When I first started out transitioning to Paleo over a year ago, I immediately threw out all grain-based flours and products, drove to Whole Foods and stocked up on grain-free items. I got into the grain-free baking as more of an experiment rather than baking on purpose. I wanted to see if these ingredients would really work. I was impressed, so I continued to try more and more recipes, which meant that I was spending more and more money on said ingredients. This was going on all while slowly buying more and more fruits and vegetables and better quality meats. So, one could say that I got excited and spent a lot because of it. Once I started noticing some health benefits, this became even more so. Well, after a while, I knew I needed to do more than just cut out the grains and eat more protein and produce. I knew I needed a more drastic change because although I was feeling and looking better eating this way, I was frustrated that it wasn't going even further. That is when I researched and found the Whole 30 program. Basically, it took away my baking and alcohol, and made me more aware of the products I was buying. I think along the way (and three W30s later), I became a little overboard. I tried to buy only the "perfect Paleo" ingredients, make elaborate "Paleo" recipes, and got caught up in the all or nothing point of view. My body and mind loved this way of eating, but my bank account ...well, not so much. My grocery (and household product) bill for a family of four had reached $300/week. Yes, a week! So, $1,200/month! Did I mention I quit my job to stay at home with my family?? We were doing okay and making it work, but it was taking a toll, and month after month of that adds up.
Well, 3 months ago, I decided things had to change. I would not compromise my health or the health of my family, but I did not have to strive to be perfect all of the time. My meals did not have to be 30-step, 20-ingredient meals all of the time. My vegetables did not always have to be fresh(gasp!). My meat needed to still be of good quality, but I did not need to break the bank to be "100% Organic, Pastured, etc, etc, etc", all of the time. My produce did not have to be all organic (the dirty dozen list is easy to follow when needed). My eggs did not have to be pastured eggs (What?!?!). As soon as I realized all of this, you know what happened?? My stress level calmed. I became more at ease with where I was going and that led me to make a plan. How did I do this and what was the plan?? Well, every pay day (every 2 weeks), I sat down and made two lists. One list had a dinner plan menu for the next 2 weeks. The other list was a grocery list divided into stores with the items I needed to make those dinners, our breakfasts, our lunches, any snacks, and any household items we needed. My plan was to have 2 weeks of meals planned out, but no specific days. I plan my daily menu 2 days in advance (trust me, this works perfectly). The one thing I keep in mind is that the freshest ingredients get used first so that everything is used and eaten. No waste! Other meals that include frozen veggies or more lasting veggies (squash, etc) get used in the second week. I also make 3 lunches per day for school/work. You might wonder how I do this for 2 weeks also without the produce/meat spoiling. Well, week one consists of the fastest to spoil food first. So, this might be grapes, berries, bananas, pears, etc. The second week will start with using anything that is left and then goes into the fruits that tend to last longer (apples, oranges, etc,) and large fruits that I buy and save until the second week to cut up (watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, etc). The meat I buy depends on the week. Costco has a great no-preservative turkey breast that is $3.99/pound and you buy it whole, keep in your freezer until you need to thaw it, and then slice it up as you go. I only go to Costco once every 6 weeks(to keep my sanity) to get a few things that will last (Large raw, local honey for $10, Large organic maple syrup for $10, Huge box dry-roasted and salted almonds for $10, Huge coconut oil for $16, Bags of dried fruits for $6-10, Boxes of apple sauces and juice-sweetened fruit cups for $7-10, Aidell's Chicken and Apple Sausage links (15) for $14, Organic chicken breasts and thighs for $5/pound, 5 pounds of organic baby carrots for $5.50, a pound of organic spinach for $5, a few of those turkey breasts, and whatever good deals on produce I can find that time). So, this turkey gets used here and there throughout the lunches, with some freshly sliced Applegate pepperoni or turkey in between, and some pre-packaged Applegate pepperoni (that can be saved for longer or frozen) from time to time too. Also, there's sometimes leftovers. Since I am at home, I usually just eat leftovers, but if there are extras, these packed lunches get some too. Along with their fruits and meat, I always pack a veggie (carrots, cucumbers, celery are their favorites..sometimes with a little almond butter or pizza dipping sauce). I also make a trail mix with dry-roasted and salted nuts or seeds, unsweetened dried fruits, unsweetened banana chips (Whole Foods for $3.99) and coconut flakes (Whole Foods/Amazon). I put in one of the apple sauces or fruit cups in there for a snack also. Our breakfasts vary. I buy four 18-packs of Omega-3 eggs for the two weeks. I make boiled eggs, grain-free muffins and egg muffins at the start of the week. There are also some Larabars around too. The kids and my husband pick some eggs, muffins, fruit, and sometimes a Larabar for quick breakfasts. I am an egg, veggie, and sausage girl. A larger breakfast takes place on weekends. Everything works out. I already mentioned Costco every 6 weeks, but what about my shopping trip that happens every 2 weeks? Well, I always hit Trader Joes's (best prices for produce and a few other items, in my opinion), Target, and Publix. Once a month, I go to Whole Foods for the items I cannot find anywhere else around here (Coconut Flakes, Unsweetened Banana Chips, Coconut Aminos, Deli-Sliced Applegate meats, etc.). After a couple shopping trips in, you understand where the best bargains are. My grocery bill is now $700-750/month. I make each 2 week paycheck go toward $350 of groceries. The extra $50 comes in to play with some in between paycheck items (more bananas, spinach, etc.).
$500 extra per month comes in handy, especially when only taking a few shortcuts and basically, just playing it smart. Now we are not compromising our health or our finances.
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