Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Day 37....the high cost of eating well

Why is it that so much cheap food is so bad for you? If I am trying to save or on a budget, I can get filled up for 2 bucks at a fast food joint with a dollar menu. If someone has tuna on sale, I can get that and a box of Mac and Cheese and have myself a feast for less than a buck fifty.  Hey, I'm eating fish, that's healthy. If I am really pinching the pennies, I can go with good ole Ramen noodles, what are they, about a quarter these days? Serves two, yeah right. There must be enough sodium in there to last a person a week. Plus, at least to me, it all tastes good. Even the Ramen. There's cheap frozen pizza, ravioli in a can and entire frozen dinners, enough to feed a hungry man, that they put on sale. Might even have a coupon. Oh, must buy, must be thrifty.

I never spent that much on groceries for just me. I would buy some convenience from the frozen aisle. I also would buy fresh veggies on sale and usually steam them. I'd make a big batch of spaghetti and eat that for a week.  Sometimes a steak or chicken would look good, or some premixed salad. But, overall, I just didn't buy much. So, the thought of spending all the money I would need to for a juice fast seemed like a big deal to me. I read that someone was spending about $50.00 a week. If I did it for 60 days, that's over 8 weeks so it would cost me $400.00 to lose some weight. Hmmmmm. Ok, programs on TV cost that much a month I think. So I decided that it was worth a shot. I was worth a shot.

I keep all my receipts. Sure enough, I have been spending around $50 a week, even with things on sale. Sometimes I might buy something a little fancy, for a treat, like the coconut water. We need treats. Anyway, I got to thinking about this again last night and did a little figuring. Three meals a day in a week equals 21 meals. Here's the deal.........21 meals for $50.00 is $2.38 per meal!!! You spend more than that on a crummy breakfast burrito. You have lunch out a couple of times, order delivery, (oooo Chinese!) and grab a couple of Starbucks, there goes your fifty and then some, most likely. What to you get for that? For my money, I get a fridge full of good things. My point is, it doesn't cost as much as you think to do a juice fast. After you do it, it doesn't cost so much to keep on buying more veggies and fruit.

The high cost of eating well might just be offset by the high cost of the alternative, doctor visits, medications, funerals, time lost from work, $2 extra for a plus size shirt................you get my drift.

Juice on!!!

5 comments:

  1. Brilliant! I think a lot of people overlook the real long-term picture on lots of things. It's easy to do when you drop $50 or $100 on groceries you normally don't buy. I wonder how much my house has saved on pop-tarts and frozen pizzas on this single grocery outing alone! (nevermind the cokes and salty snacks we didn't buy) Additionally, what's the value of the additional time and energy that you have? Much of that you are currently choosing to re-invest in yourself with running and additional chores you've put off. Imagine the long-term impact on things like medical expenses and over the counter medicines. It's a lot like the stock market, except with this, you've got a guaranteed return.

    Nice work with the blog. You've been a lot of help getting things started for me, and in less than 1 full week, without doing a full on fast, I'm already seeing results. The best compliments I've had this week were: "Your clothes are baggy" and my son came to me last night for approval of his lunch for today. He'd chosen some grilled shrimp with dirty rice, a pomegranite, and some carrots to take to school. Rock on! the juicing has caused everyone to re-think their preferences. Making "grape soda" for the kids with fresh grapes and seltzer water was big impact in showing the great taste of whole, raw, REAL foods!

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  2. I have never brought into the whole junk food is cheaper argument. Most times, it is about time and laziness. When you factor everything, bad food will always end up costing you more. As you said, medication, doctor visits and just the whole overall sluggishness of life and tiredness that you feel when eating crap.

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  3. This juice thing has amazing ripple effects. Glad you guys are reading and sharing too!

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  4. Just had this talk with our son, he's been here 31 years, he's coming by to pick up our Jack LaLanne juicer to begin juicing too.... I like your blog especially today and will print it for him :-)

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  5. centrifuged beef and chicken parts don't cost much for the fast food chains to acquire... it's all the junk people wouldn't pay for if they could see what it is before being molded, colored and painted with 'grill marks'... YUCK. Fast food free for 8 months now! :)

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