Hi all,

I am new to this forum and look forward to chatting with you all.
I have dipped in and out of a raw food journey, managing recently to go about 75% raw for a couple of months. My aim is to make the transition to go full raw full time, but my obstacle is money - I am a mum to twins and we have a limited family budget which just doesn't allow for me to spend on fruit, veg and life giving foods.
I have severe endometriosis so energy to plant and grow my own stuff is limited.
I know obviously that I need to get well to be well and afford to eat like this, but wondered if anyone had advice?

Jo
x

Check bargain bins of fruit and vege just starting to bruise or get spots. You can cut that part off and eat the good part right away. I buy the "baking" bananas that are just the overripe ones that stores don't want to throw out, but that most people (foolishly) don't want to buy. They are sweeter and better than the greener ones anyway. I eat them quickly so it's no problem.

I look for what's in season because it's often priced lower. Here, apples are especially cheap right now, so I've been getting lots of them. Recently it was persimmon season. I didn't grow up eating them, but I've become more adventurous trying things I'm not used to.

Chia seeds are cheap in bulk and nutritious. They are filling when soaked in water to make a gel "pudding." I mix in some pureed fruit which extends the fruit and flavors the pudd. Quite yummy. (Carob powder may not be raw, but I like to mix some in with pureed bananas and chia seed gel. The banana sweetens it too.)

When you find a really good bargain on something, get a lot of it if it is freezable. Mangoes from Mexico arrived and although they aren't on season here, they must be there. At two for one, I got a lot of them, cut them up, and froze half-cup-sized portions in baggies. Then when I want to make a smoothie or a sorbet, it's ready to go.


My favorite raw vegan

Where do you live?

If you have a farmer's market, try to make friends with the organic guys - if you're not picky they might cut you a deal, like "I'll give you $20 a week if you fill a box with ripe produce." It helps them get rid of the stuff that doesn't sell so well that week, and you get a bargain.

Chinatowns are the best places for cheap (though not necessarily organic) seaweeds, seeds for sprouting, and tropical fruits. Pretty much every store in the Chinatown in Oakland will cut you a great deal if you want to but a case of something. Mom & pop shops are usually more likely to cut you a deal, too. It can't hurt to ask.

Once I figured out sprouting seeds and making my own kombucha life was a lot cheaper to manage. - good luck!

If you plan to juice, you can go to farmers markets and ask for 'seconds' - fruit that is somehow unsightly, but still good. It's often irregularly shaped or has a small cut or bruise in it. These are great for juicing and are often sold at half price or less. My farmer's market usually has tomato seconds out for juices and sauces. Some other items like peaches are also available if you ask. You could also ask at your regular produce store. I haven't done that yet myself, but I don't see why not.

You can also try buying slow perishables such as oranges, carrots and apples by the case. Many places will give discounts for cases. If you have a cool place, such as a cellar, basement, or garage, they can last a month or more. You should look up storage instructions for specific foods if you want to do this though. Some like cool, dry places and some do better with a bit of moisture. Drying some of these foods in a dehydrator or oven can also help preserve them for a time.

I am in the same boat having a very tight budget but I am managing. I might not have a huge diversity of fruits and veggies but I am managing. My staple is bananas, Costco has mango 9 for $8 and they are good. Not organic though. Carrots are another stable...I love them whole and eat several at a time. Again, Costco has organic carrots 10 pounds for $7. I eat a lot of spinach at $1.50 a pound and kale at a little less than $2 for a bunch that is about a pound. Leaf lettuce is also pretty cheap at less than $2 a head. Local veggie stand has cukes 3 for a dollar and peppers should be coming soon. I grab tomatoes on sale and whatever else I can find for cheap. So don't give up...there are deals out there and it is possible to eat at least much better then typical SAD for not a huge amount of money. Maybe not 100% or you might not be able to make some of the "exotic" recipes for raw dishes that cost an arm and a leg, but IMO that kinda goes against what my idea of the raw lifestyle is.

Anything you can forage is a HUGE help... so if you live near a forest or some mountains, most parts of the U.S. the mushroom harvest is a really big boon to wild foragers... one piece of advice though is to never pick a mushroom your not 100% sure of, most of the good ones are mostly idiot proof tough once you have a little experience with them...King and queen boletes, chanterelles, hedghog mushrooms, and matsutaki if they grow in your area are idiot proof, great mushrooms for beginners (matsutaki has some severely poisonous look alikes, however, it usually smells like red hots candy! no other mushroom in the world does... soo, kinda idiot proof,lol)

On the topic of wild edibles, there are some great books out there will colour photos so you can't go wrong. It's a bit late for some of the tender greens (weeds) but wild berries are happening now, mulberry, raspberry, and apples will be around soon too. If you find fruit trees in people's yards a lot of folk are happy to have you harvest them and keep a portion for yourself. You might find a community garden plot that you can participate in too. I know you don't have a great deal of energy but how old are your twins? Do you stay at home with them? I put my little people to work with a lot of things, they enjoy it and it helps me out a TON! They love sprouting too, if you find a chia pet you can use your own seeds to sprout lovely salad greens, the kids will be thrilled to have the responsibility of spraying them daily.
Good luck!

Thanks for all the advice everyone for us newbies! I am in FL an you helped me out with your ideas =)

Hi! I am in Florida too. We have tons of co-ops in Florida on both coasts. I am on the west side. Just go into google and look up veggie co-ops. There aren't any health food stores in my immediate area and the regular stores here don't carry much in the way of organic fruits and vegetables and what they do have are extremely overpriced. The co-ops I belong to have really good organic produce and it cost less than regular old produce that the stores carry. Remember, we also have flea markets here in Florida and those always have really good, fresh produce.
Love, Melissa Halsted

This book looks good. If anyone has read it I'd love a review!