Is Primal cheaper? page 3

[magnolia1973]

I used to spend about $150 for two of us- a lot of Farmer's market stuff (organic) and our local grocer is insanely expensive on stuff like goat cheese, veggie burgers. When Trader Joe's opened, I was still a vegetarian and stopped going to the Farmer's Market and was spending about $85 a week, plus $40 on lunches and "snacks". So, $125. Now I spend about $100 every two weeks at the Farmer's Market on meats and fish and $90 a week at Trader Joes, so $140 a week. We do eat out a lot less, but hubby usually pays for dinner out.

[tfarny]

I spend less on food because I've learned where to buy things (co-op + a local rancher) and don't eat takeout, ever. But what I do buy is indeed more expensive. When I was doing Whole Foods + farmer's markets it was ruinously expensive. Now I spend $100 a week just for me, not including the meat in my freezer. But that's premo quality and is my entire food budget.

Perfect health with no need for doctors = priceless.

[Annieh]

Interesting feedback, everyone, and Zoebird thanks for providing that level of detail. It is interesting to know what other people eat, and also helpful when making comparisons as well as for finding new ideas. Ostrich sausages - I must look out for those.

My list is much more similar to your friend's. Frozen lamb chops were only $7.98kg. I so missed lamb on holiday so will be making up for it this week! This week's shop $149 so far, will probably have to return for milk and more veges but I'll see.

Yes, I went back and spent another $40-odd, so close to $200 for the week now. Whipped up a batch of primal truffle balls to take to my parents when we went for dinner last night, and tonight we are eating out - that comes out of our discretionary budget not my grocery fund, so will skew my figures. Never mind.

[Mud Flinger]

We get our meat from local farmers and pay $5-6/ lb for beef, bison or yak (just picked up my first yak meat today). All pastured (grass fed and finished) and organic. It costs this much or more for just ground beef of similar quality at the stores and we get premium cuts ($15-20/lb) and roasts in that mix also. I buy alaskan wild caught salmon when it is on sale ($6-7/lb - regular price is easily double that) and stock up on it. Haven't bought any meat in the past 2-3 months (until today). I am fortunate and don't have a food budget, so actual monthly costs are not acturate - probably 200-300/week for 4 of us (2 adults, 1 teen and 4yo). Primal seems more expensive, but I don't buy convenience foods any more and we rarely eat out as it makes me crazy to spend more $$ on sub-standard food! We very rarely get sick and health is priceless!

If you find that you need to extend your food budget, organic white rice is cheap and filling and easy to make. IF is even a better deal! I would also find other things to cut from the household budget to afford better food for my family. I recently started making my own laundry detergent and save $$$ (cost me $1 to make ~$15 worth of detergent).

[NZ primal Gwamma]

Annie, great thread. I have never worked it out, but I must. I would have thought that we are spending less, but as I say I have never analysed it.
DD and DDBF have moved out, so my food bill will be half if not less than it has been !!!!
Also I am looking forward to controlling what comes into the house - food wise, LOL

[Annieh]

Also I am looking forward to controlling what comes into the house - food wise, LOL

Yes, if you only buy primal food, that's all you (and your dh) can eat.

I also agree with Mudflinger about spending $$ on substandard food, it's not funny. Like tonight for example, we ate at a Chinese buffet place, I was able to be selective and ate reasonably well, but of course my dh and dd loaded up on all the deep fried items, and sugar-laden desserts. No discernment, the pair of them. Yet they eat and enjoy whatever I feed them when we are at home. So from a food and health point of view it was not money well spent (from a social point of view the evening was a great success and at least we all managed to eat what we wanted).

[Clymb]

I probably break even. Because things are more expensive, I make sure nothing goes bad - this is usually an issue with fresh produce for me. Now I'll cook something up and freeze to make sure it doesn't.

Another thing is that I used to order a $20 pizza (plus tip for delivery) every week. So figure I'm saving $100/month not doing that. That money goes toward the higher quality meat, eggs, butter I now buy. I also don't drink beer or wine regularly and hard alcohol is pretty cheap here.

Also, I've found that buying online not only saves in per pound/item price, but here where they have the audacity to sales tax food, I take great satisfaction in screwing the state out of that tax money, and saving it of course. A few months ago I found salmon online for $8.50/lb; the average price here is about $12.50/lb + 4.5% sales tax. I had to buy 20 lbs, but I love salmon and am learning that even a standard renter's fridge freezer holds a lot if you stack it right.

So, it's not cheaper for me, but I don't think it's much more expensive either.

That's a great idea--I should start ordering online. Sales tax is 9% here.

[zoebird]

It looks like we're forming a coop to get local organic fruit/veg delivered to our neighborhood, which would be excellent. We're talking about it being basically primal: seasonal fruit and veg, looking at a good meat supplier, and then also getting the raw milk from our share delivered to the one location.

I'm definitely interested if it could decrease our food bill. We spent $350 again this week, and it was *exactly* what we eat plus a $34 amount of soap. So, food was less, then. What's that? $316?

[upupandaway]

I definitely spend more in food shops but much less on snacks, eating out, drinking (alcohol tolerance through the floor since going primal!) and buying lunches at work (I always make them now). So I'm hoping it evens out.

I'm basically trying to take advantage of as many offers as I can with regard to food shopping (e.g. good local butcher had deal on ground beef, so I mades lots of burgers and froze them).

[madog]

It costs about £40-£60 per week for two of us on general foods and that's without meat\fish as I tend to buy it monthly online, which comes to about £180. Veggies and some fruit come from out allotment. It may cost more for the improved quality of ingredients, but weighed against imporved health is priceless for us :-)