mum is starting a vegetable garden this spring: that should be good!
Thanks for the inspiration ladies!
Kale, bananas, apples, sunflower seeds… all pretty cheap in bulk!
Hi, One thing me and my husband do is that we signed up for a workshare at our local CSA. We had to only pay $80 (not $525 if we did not work) and each week we bring our daughter and harvest the veggies that will be picked up by the shareholders. It gives us a great community life with like-minded folks, we learn organic farming and we enjoy an abundance of organic food each week. If you are physically able (we do 2 hours on Friday mornings) see if that is a possibility at your local CSA. We absolutely love it and each season can’t wait for it to begin. It runs from the end of May until the first week in November.
I always bought raw staples & prepared snacks in bulk-oils, nuts, dried fruit, supplements, etc. That alone saves a huge amount. You can even do bulk group or partner orders so you don’t have to spend or store much. But the most important thing is that the longer you’re raw, the more simple your diet becomes and the more you enjoy produce on it’s own (or with 1 or 2 ingredients) rather than in complicated recipes. My food bills are way less than they use to be. Before, though, I always stuck with very simple recipes-ones with few ingredients & that took less than 5 minutes. So even gourmet raw can be inexpensive.
There are so many gardening techniques out there now for anyone to be able to put in a small garden to supplement food and income. I rent a farm house, and on this land my garden measures out to 30 ft, by 40 ft. With this land, only compost, and organic methods we dug out over 450 pounds of organic veggies. In all honesty, had I relayed better, and made some trellises, I could have easily doubled that. It only cost me $50.00 in initial seed, and the next year with my seeds harvested, seed cost me less than $10.00 for the same poundage. This is the year to learn how to grow your own, and there are so many ways to go about it even off a balcony of an apartment building. When I garden, my grocery bills total about $20.00 a week and that includes house cleaning and bath products.. I grow everything! I will keep posting to the gardening group on CSL, NING.. I hope to see a lot of growth this year!
green blessings..
Marylynn
Great question, Kris! Diet, in combination with other detoxification strategies, provides the most bang for the buck. Chard, my favorite vegetable, has the highest score in nutritional value according to the Nutrition Action Health Letter (Liebman and Hurley). Detoxification protocols such as liver/gallbladder cleanses, intestinal cleanses, and coffee enemas are cheap and enhance the benefits of diet. Some supplements are also necessary to help repair and restore the body. Cheers to health and healing!
wow Marylynn, that’s great! Do you live in a place with a long growing season? I don’t know a thing about gardening but I really want to be able to ATLEAST grow my dark leafy greens like kale and chard all year round. I know this is possible here in the Pacific NW but I’m not sure exactly how to do it. Anyone have any tips?
It is sooo hard where I live to eat healthy…In PA my nearest health food store charges double for almost everything….I do get my organics fairly cheap…I have to wait until for the Farmers market to open…I try to go on line to get supplements, agave etc….It seems here there are tons of fast food joints, pizza, Yocos hot dogs but to get some organic one has to drive or pay big $$$$$$…I have also been following Anthony and I am thinking of some square foot gardening to keep the cost down…..
Our family of three eats organic for about $30 per day.
I have been thinking a lot about this post and I often think about this issue in my life because I don’t have a lot of money. Here are some other suggestions that have not been mentioned yet…
1. While I get a lot of fresh produce, I mostly get frozen. Most frozen Fruits and Veggies are not cooked prior to freezing.
2. I got over 150lbs of white organic peaches off of the three dwarf peach trees I planted in my back yard.
3. I can’t emphasize the importance of planning. I know it sounds crazy but I shop once a month. How do I do it? I sit down and plan 30 meals (plus basic lunches and breakfasts). Then I spend about two afternoons going to five different grocery stores in order to get the best prices for organic produce (fresh and frozen). I come home and pack my fridge and freezer. Doing it this way has makes it so that I am able to budget my organic food and my time. It is surprisingly easy too because once you do it a couple times, you know where the cheapest organic cabbage is (Giant Eagle), or where the cheapest organic frozen Broccoli or bagged almonds are (Trader Joe’s) or how about the cheapest frozen rasberries (Kroger)… you get my point. You also learn that a family of three goes through 12 bags of frozen broccoli and 16 bags of frozen spinach etc. We eat a variety of home cooked meals but the basics stay the same almost every month and you realize that when you shop. The final benefit to shopping like this is that you end up eating everything. We make it a point to try to come up with a few more creative meals at the end of each month just to finish all the food before we go back a re-stock for another month.
Shopping and eating this way has helped us be able to eat almost totally organic and now there is no going back!!
Buying local and growing your own is best, but living in a city with a small salary can be challenging. For our veggie habit, my hubby and I frequent Costco for fruits and vegetables in bulk. If you eat a lot of them it is great and we rarely have anything go to waste because it is usually very fresh and will last the week. Due to changing eating habits across the country, Costco is offering more and more organic produce (spinach, others greens, carrots, etc) and they have a nice selection of fruits that are not organic, but have peels that can be removed. Avocados are a particularly great deal.
I can’t wait to go someplace that I can grow a garden. I have the green thumb itch! Cheers!
Hey good people!
I work directly with the long-term homeless population in my city and I spent all last year very sick with seemingly every contagious thing you can think of and some special ‘undiagnosables’. Yuck!
I switched this year to a mostly vegetarian, mostly organic (I’m not striving for perfection yet!) diet and I haven’t been sick yet.
My medical bills surpassed my income some months last year, and although I am spending more on food I have yet to spend more than I earn because of the food costs. It isn’t cheap, but certainly has proven cheaper than illness for me. I am happy I switched to better food and can’t imagine long term health costs had I not chosen to change.
P.S. Every one of my co-workers has been sick at least once this year, I think good eating has helped me dodge the illness bullet!
Great ideas, Kris. I’d love to have some meal plans for going raw, aligned to what folks grow in their gardens. I’m sure that matching meal plans with succession gardening is the way to go (e.g., starting a row of lettuce every three days so you don’t have it all come in at the same time). And for those in colder climates, you can grow ALOT in a cold frame!
I feel like I am commenting a little late, but I have a couple cost saving tips. This is for medicine though for those of us greenies who still have to listen to the doc and take some drugs too. For perscriptions: shop around. One friend was charged over $500 for Tamoxifin at one pharmacy and $24 at her grocery store. The other tip is to ask your doctor for samples. My perscription was costing me $100 a month and my doctor gave me a 1 month sample. I don’t think she realized it was like handing me a $100 bill. Now they know I am willing to accept samples whenever they get them in.
Hope this helps someone
In jamaica we go to the market,which is like u guys farmers market,much cheaper…..Eat whats in season and buy only what u need as fresh spoils fast.
I`m fighting the fight with you girl
cancersurvivorx2.blogspot.com
I am not going to repeat the many suggestions already posted. One of the things that is difficult for our family is that we are fairly rural, and we lack a “big name” organic market which usually helps offset prices since they can purchase in higher quantities. So yesterday, when I laid down $17.21CAN for 3 cups of cashews it brought this blog to mind. The same amount of non organic nuts at my market would have cost $6.57CAN
Gayla Trail (yougrowgirl.com) could be an awesome CSL Gardening Goddess.
I second the Costco suggestion. I know some may not like it for not being local, but for cheap organic it is the best option. Organic blueberries are twice the quantity and still cheaper than WF (and the EXACT same brand). Costco also has a HUGE box of organic spinach/lettuces that is very cheap. Second suggestion, many farmers markets discount substantially (25-50%) during the last 1/2 hour or so because they need to get rid of the produce. Early bird gets the worm, but the late bird saves a bit.
Here is what I have found.
A.) buy organic foods somewhere that the food comes in fresh daily. We only have Fresh Market here but what I buy there for two weeks. For 50.00 I can make last two weeks because it is fresh.
2.) foods stay fresh longer if packaged right. In the real world I cannot buy fresh greens daily. But I can come home package them in green bags with paper towels between each leaf (yes it is a lot of paper) and they will stay bright green and happy for about a week and a half if I change the toweling if they get damp.. make sure all greens are dry when packing.
4.) call you local farmers market or grocery provider wholesaler and get a friend to go in with you on a bulk load of fruits and veggies more folks in the mix the more often and cheaper you can shop.. and if one person doesn’t like grapes and all the others do her 50 cents helps you and you buy something you dont like for her. Just let whoever like the veggies take them.
5.) if Duncan and I ate out we would spend 30 dollars a day. As opposed to 50.00 every two weeks on our veggies and then 50.00 on our juicing supplies.. that allows us to budget for smoothie ingrediants, cacoa, and tasty oils and herbs..
6.) collect reciepe that you see because if you get bored you will go for the burger. And that will blow all your good work.
7.) start small if you work a detox plan you are beginning and by the end your pantry will reflect your new life.
I love this life. All I have done is leave the meat out. Duncan eats meat, and cheese and milks so that is not in this plan. It is not that hard if you plan the week and buy accordingly.
Kris thanks for considering all the options. And thanks for caring about the issues. I like you want to wring a neck everytime someone says go to weight watchers to get healthy………..what…………………………… or buy pre packaged food to lose wieght. You can eat all day and never meet the calorie intake of one big mac on this plan… so eat healthy.. love ya.. Prevention and Prep.. is key. Callie
Oh and huge hint if you go and talk to you folks at your farmers market.. and tell them what you are doing and you will pick up and cart off everything they dont sell that weekend and give it to your cancer posse, many will give it to you because they cannot sell it after the weekend in the sun and it takes money to load it back up and truck it back home. Keep asking some will and some wont be we have tons of food here at the mission that is donated that way.. you may have to throw out some not so perfect little things.. but sooooooo it is free and plentiful just ask and you may just receive. hugs callie
These are the sites/people I turn to for gardening tips:
Patti Moreno (urban gardener/plenty of informative videos) http://www.gardengirltv.com/
Family bring back victory gardens and a whole lot more:
http://www.pathtofreedom.com/
Eliot Coleman
Provides information about 4 season gardening:
http://www.fourseasonfarm.com/
Let’s do this!
My method of controlling the cost is that I plan every single meal before hand, and make a shopping list for those exact items I need for a few meals. I do not waste or let anything spoil. I don’t clip coupons either, because I’ve noticed that coupons are geared towards buying more than one item for a few cents less. If I use that particular item often, its justified. If I don’t, than its “bullshit spending.” I comparison shop and phone around for things that I use a lot to see if I can get a bulk rate (like grains or other random items). Also, like other women have mentioned, I grow my own herbs.
Reality though, I cut back my spending on entertainment and nights out to pay for focusing on my health…in the end, I’ll have that with me longer than a bottle of nail polish, tube of expensive lipstick, or $150 jeans.
Great blog post on gardening with no yard:
http://littlegirlbigvoice.com/2009/02/28/v-is-for-victory/
We at the missions have a community garden and those who work get to share.. if you have a piece of land that can be a blessing plant.. if you have friends you trust and a good system share those victory gardens and plant for a few families with everyone helping we have also taking the idea of a community garden into the poorest areas here and we are all planting.. so that everyone can try if they want to eat better.. working together can really cut cost and add up and a lot of feed and seed placed with help with extra seed if you are making community gardens for a little word of mouth and advertising. I love the gardens.. hugs. callie
i just found your blog and it is wonderful and i ordered your book. i was diagnosed 3 months ago with stage IV breast cancer at 33, so thank you for such an amazing resource. the big challenge besides money for me -having the engery to cook good, organic, healthy meals every day. my medicine makes me completely exhausted every day, so after work, it just doesnt’ always happen in the kitchen.
The government just passed(3-20-09) a bill that will make it easier for genetically altered seeds to basically do away with traditional farming. These seeds spread to normal fields and render the seeds worthless because they can not be used again because they make the nongenetically altered seeds unable to reproduce. Our liberties are being taken away every day and your hope in Obama is truely a mistake. Ron Paul 2012!!!!!!!!!!
Even if you are paying more isn’t it an investment in your future? Pay more now for healthy foods, pay less in medications for diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol drugs later.
Here’s a few of the things I do to stretch my budget.
First I think simple, and raw.
The last half of the month is hardest for me, here’s what I was doing this last week:
1. I wanted to have green smoothies, enough to have a cupful before my meals.
2. Start with 2 or 3 bananas, add juice of 1/2 lemon, about 5 sprigs each of parsley and cilantro, two stalks celery, 1/2 cucumber, 4-6 leaves of romaine.
3. I vary this sometimes by adding things like: 1/2 apple, flax seeds, alfalfa tablets (4-6) powdered vitamin C, vitamin D tablets, a days worth (I hate to swallow lots of pills) sometimes 1 spoonful of spirulina, 1 T. whole rolled oats (uncooked) 1 small potato raw. These are optional and I vary things day to day, even using brown rice protein 1 T. on some days.
4. I clean greens when I bring them home, let them drain and wrap with paper towel. I lay the parsley/cilantro bunches out on 2 sheets of PT and make a roll, they keep up to two weeks.
5. I use a citrus veg. cleaner to remove petrol smell, and greasy coating on various produce.
6. Buy the bananas, most standard greens, avocados, broccoli, carrots, etc. at Costco. Once I tried the box of mashed avocado/guacamole, that had 4 bags, and the equivalent of 14 avocados, for around 7 dollars, it was a bit less than fresh, and at a time when I had found a few black avocados. Costco’s pre-mashed avocados do have some garlic, and citric acid.
7. I find having the smoothie up to three times a day helps with regularity (sometimes the smoothie becomes like pudding, and I eat with spoon).
8. Or I might use a cup of the smoothie with some diced cucumber, cherry tomatoes, and sweet onions for a soup. (In which case I’d prefer to use avocado, rather than banana for smoothie).
9. About every fifth day, I make a fruit smoothie, using a cup of berries with the bananas, and only the 1 T. oats, unless I’ve had other grains that day.
10. I have been feeling really good with this combination, and I realize it’s a stage in my development as a raw food person. Once these things become routine for me I’ll change, and try some new ideas. Small steps.
11. When my family takes me out to eat, I box up 2/3 of my dinner (say Thai phad vegetable) and the next two days have a 2 egg Thai phad skillet dish, cooked on very low temp. covered to heat just until eggs set. Slide that out on romaine, or baby greens, top with about 8 cherry tomatoes that are quartered, add some fresh squeezed lemon juice, and there’s my gourmet breakfast!
I feel like it is anyway.
12. It’s all about color. Sometimes I’ll thin slice sweet onion and red/green bell peppers and use a pita or wrap and fill it up add a little lemon, EVOO, sea salt and pepper. I do things like this often, and maybe once a month get into superfood ideas.
13. However I don’t think I’d overdo the nuts. I have limited my intake of nuts for years, by the recommended amounts, and that’s what I am used to.
I have a limited income, there’s so much more that I do to make things stretch, and I use everything. It would sadden me to toss foods that got rotten, and this “life style” RAW, is like a solution!!!
14. I am using a standard blender right now, I think it’s a HB, and it has a tool that I use in the lid to stir the leaves and cut up stalks, etc.
15. I put 2/3 to 3/4 of the smoothie into a mason jar.
16. I just started making sprouts again.
17. At the first of the month I get some bigger, or more exotic fruits and veggies. (Kirkland EVOO, kale, fennel, potatoes, yams, bag of sweet onions, oranges, apples, romaines and celerys in multiple at Costco).
That’s some of where I am right now…
I love this post and all these comments–wow, thanks everyone. In Paris our version of Costco–EDs–begun providing organic options in 07 or 8 and it is AMAZING now: one year later and almost every grocery store has an ever-expanding organic section. Just last week I found a guy running a tiny shop (fair trade and homemade beauty products, etc) and he organizes bulk ordering so now for 12 euros I get a 4 kilo bag weekly. I applaud us all for spending our money in the right ways/places because this is the best way to bring about the changes that are underway. I am so grateful to spend my money on these items and the trend is growing. People are talking (this eggplant has no flavor!)and things are changing (our purchases are bringing the prices of flavor-rich foods down). I am super short on cash also by the way, and even have experienced twinges of class related hostility around New Age beliefs suggesting I’d do XYorZ if I loved myself, as if being poor meant not loving oneself. So I am siked that this topic has been broached and amazed by what a frugal, smart, innovative and CREATIVE crazy sexy bunch we are. There is nothing more political than food and water and I am so grateful to have found people to share secrets with on this path to planetary and personal health. Our creative solutions do take time and effort but it is sso worth it. More and more folks are coming around–for flavor or for health. When I started on my own path of creative solutions years ago I found that just adding a clove of raw garlic, fresh lemon juice and a carrot or something raw was already a huge bolt to health (no colds) and CHEAP. Yeah: Rock on everyone!
I eat all vegan, nearly 100% organic for $4 or $5 a day depending on the month. There is a caveat, and that is I gank most of the really expensive stuff I can’t afford but like to eat (olive oil and mangos mostly). Would probably be $7-$10 a day if you figured everything in.
maybe one day i’ll lose this sense of entitlement and get a job!
nah
peace
Oh.. and raw almonds. DAYAM they are expensive. You think I can afford that!?! I gotta eat!
Just as I always have-before Whole Foods Market, before Trader Joe’s, before Lara Bars, Goji Berries and Organic (Do You remember?); even before going vegan: I shop around for what I like, buy it where it’s cheapest, may it come in bulk (which it usually does) or if it’s going to be tossed because it cannot sell at the going price (you can ask for this at the end of a shift at your CoOp or closing time at the Farmers Market) or if possible grow it on your fire escape or your grandparent’s Victory Garden. Luckily a great, mostly produce (dirt cheap -you are likely best using what you buy there the same or next day), natural gourmet market has opened near me and I can buy most of my produce there. But, I still shop around. I find China Town to be very inexpensive too. There are so many ways. I do find eating raw (and simple) to be less expensive than anything.
I, my partner, our dog and four guinea pigs eat completely vegan and organic food and spend about £50 per week if we’re being careful.
We get a vegetable box delivered to our house (a bit like CSA schemes in the USA), order bulk foods through our local health food shop, and make everything from scratch.
It’s not hard, people who say it’s too expensive are probably shopping in supermarkets looking for organic ready meals or something!
I lost my job a year ago, so my budget has shrunk considerably! Here’s what I do:
Trader Joe’s for goodies like agave nectar, recycled paper products, frozen berries, tempeh, and tortilla chips.
Whole Foods for specialty items like flaxeed, hemp powder, my fave vegan burgers, and vegan makeup.
Market Basket for pretty much everything else. It’s a family owned market that is growing in Mass/NH that has the lowest prices around, especially when I can’t get to the farmers market for fresh produce. They have organic produce, and I get my frozen veggies here too.
Ask your friends if they have a juicer/food processor/blender they aren’t using anymore. I got a $100 juicer for free, almost new!
Good health to all!
Last Spring my husband and I went through a major lifestyle downsize and our income was reduced by nearly 80%.
We are vegan and committed to eating 100% organic and managed to continue to do so with just $80 per week to spend on food for the both of us.
The key was to eat extremely simply and make everything from scratch. Yes it got boring and we were sick of salad and tofu or salad and beans for dinner and peanut butter sandwiches for lunch every day, but it was organic and delicious and we could afford it.
I have had a growing interest in raw food but my husband isn’t really into it – so now I am exploring the raw lifestyle more now that our financial situation is better. We still prepare nearly all of our food from scratch.
No matter what your diet, if you’re buying the fun, yummy prepared foods especially the raw products ($8 packets of raw crackers, $20 tubs of raw nut butters, $3 cans of coconut water) you are going to spend a ton.
The key to eating all organic on a limited budget is to keep it simple and make it yourself!