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If you could afford to spend more on food, would you?

3K views 24 replies 21 participants last post by  Sophiasmama 
#1 ·
I've been thinking about this a while now. I'm very good at getting our grocery bill down to about $120-$150 a month for 2 people, but the food we buy tends to be more processed than fresh. We are debt free but currently saving for a large emergency fund and than a house. Part of me loves saving the money, the other part of me wonders what all the not so great food is doing to our health in the long run. If you could afford it, would you spend more on healthy, organic food and try to save in other ways or would you stick with what you're doing to save the money???
To clarify, we aren't eating junk, just more processed than I would like. Also, I realize that this is somewhat a selfish question, as there are people who could not afford to even ask this question. We have been there though as well.

Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Yes, we would eat better. And yes, we plan to eat better.

For years I allowed myself to get into the trap of - 'Here's 40 boxes of Hamburger Helper reduced to 20 cents a box. I must purchase them all, and stock them in my cabinets'. Times that by just about every good clearance deal I came across - and I had a massive stockpile of processed crap. (Don't be ashamed to call it what it is) - we would all like to do better at a lot of things (I hope) - but we tend to fall into these little traps.

Since Jan 1 (2013) - we have been eating down the stockpile. And we plan to take it to the bare-nubs (ketchup & mustard being the only things left in the fridge).... that means eating all the 'crap' that I stockpiled all these years. I am already sick of 'crap', I wish we had no more 'crap' to eat. But there is still 'crap' to get thru. (Yea, I could dispose of said 'crap' - but I made our 'crap' bed, now we must lay in it).....

When everything is gone... well, it will be a good day.
I think as I have aged I am getting over the 'massive stockpiling' mentality. Yes, I need to have great deals, just like everyone. (Probably more-so because of my obsessive tendencies) - but, unfortunately you can only stockpile so many 'real' foods. (As 'real food' tends to go bad so much quicker than boxes of Hamburger Helper)

And as for the convenience thing? Well, I know Hamburger Helper helps you help your Hamburger in no time at all... but I have found with the right equipment (crock pot, steamer, griller, etc) - (which one can purchase at any thrift store or garage sale) - you can make a decent meal as quickly with these items as you can opening your Hamburger Helper packaging.

Is it more expensive to eat healthy? I don't believe it. Sure, organics are costly. Honestly, I don't do organics. If I die from pesticide residues, then so be it. But I might as well stop breathing too - cos' I can't filter the air that enters my lungs. I'll just take my chances- (and keep growing my own vegetables). In my neck of the woods - a bag of apples is far cheaper than a bag of Doritos. (And trust me, once your body adjusts to it's new healthy food - you won't be quite as hungry after eating an apple - they will go a long way)

So in answer to your question - yes, I would eat healthier, and yes - I can eat healthier (on my current budget) - and yes, I plan on eating healthier (on my current budget). There are a LOT of good, inexpensive, healthy foods out there - you just have to recognize them. Brown rice & beans & legumes being at the top of the list.
 
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#3 ·
Absolutely. We utilize a home delivery service that brings fresh organic produce, local eggs, and local grass-fed beef to our doorstep every week. We can choose weekly or bi-weekly delivery, and from several different sized "boxes". We're willing to pay more for foods free of herbicides, pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, etc. Our delivery box contains the bulk of ingredients for our weekly meals. We supplement with a few grocery store staples and extras from our garden.
 
#4 ·
I suppose this is the point of being frugal, so you can afford what's important. Sabrelvssammy, I too had a vicious stovkpilenofnprocessed junk that's now gone. I guess I'm feeling somewhat guilty seeing my grocery bill skyrocket because I'm not depending on e stockpile anymore. Frabjous day, I'm going to look into that kind of service, is it called a CSA? I would shop at farmers markets but the only ones in my area are open while I work.
 
#5 ·
No, we don't belong to a CSA. Most CSA's in our area require that you pay for entire season up front, and the share is tied to a local farm. The service we use is week-to-week. We can start or stop at any time and put our service on hold when we are out of town. Also, they work with a network of organic or all-natural growers that are not exclusively local (although many are) which allows for year-round service. For example, this spring in my box many things were local (asparagus, kale, sugar snap peas), but I was also able to get items not yet in season here (spaghetti squash, potatoes, apples).
 
#6 ·
I would go for the frest foods NOW......it's not that much more expensive....yes, I'm like the others, I went thru the HH & crap stage when I worked and was exhausted when I came home & had no energy to cook.......but, I'm old now, retired and I have all day to prepare dinner (NOT that I do)........but, I find we are eating different now...mostly salads, fruit, fresh veggies and a protein....no more HH and quick frozen meals....I do not buy organic just fresh....
Good luck....
 
#8 ·
DH has to adhere to a pretty strict diet. He can't have too much carbs, salt, protein, or saturated fats. Most of the foods people talk about stockpiling just aren't things he can eat. The only things I buy in quantity are dry pasta, dried beans and lentils, peanut butter, no salt added canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, and frozen chicken breast. Most other things we eat are perishable and can't be bought in large quantities. We could probably get our grocery budget lower and still have it be healthy, but I like having variety as well, and some of the foods I like just aren't the cheapest.
 
#9 ·
I don't believe it is more expensive to eat healthy food. You just have to shop well. When it comes to fruit and vegetables especially, you have to shop and eat seasonally. You can't expect something like blueberries or raspberries to be affordable in the winter, for example. You have to buy, and cook, based on what is in season and what is cheap each week. That means that you, as a cook, have to learn how to prepare different vegetables, and your family has to learn to like them.
 
#11 ·
Eating fresh food is cheaper than processed. The only thing more expensive is the time you take to cook it. If you are organised you can have healthy meals in the freezer that you cooked yourself.
 
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#12 ·
When friends hear that I use an at-home delivery service, they assume that it's super expensive. That's not the case at all. We typically spend $50-90/week on food as a family of three (it depends on how productive our garden is at the time and our work/school schedules); that includes our box delivery. You won't find chips, soda or other processed foods at our house very often. Our meals are veggie heavy, salad with choice of homemade dressing always available, meat portions are small, fruit is a go to snack, we go through loads of eggs, beans and couscous. While it's not necessarily more expensive to eat this way, I do feel that it is more time intensive to plan, wash and prep. That's part of why I love home delivery, I can at least cut out some shopping time and the food we get is so much nicer than anything at our local grocery store.
 
#13 ·
I also do not believe it is more expensive to eat healthy. (someone put a post in here that has 44 healthy foods for under $1,
We have a produce stand that we go to and get bags of produce for a reasonable price. Then I cook it in my pressure cooker. Unless you get deep clearances on the "crap" food it will cost you later in health problems.
SS Loved your post. Soooooo true!!!!
 
#14 ·
No, we already spend a LOT more than we used to since cutting out 99% of processed food and trying to keep GM.
I am the only one in my family that is a heavy veggie eater. Everyone but me eats a lot of fruit. We go through a gallon of milk a day between the boys. We have two household members that eat GF. I have briefly thought about organics/ grass fed but feeding 3 guys that are big eaters plus the assorted friends kind of made me rethink that one. We dont buy any processed food besides the occasional GF mix and brown rice pasta so I think we are doing fairly well.
 
#16 ·
We are already doing an organic non GMO diet here and yes it costs more, yes you get less food as some items don't have an organic equivalent, and yes you have to commit to cook your food as it is usually down to its most basic forms.

But, it tastes better, it is healthy, and your family will love it.

No matter how many loaves of bread I have made the smell of baking bread always bring the family out of wherever they were and into the kitchen. It never fails.

So in answer to your question~Yes, in a heartbeat.

I should add we do have a small garden.
 
#17 ·
Boy oh boy have I been there with the endless stockpile of Hamburger Helper, Rice a Roni, and all sorts of other *crap* as one other poster eloquently said lol. Sure I was saving money, but my diet wasn't well balanced at all. FYI for those of you with those huge stockpiles, consider donating a chunk of it to a local food closet. They'll take stuff as long as its unopened/undamaged and not past its expiration date.

What I do now is I work harder to find sales/coupons for healthier foods, not necessarily organic. I'll get some organic produce from farmer's market if its currently in season, otherwise I'll just go to a store. Overall I don't find it that much more expensive to get whole grains, lean meats, low fat/sodium/sugar items, etc.
 
#18 ·
I'm also in the camp of making homemade food...and do not buy HH or other processed items(moderation is okay but I don't think everyday is a good idea)...that being said I do buy Kraft dinner as Sophie doesn't like the texture of my homemade mac n cheese and with her sensory issues I do have to pick my battles lol. We eat a ton of fresh fruit and I think it helps in the long run to eat as clean as possible.
 
#19 ·
i think i already spend a lot -- 400 a month (in houston texas dollars) for one person and three cats. this is for food and supplies.
 
#20 ·
Eating healthy is not equivalent to expensive. I try to shop for fresh or frozen items, and the fresh needs to be in season. Our meals are mostly a protein, a green salad, fresh fruit. I do keep canned fruits and veggies on hand, along with dried items like noodles, rice, beans.

But as to the original question: If I could spend more on food, would I? Yes. We try to keep our food budget at a minimum, and that means that I don't have as much meat as I would like to have. So if I had more money, I'd buy more meat and cheese. I love fish, but much fish is beyond our budget.
 
#21 ·
Oh yes. Once our debt is done, and our savings are on their way and into a comfortable range, we will be spending more on food.
I'd love to go all organic and hormone/anti-biotic free, but much of it is too expensive (and no store in town that carries it all). So for now, I buy the organic items that aren't THAT much more than the non-organic (like bananas aren't much more, and sometimes things like crackers are the SAME price). And we eat as fresh as possible, and I am baking more and more - bread and snack items - so I know what has gone in it. I'm slowly switching to all organic baking "stuff" now. It does feel better to eat this way.
But, that being said, I have a stockpile going, and I don't think any of it is organic right now, and it's all things like cereal and crackers and the like.
I've thought about this over the weekend actually - when we have no debt, would I keep stockpiling or stop? No doubt I will KEEP! Ain't nothing wrong with grabbing a good deal by the horns! But, I think since we'll be eating better then, my stockpile will be more about my baking supplies and household items like TP and soap etc.
 
#23 ·
Hmmm...I am in the enviable position of no debt and being able to set my food budget where I want. However I choose to still try and be frugal with my dollars. We are in Canada, so food is much more expensive here. Still, I have been able to keep to $500/mth. the last 3 months for 3 adults eating almost all organic, anti-biotic, hormone free meat, gluten free, dairy free and sugar free. Yes, there's still something to eat after all that!!! :lol3:
 
#24 ·
Due to health concerns, I concluded this morning I have to be less concerned about waiting for a sale price like I usually do. I have to be willing to pay full price for the right foods at the right time in order to stay on track. After a lifetime of rarely paying full price for any foods, this is a huge revelation. We prefer to follow our frugal habits, honed over a lifetime of practice, but the new reality for now is that I need to have certain foods in the house. Today, for example, I need to buy eggs, but none are on sale. I will be buying at least three dozen anyway. Cabbage isn't on sale either, but at least one head will find its way home with us today. It won't feel good at the till, but it'll bring me great peace of mind to see them in my fridge, ready for me to eat as needed.

I also need to do the impossible and learn to leave food on my plate once I'm full. I was always taught it was wasteful to do that. Well, by spending decades avoiding 'wasting' food I didn't need or want, I'm now developing life-threatening health problems. Now, which of those two things is the REAL waste?

We can afford to pay full price for groceries when we have to, so I need to scratch that excuse right off the list for why I can't manage to eat right.

Beyond that, we'll keep our good spending habits and shop sales when we can, shop for foods in season, and do our best not to buy full price food unless we don't have any other option. But if the need arises, I'm going to just close my eyes and go for it when it's time to pay full price.

So the answer to the question is yes, we will spend more money to live a more healthy lifestyle.
 
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