Friday
22Jan2010
Money
Friday, January 22, 2010 at 10:14AM Okay, here is a topic I know everyone will be interested in, MONEY.
So, my question to you all today is the following. For those of you who eat clean and try to follow the primal lifestyle, is there any way to do it while saving money? Good quality meats cost a chunk of change and those awesome leafy greens ain't so cheap either. The price for eating clean sometimes doesn't outweigh the price of your health. So I want to know, how do you do it? (if you manage to save money at all). The only thing I spend my hard earned money on is food!!
Reader Comments (8)
Alex, I save money eating clean because I don't have an $8 lunch and a $6 breakfast somewhere (dunkies and a sub shop). Maybe I'll do the math and see. Let me get back on this one. I've been thinking about it for a while.
We get veggies at Russos, fish, shrimp, and scallops (flash frozen) at trader joes, and buffalo, pork and chicken at whole foods. We try to make our own whenever possible, which has meant learning a lot of recipes, and culinary theory. Most recently we've started making our own bread (I know, not paleo). If you are only buying raw materials, its cheaper. We hope to have a garden this summer as well, and we are investigating raw milk. But I've always thought that good food is the last thing you should cut back on to save money.
Costco: Almonds, Pecans, Walnuts. 3lb bags for $8-9, 10lbs chix breast for $22., 3lbs broccoli $3.50
Trader Joes: Almond Butter and sunflower butter for $5 (cheapest anywhere)
CSA Farm Share: (http://thefoodproject.org/csa-box-share)- it was $500 for 20 weeks, of about 10 pounds of veggies a week. Great stuff!
Allendale Farm in brookline: Eggs ($4 a dozen) pricy but worth it. Switched over to real eggs and felt my mood change for the better, no joke.
Russos for veggies and Stop and Plop for frozen veggies in a pinch.
For the beef and pork, I've had to do some searching, got some from the farm in Maine, but its tough to get it on the cheap. This is a good resource: http://www.eatwild.com/products/massachusetts.html
Also Stillman's farm does a meat share, which comes out to about $7 a pound.
http://www.stillmansfarm.com/meatcsa.html
I still get beef and the occasional Lamb from regular stores now and again, but not nearly as much as I used to.
I know neal asked what to do with the space right next to the gym, I say raise some pigs... MMMMmmm
I went to Russo's alst night and picked up:
Kale
spinach
Broccoli (2 big crowns)
Chives
Peppers (green and red)
Limes (2)
shallots (3)
Tomatos (2)
fresh mint
For $12. Thats easily enough veggies for dinners for 2 for a week, and its all fresher than you'll find in a regular super market or even wholefoods.
I suggest that this info be posted on the mainpage...
Thanks for the input guys. If anyone else has anything I'd love to hear it.
I have to get over to Russo's one of these days soon.
I second the Russo's suggestion and also think that ethnic markets and farmers markets are great places to get cheap, high quality food staples. Lastly there are organic grass-fed beef farmers in VT who will sell you a portion or whole cow. If you can store it and use it, that's a good deal.
I hear ya, Alex. I have been blessed with a new food awareness as a Crossfitter, and cursed with a way bigger grocery bill. I even had to give up my crack habit.
Eggs and canned tuna are relatively affordable forms of protein.
It's not just money either. I spend far more time planning and preparing to have enough food for the day. When I am short on time and food I hit the food bar at Whole Foods. I fill my tray with whatever meat they have, so that I'm not spending $7.99 a lb. on veggies. I usually also grab a sweet potato from the produce dept and pop it in the microwave.
At least I've still got gamblin' money.