Guest guest Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 Since the current economic crisis more people are having to watch their food budget even more carefully, which is a relief to me in a way but also unsettling. Unsettling? Because people need to eat carefully of good healthy vegetarian or vegan food. Relief? Because many people may turn to vegetarianism in one form or another in order not to have to buy expensive cuts of me*t. They may even find they like being vegetarians and appreciate the health benefits too. But it's not necessarily cheap to be vegetarian or vegan, is it? If you are short of time and have to rely for some meals at least on convenience foods, then they can cost dearly. And junk food, vegan or vegetarian or omnivore, is usually cheaper and less exhausting than exercising your wits and your hands after a busy day. What I would like to ask is: how many of you are eating differently as a result of the current economic crisis??? (We certainly are as food prices rise.) In what way do you eat now that you didn't before? And do you have any favourite meals or foods that help you to stay on track without breaking the budget? (No need for recipes unless you have them handy, but many here would appreciate a few tips.) Please write in - we can all benefit from feedback and ideas. And new vegetarians will love you all for helping them to think of strategies! Please help. Love, Pat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 20, 2009 Report Share Posted February 20, 2009 I have been working very hard at getting frugal. Cut down waste, use frugal ingredients, cook everything from scratch, shop flyers, use a price book, start cutting coupons for those occasional commercial products that we use, shopping discount grocers, etc. I have gotten our grocery bills down from several hundred a week (remember, we are gluten-free, working around several other allergies, and trying to eat lots of greens and produce a la Fuhrman) to below $60 per week (with occasional other bills for dry staples purchased cheap through co-ops). And that's with some luxuries still, like asparagus, grapes, and chocolate. I've been following a couple of blogs, the " One Dollar Diet " http://onedollardietproject.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/it-starts-today/ and the " Working Poor Diet " http://theworkingpoordiet.blogspot.com/2009/02/my-first-bowl-of-oatmeal-in-20-ye\ ars_01.html The first was in October and has ended now, where a Californian vegan couple was seeing if they could survive on one dollar of food per day ($1 each, $2 for the couple). The second is 3-4 people in Edmonton, Canada (just north of me) who are raising money for the food bank, seeing if they can survive on $20 per week (each) for food. Their challenge ends at the end of February. Remember cost of living is higher here, and the dollar weaker. I am cooking lots of beans and soups and potatoes, grinding my own flours, etc. Everything from scratch, except for a few conveniences like tomato sauce and mayonnaise, and I'm working on that. I am taking a container gardening class tomorrow, trying to get started on a garden (though the frost won't be out of the ground here until late May). I have also been looking into where in our area we can pick wild berries, etc. for free come summertime. I want to put up a lot more produce this year than I did last, to help get us through the winter. Pam On Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 1:35 PM, drpatsant <drpatsant wrote: > Since the current economic crisis more people are having to watch > their food budget even more carefully, which is a relief to me in a > way but also unsettling. Unsettling? Because people need to eat > carefully of good healthy vegetarian or vegan food. Relief? Because > many people may turn to vegetarianism in one form or another in order > not to have to buy expensive cuts of me*t. They may even find they > like being vegetarians and appreciate the health benefits too. > > But it's not necessarily cheap to be vegetarian or vegan, is it? If > you are short of time and have to rely for some meals at least on > convenience foods, then they can cost dearly. And junk food, vegan or > vegetarian or omnivore, is usually cheaper and less exhausting than > exercising your wits and your hands after a busy day. > > What I would like to ask is: how many of you are eating differently as > a result of the current economic crisis??? (We certainly are as food > prices rise.) In what way do you eat now that you didn't before? And > do you have any favourite meals or foods that help you to stay on > track without breaking the budget? (No need for recipes unless you > have them handy, but many here would appreciate a few tips.) > > Please write in - we can all benefit from feedback and ideas. And new > vegetarians will love you all for helping them to think of strategies! > > Please help. > > Love, Pat > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2009 Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 Pam, I think you are fantastic with what you are doing in the kitchen! You really know how to get the best nutrition AND save money, and that is commendable. I haven't read the $1 blog, except for the first entry, but I've read quite a bit of the Edmonton challenge - and that is awesome in a way because of all that 'need' to eat/buy me*t. We all know better, eh? I do appreciate your point about having to go gluten-free and to work around other allergies, other health issues (which present food no-nos) and abide by the Fuhrman diet all at the same time. I told my dh what you were doing and he is all impressed - and a little excited by the challenge. We both think we could do this. Of course, it would mean not eating out (sighhhh) but that isn't healthy or good for our waistlines, so I guess we would benefit bigtime physically as well as emotionally (you feel good, you feel good) AND increase the amount of money in the pocket ('money saved is money earned' or some such cliche!) Thanks for all the good ideas. I think that there are many here who would benefit from learning your ways. (Certainly those bloggers would learn, wouldn't they - all that 'saved be*f fat' and whatever. Ughhhh! Wonderful of you to write it. Please add anything you think useful from time to time; I'll certainly be reading avidly even if no one else on the planet is. Love and hugs, Pat --- http://www.vegandonelight.com/spice http://beanvegan.blogspot.com http://river-rambles.blogspot.com " The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast. " (Oscar Wilde) ________________________________ pdw <pdworkman Friday, February 20, 2009 3:57:04 PM Re: Economic Crisis Bitten Your Food Budget? I have been working very hard at getting frugal. Cut down waste, use frugal ingredients, cook everything from scratch, shop flyers, use a price book, start cutting coupons for those occasional commercial products that we use, shopping discount grocers, etc. I have gotten our grocery bills down from several hundred a week (remember, we are gluten-free, working around several other allergies, and trying to eat lots of greens and produce a la Fuhrman) to below $60 per week (with occasional other bills for dry staples purchased cheap through co-ops). And that's with some luxuries still, like asparagus, grapes, and chocolate. I've been following a couple of blogs, the " One Dollar Diet " http://onedollardietproject.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/it-starts-today/ and the " Working Poor Diet " http://theworkingpoordiet.blogspot.com/2009/02/my-first-bowl-of-oatmeal-in-20-ye\ ars_01.html The first was in October and has ended now, where a Californian vegan couple was seeing if they could survive on one dollar of food per day ($1 each, $2 for the couple). The second is 3-4 people in Edmonton, Canada (just north of me) who are raising money for the food bank, seeing if they can survive on $20 per week (each) for food. Their challenge ends at the end of February. Remember cost of living is higher here, and the dollar weaker. I am cooking lots of beans and soups and potatoes, grinding my own flours, etc. Everything from scratch, except for a few conveniences like tomato sauce and mayonnaise, and I'm working on that. I am taking a container gardening class tomorrow, trying to get started on a garden (though the frost won't be out of the ground here until late May). I have also been looking into where in our area we can pick wild berries, etc. for free come summertime. I want to put up a lot more produce this year than I did last, to help get us through the winter. Pam On Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 1:35 PM, drpatsant <drpatsant wrote: > Since the current economic crisis more people are having to watch > their food budget even more carefully, which is a relief to me in a > way but also unsettling. Unsettling? Because people need to eat > carefully of good healthy vegetarian or vegan food. Relief? Because > many people may turn to vegetarianism in one form or another in order > not to have to buy expensive cuts of me*t. They may even find they > like being vegetarians and appreciate the health benefits too. > > But it's not necessarily cheap to be vegetarian or vegan, is it? If > you are short of time and have to rely for some meals at least on > convenience foods, then they can cost dearly. And junk food, vegan or > vegetarian or omnivore, is usually cheaper and less exhausting than > exercising your wits and your hands after a busy day. > > What I would like to ask is: how many of you are eating differently as > a result of the current economic crisis??? (We certainly are as food > prices rise.) In what way do you eat now that you didn't before? And > do you have any favourite meals or foods that help you to stay on > track without breaking the budget? (No need for recipes unless you > have them handy, but many here would appreciate a few tips.) > > Please write in - we can all benefit from feedback and ideas. And new > vegetarians will love you all for helping them to think of strategies! > > Please help. > > Love, Pat > > --- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2009 Report Share Posted February 21, 2009 What a sweet note! Bills were a bit higher this week, as my boys have colds (so they need meds, and I need extra vitamins, and they *need* special foods to comfort their throats, like ice cream (dairy free, corn free, means it ain't cheap!)) But I used coupons for most of those items, and the total of my grocery bills this week, including a trip to the health food store, were still only half of what a single trip to the health food store used to be. And I bought seeds to sprout, something for a friend who is helping a friend who is gluten-free and soy-free, and pure vanilla, which is dear. Yeah, I have to shake my head a bit at the Working Poor Diet-ers, who each felt that they needed to get milk and meat on their budgets. At least two have now bemoaned spending money on meat, milk, cream, butter, etc. I am on a number of frugal cooking lists, and can't believe the amount of milk and cheese that goes into various " frugal " casseroles. Meanwhile I am learning things about not wasting " scraps " and leftovers. Vegetable scraps to sprout new greens (carrots, parsnips, onions), to freeze for soup/stock, or to blend into a soup. Saving fruit peels for sauces/syrups, candied peel, cleaning products, etc. Saving apple cores and peels to make apple cider vinegar. Re-inventing leftovers into soups, curries, chili, casserole, sandwich fillings, etc. Bulking out expensive ingredients with cheaper ones, etc. I am actually finding that I have to be careful not to buy *too much* food on this budget. If I am using every scrap, and extending them as much as possible, I don't need to use as much as I would otherwise, and I have to be careful not to get more than I can use or keep/preserve. My long-term storage is expanding nicely, and I have a couple of Co-ops to order from soon. Pam On Sat, Feb 21, 2009 at 6:26 AM, drpatsant <drpatsant wrote: > Pam, I think you are fantastic with what you are doing in the kitchen! You > really know how to get the best nutrition AND save money, and that is > commendable. I haven't read the $1 blog, except for the first entry, but > I've read quite a bit of the Edmonton challenge - and that is awesome in a > way because of all that 'need' to eat/buy me*t. We all know better, eh? > > I do appreciate your point about having to go gluten-free and to work around > other allergies, other health issues (which present food no-nos) and abide > by the Fuhrman diet all at the same time. I told my dh what you were doing > and he is all impressed - and a little excited by the challenge. We both > think we could do this. Of course, it would mean not eating out (sighhhh) > but that isn't healthy or good for our waistlines, so I guess we would > benefit bigtime physically as well as emotionally (you feel good, you feel > good) AND increase the amount of money in the pocket ('money saved is money > earned' or some such cliche!) > > Thanks for all the good ideas. I think that there are many here who would > benefit from learning your ways. (Certainly those bloggers would learn, > wouldn't they - all that 'saved be*f fat' and whatever. Ughhhh! > > Wonderful of you to write it. Please add anything you think useful from time > to time; I'll certainly be reading avidly even if no one else on the planet > is. > > Love and hugs, Pat > > --- > http://www.vegandonelight.com/spice > http://beanvegan.blogspot.com > http://river-rambles.blogspot.com > " The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast. " (Oscar Wilde) > > ________________________________ > pdw <pdworkman > > Friday, February 20, 2009 3:57:04 PM > Re: Economic Crisis Bitten Your Food Budget? > > I have been working very hard at getting frugal. Cut down waste, use > frugal ingredients, cook everything from scratch, shop flyers, use a > price book, start cutting coupons for those occasional commercial > products that we use, shopping discount grocers, etc. I have gotten > our grocery bills down from several hundred a week (remember, we are > gluten-free, working around several other allergies, and trying to eat > lots of greens and produce a la Fuhrman) to below $60 per week (with > occasional other bills for dry staples purchased cheap through > co-ops). And that's with some luxuries still, like asparagus, grapes, > and chocolate. > > I've been following a couple of blogs, the " One Dollar Diet " > http://onedollardietproject.wordpress.com/2008/09/01/it-starts-today/ > > and the " Working Poor Diet " > http://theworkingpoordiet.blogspot.com/2009/02/my-first-bowl-of-oatmeal-in-20-ye\ ars_01.html > > The first was in October and has ended now, where a Californian vegan > couple was seeing > if they could survive on one dollar of food per day ($1 each, $2 for > the couple). > > The second is 3-4 people in Edmonton, Canada (just north of me) who > are raising money for the > food bank, seeing if they can survive on $20 per week (each) for food. > Their challenge ends at the end of February. Remember cost of living > is higher here, and the dollar weaker. > > I am cooking lots of beans and soups and potatoes, grinding my own > flours, etc. Everything from scratch, except for a few conveniences > like tomato sauce and mayonnaise, and I'm working on that. I am > taking a container gardening class tomorrow, trying to get started on > a garden (though the frost won't be out of the ground here until late > May). I have also been looking into where in our area we can pick > wild berries, etc. for free come summertime. I want to put up a lot > more produce this year than I did last, to help get us through the > winter. > > Pam > > On Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 1:35 PM, drpatsant <drpatsant wrote: >> Since the current economic crisis more people are having to watch >> their food budget even more carefully, which is a relief to me in a >> way but also unsettling. Unsettling? Because people need to eat >> carefully of good healthy vegetarian or vegan food. Relief? Because >> many people may turn to vegetarianism in one form or another in order >> not to have to buy expensive cuts of me*t. They may even find they >> like being vegetarians and appreciate the health benefits too. >> >> But it's not necessarily cheap to be vegetarian or vegan, is it? If >> you are short of time and have to rely for some meals at least on >> convenience foods, then they can cost dearly. And junk food, vegan or >> vegetarian or omnivore, is usually cheaper and less exhausting than >> exercising your wits and your hands after a busy day. >> >> What I would like to ask is: how many of you are eating differently as >> a result of the current economic crisis??? (We certainly are as food >> prices rise.) In what way do you eat now that you didn't before? And >> do you have any favourite meals or foods that help you to stay on >> track without breaking the budget? (No need for recipes unless you >> have them handy, but many here would appreciate a few tips.) >> >> Please write in - we can all benefit from feedback and ideas. And new >> vegetarians will love you all for helping them to think of strategies! >> >> Please help. >> >> Love, Pat >> >> > > --- > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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