Raw on a Budget

One of the things I hear all the time is that "I'd like to eat healthy but I really can't afford it."  or "It's so expensive to eat healthy."  I would agree with both of these statements.  Eating healthy can be expensive.  There are, however, ways to budget and save money while eating healthy.

Eating raw could get extremely expensive.  One of the first things I notice when I "went raw" is that I eat less.  My body requires less food.  I have more energy and I require less sleep as I am eating less.  The fact that I eat less food than before is the first way that healthy can = less money spent on food.

Organic foods can be expensive.  Here's a confession.  I don't buy organic unless it's something that is on sale and less expensive or the same price as conventional (non-organic) veggies and fruit.  Organic is better.  It is best.  I can't afford it right now so conventional fruit and veggies is my next choice.  To some this would be unacceptable.  To me, this is much better than the processed crap that I put in my system day after day before I went raw. 

If you are absolutely set on an "organic only" raw lifestyle then I would suggest farmer's markets, roadside veggie stands, CSA's (community supported agriculture) and food coops.  We have a food coop an hour away from us.  I go there once a month to get foods I cannot get in my small city.  Even when you go to the farmer's market or veggie stands, be sure and ask if the foods are organic.  It may surprise you how many are NOT organic.

The best advice I could offer to save money while living a raw lifestyle is grow a garden.  Whether on land or in a container.  Veggies, fruit or herbs can be grown.  I so regret not having a garden this year.  I love going out in a garden and eating right off the vine.  It is as revitalizing as food can get.  It will also save a lot of cash.

I have a budget of approximately $800 a month for a family of five.  That's $5.33 per person per day.  I consider that to be quite generous but we also have so many different things going on too.  I am 100% raw, my husband is a struggling vegetarian.  The children are meat eaters right now.  My oldest eats very healthy, the middle child is extremely picky and the youngest is allergic to all dairy and eggs.  Dinner in our household can be enough to drive a chef insane.