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I think totally depends on the kind of raw fooder you are. If you want to eat superfoods and expensive ready made things like jars of nut butter then it is going to be expensive, but if you like it simple and make lots of dehydrated crackers and breads to fill up on then it needn’t be that bad. There is a long thread, maybe more than one, about this if you search the forums under costs then you’ll probably find it.
I shop at Asian shops and markets, wholesale markets and I go to the supermarket at the end of the day when they are reducing all the ripe fruit, and I get a lot of bargains particularil on organic stuff. And when we move to the USA we will definately be going dumpster diving!! Which we can’t do here in the UK because of laws which prevent shops leaving unused pruduce outside.
We eat alot, and experiment with lots of recipes because this is our business aswell as our pleasure, so our bill becomes pretty high. But we don’t go out to pubs or restaurants, we don’t drink, we don’t buy snacks and junk food, etc so I guess it all evens out in the end.
In any case you are worth it, even if it cost me 4 times as much as cooked, I would still do it, because health and feeling as good as I do now is absolutely priceless.
Believe it or not, my food bill went DOWN significantly (about 50%). when i went raw. Now thats its summer and my garden is growing – its even lower. I was really surprised – i was expecting this to be a costly venture, but its really not. (Not to mention the $$ saved by being healthier and not having to be in doctor’s offices every month!) Although good organic produce is a little more expensive, i find that i eat much less. Where as a box of Lucky Charms (at 5$+) would last me a meal or two before – a big bowl of fruits and veggies will provide numerous meals now. If you want actual dollar amounts – hmm..i would estimate about 50$/week. I order dried fruits and nuts in bulk through a local co-op, and i visit my farming friends regularly with basket in hand so that all helps too.
I just bought my dehydrator and waiting for it to come in also, I am hoping its going to decrease my food bill.
Right now im eating almost $150 a week worth of food. I am also a weight lifter, so I eat lots anyways though.
My food bill is down so long as I am not eating lots of nuts, cacao nibs, goji berries, or the like. It can easily go up when adding those sorts of things though.
Your food bill may go up, but your medical bills will go down! You won’t use as much electricity because you won’t be cooking. You won’t be washing as many dishes or having as much trash. You can compost your food scraps and grow some of your own food in a garden, in flowerpot and in jars (sprouts). You can be extravagent or frugile in any diet.
RawVegan4Health: What do you eat mostly? What is a typical day like for you?
My food bill goes down when I’m really paying attention to what i’m spending. Problem usually is that I get so excited at the store about all the awesome fruits and veggies I get to eat that I spend more than i want to! Following a list helps me though, and then I can usually do it for just myself about $80/week.
I feel like I spend more money being raw because I am the type to buy lots of hemp seeds, cacao nibs, flax oil.. expensive gormet raw foods. Organic raw nuts are quite expensive too. If you can live off only fruits and veggies then I would imagine your bil would go down but I couldn’t so most of my money goes towards superfoods and the like. My produce bill definitely goes down in the summer though with my CSA share and garden. (:
If I had infinite amount of money, I would definitely spend way more on food. (I have a list of gourmet raw foods that I want when I get the money) If I’m conscious enough, I can manage between $70-$90/wk.
I’m finding it really depends on where I shop. If I shop at the neighborhood fruit market I get so much for so little! I can really stock up on a lot of fresh fruits and veggies for under $20. However, their selection can be limited at times. If I go to the regular grocery store there is a better selection but it is also more money. I usually spend anywhere from $70 to $90 a week. If I go to Whole Foods it is a lot more!! They have the best organic and raw selection and a lot of specialty items too that I can not find anywhere else. Even their selection of leafy greens is amazing. I wish I could afford to shop there weekly but I honestly can not. I can easily spend a minimum of $70+ for 1 small shopping bag of things.