I changed my nutrition lifestyle to one that contains significant amounts of both meat and vegetables a few months ago. I was shocked when my grocery bill for the month went down and I could get by on 30$ and sometimes 50$ a month.
Now $50 a month is obviously minimalist grocery. It is not for the faint of heart and those who don’t want to live the bare minimum.
My grocery spending decreasing so dramatically took me by surprise because the research I’ve done warned me eating healthy would be expensive. This is what I told myself and held as my belief system for years.
When people asked why I wasn’t eating healthy I would quote, “The government makes it very expensive to eat healthy and the prices of quality food are just too high. I would love to eat healthy but it’s just not viable in my financial situation.”
Note: I don’t recommend living off of $30-$50 worth of food every month per person but it can be done. Like most things in life your beliefs are systems that limit your views which makes it much harder to change in the future. Sometimes you’ve got to shake things up and test those limits.
You must be frothing at the mouth in anticipation to hear how I manage this sooo…
Eating Healthy Isn’t Rocket Science. Eat Clean.
I eat chicken breast, pork chops, minced pork and fish when I am able. My wife and son are deathly allergic to fish which completely cuts off one of the sources of protein that I like the most.
If you don’t find yourself in the same situation, I would highly recommend developing a taste for fish because next to chicken, it is one of the most efficient fuel source for protein. My favorite type of fish, Basa, packs a tremendously efficient 22 g of protein per serving.
If protein is the efficient fuel source that makes it cheaper in the long run, then obviously, going for the better cuts of meat to provide the most protein per serving is a great way to save money.
Traditionally the higher amount of protein, the more full and satisfied you’re going to feel at the end of a meal. Just make sure that you’re not overdoing your protein intake and suffering from side effects such as bloatedness or noxious gas as both of these are signs that you cannot assimilate enough of the protein.
Couple tips that you should consider are:
Purchasing whole chickens because they’re honestly cheaper. But those savings require a greater investment of time so this won’t work if you’re strapped for time.
If you’re able to find a good deal on minced pork like I did when it was 1.99$/lb, than I prefer this to porkchops. I take the minced pork, portion it into freezer bags and then use it needed. Delish when you make a vegetable teriyaki stir fry out of it…yum!
Sales Tax Is The Worst So Don’t Pay it.
Sales tax kills food budgets depending on your region. Since sales tax varies greatly by region this tip may not be as effective in saving you money.
Québec sales tax is currently at about 15% between federal and provincial rates which take a significant portion of your monthly grocery budget. The beauty about switching to raw foods is these types of foods are very rarely taxed.
With my local tax rate so high, I’ve noticed that I can easily save between 10 and $20 per trip. If you’re like me and usually make 2 to 3 trips per month, that is significant savings that can be put towards more beneficial avenues such as your savings account.
Protein Is Your Weapon Of Mass Health (And Budget Cutting)
Protein is one of the cleanest and most efficient fuel sources for the human body because it provides the essential amino acids that are bodies cannot produce themselves. This is the same reason that eating protein will make you feel sated for much longer than nutrients like sugars or carbohydrates – the latter naturally turns to sugar when processed by the body.
When you’re not hungry, you won’t be eating as much and when you’re eating less, you’re burning through less money to support your eating habits. Cutting out sugar and carbohydrates – which will naturally occur by following diets similar to mine – reduces insulin sensitivity and levels which regulate hormonal hunger.
Don’t Let Lack Of Health Care Scare You. Eat Right And You Might Not Need It.
This may be hard to believe coming from somebody who lives in Canada and more specifically the Quebec region. Our healthcare system is one of our best public services and rivals that of neighboring provinces on public insurance coverage.
This may hit you right where it hurts if you’re an American who doesn’t have proper health care, which most of you don’t if I understand the state of America’s health care. When you are eating a healthy and clean diet mostly comprised of raw foods, you’re providing your body with the minerals and nutrients that it needs for idealistic function.
The majority of the minerals and nutrients that are provided by raw foods are essential for maintenance of the body which help prevent a variable amount of negative health side-effects of mineral and vitamin deficiencies like heart attack and stroke – some of the most potent health-related killers in the United States.
If you find yourself in a situation where you’re going to need to pay medical bills that aren’t covered by some form of healthcare, whether that be public or private, then you know it’s going to hurt you where it hurts primarily your wallet.
You’ll Feel Great And You Can’t Put A Price On That
You should face it – money doesn’t buy happiness. If you think that, then you’ve already lost the game of life.
I haven’t felt so good like this in my whole life because I never focused on my health, nutrition and where I wanted to go in life. Once you’ve fixed your nutrition lifestyle, you reach critical mass and start a chain reaction that radiates to the other aspects of your life. I’ve begun strength training to build muscle mass and burn fat faster than cardio ever did for me and I’ve got more confidence than I have ever had before.
I even revived my blog, started writing religiously again, begun experimenting with activities and focusing each day on improving over the last. I can’t attribute everything to nutrition but it jumpstarted everything else and now I’m soaring through the air like an eagle full of grace.
You can’t put a price on the feeling of fulfilment and purpose in life. Though having disposable income, significantly improved health, and a longer lifespan to appreciate your newfound lust for life as long as possible is worth all the money in the world. Few people ever feel like this despite having riches that can buy whole countries.
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Author: Shawn Michael Hartwell
Shawn is the author of his personal blog where he writes about customer experience, the importance of happy people in modern business, and shares his observations on life.
You didn’t give any specific tip as what to buy exactly, just ranted about taxes and proteins. Unfortunately for me this article was a waste of time. You could make an effort to write down an example of your grocery list for a week/month. It was like a clickbait; it;s a disaster dude
This was written over two years ago, and you don’t use a fucking semicolon in the contraction “it’s”, you moronic cunt.
Here’s a list for lazy, dumb fucking bitches: MEAT AND VEGETABLES
Huh?
1: Go to the grocery store
2: Grab less than $50 worth of meat and vegetables
3: Purchase said meat and vegetables
4: Go home, eat some meat and vegitables
5: Stop being a lazy fucking bitch