Hello All! I am a newbie and am wondering about what your monthly raw food budgets are alike?

I am into my second week of raw (with some minor lapses) and am finding it a little challenging to shop for raw and not have astronomical foods costs. I have spent about $20 dollars a day on organic fruits and veggies and a few nuts here and there.

I would like to spend no more than $100 a week on food.

Is this possible on organic? I am also a little confused and not sure what I can eat..(therefore the lapses). Is Couscous raw if I don't put in boiling water but soak it in warm water instead?

Thanks for any advice!

I reckon that's about how much I spend, up to, say, $125, in two to three visits a week. Only my daily staples and some of the more pesticide-laden produce do I purchase organic. You can find various "dirty dozen" or top-ten lists on the web. Here is one from the Environmental Working Group: [www.care2.com]

-Erin
Raw Done Light
dogma-free RAW
Gazpacho For The Soul

welcome Cherryblossom. being a wannabe 100% raw foodist is taking me to the poor house FO SHO.i spend about the same. maybe sometimes more.

Thanks for your responses guys! I guess I have to do more research on what to eat and how to prepare it. I am only eating plain raw veggies and fruits and nuts for now since I don't have a good blender yet and can't really make any of the recipes I see around. How many of you have the Vita-Mix blender? And does it also work as a juicer?

Also, how many of you have had relapses in your early days?


Thanks again!

hi cherry.... but bananas are a good option for a solid staple... solid in calories.... filling... good base for smoothiess....

ne who.. jut my ten cents..

Love and Light

Tiffntwins

`•.¸¸.•´¯`•.¸.´¯`•...¸><((((º>

SWIM FREE FISHES!

that sucks that you guys are spending so much, i'm spending about $70 per week on my 100% raw diet, which is about $10 more per week than i used to spend. keep in mind i just buy food for me, no family members or roommates or anything like that. i buy probably 95% organic...i think my mangoes are grown conventionally but the rest of what i bought this week is organic, and most weeks are the same (anyone know where to get organic mangoes, btw?).

i highly suggest you go to your local farmer's market and/or co-op. i go to the farmer's market on sunday morning. i bring one $20 bill and get tons of spinach, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, sprouts, zucchini, cucumber, avos...most of my staples. the stuff they don't sell at the farmer's market, i buy at trader joe's. i also buy a few things at whole foods b/c they don't have everything at trader joe's, but i try to keep whole foods to a minimum since they're insanely expensive.

i also think bananas are the best- even organic ones tend to be cheap in comparison w/ most produce, they fill you up, they're portable, and you can buy as many as you need in whatever stage of ripeness you need and they'll last a while. i usually eat 4 bananas a day.

shop the sales! right now whole foods has a crate of about 9 mangoes for $5.99. things like that save tons of money.

i think raw is more expensive than a cooked vegan diet, but probably about the same in terms of cost as a SAD (all the meat, dairy and novelty processed junk tends to be pricey).

just think of it as an investment in your health!

Hi Meow,
In an ideal world, yes. . . . ;-p . . .

but some of us live in places that are outrageously expensive even when we try to find co-ops and farmer's markets. My local co-op is as expensive as a convenience store! And farmer's markets are only available 4 mo. out of the year, and they are quite high in price, as well.

We're all workin' on it. I run hither and yon, to Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and a couple other places, finding the best buys. I'm lucky because I don't have to work 40 hours a week, so I can spend a bit of time grocery shopping.

Two suggestions for everybody:
1) grow sprouts
2) do some home gardening if you can, or get a public garden plot if available

Sharrhan:


[www.facebook.com]

There is another older post called "100% Raw Foodists ... $ / Week on Your Food?" with some good information.

The first place I go to in the regular grocery stores is the crash and burn bin...yesterday, for example...organic bananas for .40 cents/lb...since more people purchase organics at natural foods stores, and perhaps less at regular grocery stores, I usually find many organics on sale or priced about .20-.50 cents/lb more than regular produce...which really isn't that much more...ALSO... when you first begin eating raw, I think...from my experience...that there is a tendancy to purchase a bit more to stock up on staples and to purchase a bit more food than is needed...just to have the variety around...Don't worry...you will find the foods you are looking for...it just takes a little time...I have developed good relationships with all of the produce managers and employees in my local grocery stores...they are very interested in the raw foods diet...especially when they see what the results are...OH...one more thing...just about every area has a food co-op...the closest co-ops to me are from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours away...but great to belong to...share the cost and the ride with a fellow raw foodist for truly Good Karma...Diana

i have been raw for the past 2 weeks, but i find i am spending much less on food than before. however, i live in ireland. perhaps its cheaper to eat organic here than in your country. i am spending around 30 euro per week now. before i was spending between 100-150 euro per week. i love the way this feels and i have seen positive changes in every aspect of my life, even in this short time period.

When you start experimenting with any new diet, including raw, expect to spend more money in the beginning. This is because you are figuring out which foods to buy, etc. Right now, I spend about $70-$80 a week, all organic, and I think that's a lot. I signed up for a produce delivery service, which is very convenient, but I still have to buy some fruit at the supermarket.

Couscous is not raw. It is a (pre-cooked) pasta. On the days that I do eat cooked food, I try to eat healthy cooked vegan. This means cooked starch staples, such as couscous, other pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. You might want to buy some of these "just in case", if you get hungry, etc., and want to eat some cooked. Especially at the beginning, you have to figure out how much fruit you need to eat to be full, so these foods can serve as a good backup.

hi there...well i spend about 20-30 dollars a week on all organic produce..but i don't do any fats...or oils or nuts...so i think that cuts down my costs a lot..i am only buying fruits and veggies....mostly veggies....

kwan you are so right...meow i wish we lived in a perfect world and could spend 20 dollars at the farmers market and get all that wonderful stuff...if i take a 20 to the farmers market here (only like 1 1/2 hours from you) i would only come home with a few things..it is expensive at our farmers markets as well..i am usually better off getting my stuff from henry's and jimbo's they have a wonderful organic selection for a pretty good price

even though i am only spending 20-30 it was a shock because before i didn't shop at all and would spend like 3 dollars every two weeks or so..i lived on water...baked potatoes and salads...an occasional fruit here and there...i just didn't bother spending money on food or eating...i would buy a bag of organic potatoes and eat one a day or so...and just plain or sometimes put a little braggs on it or braggs apple cider vinegar and fresh crushed garlice....
so i know what you mean i had a shock too having to actually shop every week or so for groceries...sometimes i get away with 2 weeks before shopping even now!!
good luck
love earthangel
xoxoxoxoxo

Much peace and love!!!
EarthAngel
Xoxo

I manage to keep a tight budget between £10-15 typically, on a splurge week then perhaps £20. So £80 a month.

I buy a lot of fruit, mostly fruitarian and usually shop twice a week. Find this works and means I can go to the organic markets etc at the weekend and get apples/banana's that I need.

Then stock up on anymore once during the week

I dont have nuts and rarely oil. I usually buy 250ml of oil every 8-10 weeks, so this works out cheap.

I am lucky where I live 70% of the time has tonnes of local produce and easily accesible organic fruits/veg. My local store are great and help me to buy in bulk/ get ripe fruit which is just going to be tossed

Raw on a budget is possible, just takes some planning!

throughtout the winter i can easily spend 50$ or more a week ...

during the summer/fall harvest ..quite a it lower maybe 30-40 a week

...Jodi, the banana eating buddhist