What Does It Really Cost?

A lot of the skeptics that I see online and even a few friends seem to immediately dismiss Paleo eating because it "costs too much". People hear terms like organic veggies, grass fed beef, and wild salmon and think that they can't afford to move to the lifestyle. Out of curiosity to see if this is true, I'm going to try to break down my meals for a bit. It won't be perfect since most of the staples I use I've had for a while and I'm still eating some meat that was purchased pre-Paleo.

In a given month, I try to keep the cost of groceries, meals out, and alcohol under $600. It's a number that forces me to cook and eat at home more than not, but still allows me to go out on the weekends and enjoy myself. My theory is that I can eat Paleo for the same amount. I am eating out less, drinking less (though last weekend is Austin in NO reflection of that), and spending more time planning my meals. I'm going to track each day in March (at least that's my goal!) to see how it turns out.

Here is what I've committed to myself to eat, so I don't have to write it down each time:

Eggs - 100% vegetarian, cage-free, no hormones/antibiotics, Omega-3, from a local farm in Petaluma. I already buy these at my local market and they are $4.99 per dozen, or 42 cents per egg. Pasture raised can only be found at Farmers Markets and go for $7.50 per dozen here.
Beef - Grass fed, no hormones/antibiotics. I haven't started buying this yet, so I don't know what to expect other than Whole Foods sells 1 lb ground for $6.99 regular price.
Fish - Wild or sustainably farmed (after looking at the prices on wild, I'm going to make this concession from the typical Paleo stance). I haven't bought this yet so I don't know the actual prices.
Chicken - Organic, cage free, no hormones/antibiotics. I have a 4 lb whole chicken in the freezer from TJs that was $12.99.
Veggies & Fruit - I will follow the "Dirty Dozen" rules and make sure to only purchase organic the items on that list. Otherwise, I'll use my best judgement.

Other rules:
1. When I cook for boyfriend at home, I'll count it twice. When we go out to eat and he pays (mostly our system - I buy groceries and cook, he pays when we go out), I'll not consider part of the expense. If we go out and I pay, I'll count it.

Tonight's Dinner

2. I'm not going to count items like spices, olive oil, coconut oil, etc. I'll assume I spend less than $10 per month replenishing these and try to come in under $590 to save myself a lot of hassle.

Here's a start, just for fun, with today's food. The total comes out to $12.76. That is well below the $20 per day average needed to stay under $600. It's also super healthy and fresh. The other thing I've noticed is because I have to be so prepared and on top of things, I don't waste food. There are rarely veggies anymore in the fridge that go uneaten. So I think it will be an interesting experiment if I can keep up with it. I'm fairly certain Paleo either maintains or reduces my food expenses.

Breakfast - Hard boiled eggs with guacamole and salsa
3 eggs - $1.25
2/3 avocado - $.54
1/3 lime - $.10
1/3 organic onion - $.25 (guess, bought last week)
1/3 carton of salsa - $.83
spices for guacamole

Snack - 1 organic Pink Lady apple - $.69

Lunch - Taco Salad
1/2 organic romaine heart - $.38
1/4 ground turkey - $1.25 (guess, pre-Paleo not healthy but in freezer so not wasting)

2/3 avocado - $.54

1/3 lime - $.10

1/3 organic onion - $.25 (guess, bought last week)

1/3 carton of salsa - $.83

spices for guacamole and taco seasoning

Snack - 1/3 bag organic carrots and 1 red bell pepper (out of organic, realize this is on dirty dozen) - $1.52

Snack - Nuts from vending machine - $.75

Dinner - Turkey, Avocado and Butternut Squash

1/4 ground turkey - $1.25 (guess, pre-Paleo not healthy but in freezer so not wasting)
1/3 carton of salsa - $.83
1/2 avocado - $.411/2 bag of precut butternut squash - $.99olive oil and spices for taco seasoning