Feb 27 2009
Shopping!!! Getting the Most Out of Your Dollar!
Some of the recommendations to cut cost on the raw food lifestyle that are flying all over the internet include buy in bulk, by the case, or buy damaged produce from your local grocer. While these are all very good ways to cut cost if you have a family to feed, if you are single or just a couple and are already on a limited budget, you don’t have the money to buy cases and cases of food. What’s more, if it is just you or you plus one, odds are, you’ll lose some of that case you just saved so much on. You won’t be able to eat all of it by yourself, unless that’s what you live off of for the duration of the food. Even then, some of it will still go bad unless it is something that will be okay for an extended period in the fridge – like mangoes or young coconuts. As you progress in your raw journey, you will find that you want/need less food, and on a day-to-day basis, you also want simpler, lighter, juicy fare – mono-meals may even become your preference. But when transitioning, we all want foods that make us feel like we’re really having a special treat. Believe it or not, you CAN do this on a limited budget! What I am going to share with you now, is how I have managed to cut food bill expenses for one or two people over the years, and have successfully educated myself to standardly shop:
I. Asian Markets: At one time, I lived in an area that had many, many Oriental and Indian grocery stores. Produce, spices, almonds, cashews, and sesame seeds are cheapest in these stores by far. At one point, I could buy a case of mangoes for less than $4.00 – these I would buy from time to time, as we used them often, and they do store well in the refrigerator. Young coconuts were $1.19 each. Exotic melons could be had for less than a dollar. Shiitake mushrooms, dried mushroom varieties, seaweeds - again, a fraction of the cost of buying in a main stream store. These are definitely worth checking out if you have any available to you. You won’t be able to buy organic, so educate yourself on the farming practices of the different countries. These stores will also give you cost-effective exposure to trying new exotic fruits and vegetables you might only have otherwise found in a high-end gourmet or whole foods store. Buy your spices (whole or ground) in large bags here for pennies by comparison to what you would pay in the mainstream grocery stores. I once bought a 5 lb bag of whole cumin for less than what I would have paid for a standard sized bottle of the same in a grocery store!
II. Farmer’s Markets and Produce Stands: ALWAYS cheaper than the grocery store, and some venders will be willing to sell a case of a specific food for their own cost or only slightly over. I have to admit, I was spoiled. The market I once knew was open 365 days a year! Furthermore, it was HUGE and only about 20 minutes away from y home. It was housed in three warehouse-sized open barracks. There were local growers, growers from Mexico, Importers, and Interstate distributors. It was where all of the area restaurants would go to stock up on their daily needs. There were other smaller farmer’s markets around town, at some of which were certified organic growers. Check your local farmer’s markets association for locations and availabilities in your area.
III. Buying organics in the grocery store. I buy organic whenever feasible, but don’t stress too hard over my non-abilities. In those cases, I use a good vegetable wash. I have a simple formula I use to keep my budget in check – if the organics are no more than 10 cents per pound more than the non-organics, I buy the organics. I have found that some of the organics offered in grocery stores are only a few cents more than standardly grown produce. An example of this is that I always opt for organic carrots at 99 cents per pound over standardly grown carrots at 87 – 95 cents per pound.
IV. Talk to the Produce Managers of your local stores about letting you buy the produce they do not feel that they can sell. It should be priced at pennies on the dollar, as you will probably have to cut away some gashes and bruises, but you should still be left with good amounts that are usable.
V. Grow Your OWN! I cannot tell you how easy, fun, rewarding and cost-effective growing your own organic fruits and vegetables is! Easy to grow items are lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers (homemade pickle variety is a nice compact plant), basil, oregano, and mint. Our first garden was simple, and of the salad variety. We grew 6 varieties of tomatoes, 5 kinds of peppers, two types of cucumbers, in addition to an herb garden. I had tomatoes and peppers until mid-December when non-growers were paying upwards of $4 per pound for tomatoes! Having this garden was little work, and well worth the effort in savings. If you live in an apartment, you can still grow your own – in deep trench pots you can make yourself. Broken pallets can sometimes be had for free, and you are just a hammer and nails away from a proper gardening plot! Make the growing boxes 1’ – 2’ deep, 3’ long, and 1’ – 2’ wide. Drill ¼” to ½” holes in the bottom of these boxes and install “feet” on them to allow proper drainage.
VI. Set a food budget for yourself BEFORE you go grocery shopping, and shop for food ONLY in the produce section. What I have found to work very well for us, is to limit our buying to $10-20 every 3 days; going in and buying the maximum amount of what I could find on sale (which is usually those items in peak season), and then just getting creative with whatever I have been able to procure. If you want to make a specific dish, only make 1 - 2 of the more elaborate fare per week. Often these recipes will make enough for multiple meals, and some can be converted to new creations. Keep the rest of your meals simple – smoothies, soups, salads, sunflower seed pates rolled up in collard, lettuce, or cabbage leaves as veggie rolls or raw tacos!
VII. Bananas, bananas, bananas! They are easily the least expensive item (per pound) in the entire produce section, and they’re not only filling, they are nutritionally packed! Make these a staple item on your grocery list, and look also for the Manager’s Special bags on these from time to time. The last one I bought had 17 bananas in it – for only 99 cents! This bag weighed 6.6 pounds, and I only had to throw 1 of the bananas away due to pre-buy damage. Most had been put in the bag because they were singles that were no longer attached to a bunch.
VIII. Frozen Fruits/Veggies – while these are not optimal nutritionally speaking, (fresh is best) but these are great supplementary items outside of the normal growing seasons. They are picked at their peak, and the frozen, and sometimes actually have a higher nutrient density than the fresh out of season fare. I use frozen fruit in smoothies, frozen corn and green peas in salads and entrees, and in some dehydrated items.
IX. ALWAYS look for “Manager’s Special” items and 10 for $10 sales. Many times, the manager’s specials are done on bagged salads (the ONLY time I will buy them), cello pak mushrooms, and even organics are sometimes put on 10 for $10 sales! Talk to your Produce Manager to see if there is a particular pattern to the markdowns so you don’t miss out!
X. Nut Substitutions: I see numerous raw recipes calling for high dollar nuts. I have found that many times, they are easily substitutable if you know what to do with the subs and which ones to use. Raw sunflower seeds are the most economical value. These can be used for making anything from burgers, to cheezes, to sauces, to desserts! Soaking them will produce a different texture in the final dish than dry grinding. I also like to use raw cashews from time to time for things such as sour cream, cheezes, and mayo. They are a creamier nut than the sunflower seed – especially after soaking. Pumpkin and Sesame seeds are also great to keep on hand and are also wonderfully affordable – use on salads or to garnish dishes for a special kick! Almonds, walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamias and brazils are all high dollar items, so I keep their usage minimal. I have found, though that some stores offer nut meal – ground pecans, hazelnuts, and sometimes walnuts are to be found in bulk bin areas or in bulk dry good stores for a fraction of the cost of the whole nuts or even the pieces. Most of the recipes that call for nuts, usually involve grinding them to a powder. Save a step and save yourself some serious money! Pecans are usually sold for about $8 per pound, but I can buy the meal for only $3 per pound!
XI. If you are going to use any oil on a regular basis, stick with cold-pressed olive oil. Flax and coconuts oils (to name a couple) make good supplements for certain health issues, but for day-to-day usage in food preparation, olive oil is your most economical raw food buy. If you choose to incorporate one of the more expensive oils, build it in on a week that it will fit your buying ability.
XII. Raw Honey – buy locally farmed, cold or non-processed, non-filtered honey from local suppliers. You can sometimes get a cut rate by buying direct that you cannot get from a third party grocery store. Buying local honey also provides better allergen relief for pollen sufferers.
XIII. Exercise caution in the buying and use of expensive “super foods.” I consider these “fun-time” purchases, and rarely ever buy them. If you feel that you just have to have one – make sure you purchase it in one of your buying weeks where you might have more wiggle-room than another, and use it sparingly. These items include: cacao, cacao butter, goji berries, maca, fo-ti, coconut oil, coconut and cacao butter.
XIV. Do not fortify your diet with an abundance of commercially dehydrated fruits. These are usually treated with sulfer dioxide and are much more costly than making your own. Dehydrated fruits are high in concentrated sugars and are bad for your teeth. Dehydrated foods deplete your body of water as they rehydrate through the digestive process. Bear this in mind as you consume these items and up your water intake from what you know to be your minimum.
XV. Buy by the case only if you can afford to, and have ways and mean to store and use all of the items. For some of us (1-2 in a household), this just does not always work as well as it does for families. Use your judgment, and buy only what you know you will use within a few days, and at the best price.
XVI. Join a farming co-op! Sweat equity and a small investment will go a long way if you cannot grow your own on your own, then everyone splits the bounty as it is harvested.
XVII. If juicing or making your own nut milks, reserve the pulps for use in making other foods. Carrot pulp can be used to make raw carrot cake. Nut pulps can be used for pates, burgers, and as cookie, cracker, chip, and bread bases. If you don’t wish to use it right away, put it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer until you have accumulated enough to utilize.
XVIII. Compost, compost, compost! Never let anything go to waste. Even if you only make a small bin, you’ll have a rich soil enhancer you can use in growing foodstuffs in pots or in the ground.
IXX. Frugal Raw living is green living – buying locally to cut fuel use, using minimal energy to prepare foods, reusing foods to create new dishes and composting what you won’t use. It all adds up to a lesser carbon imprint and impact on our world. Look for tailgate markets in your area - support your local growers!
