On one of my posts about the strict diet I adhere to because of my chronic illnesses, specifically the fact I deal with uncontrollable vomiting, one of you all asked me if this made our grocery bill very high.
The short answer is: yes, definitely.
I grocery shop for myself about every other week. When I start a new diet, like I am right now, it means totally starting from scratch. Even staples like oils, flours, and butters I have to buy from scratch if I have to have special ones. So I decided it might be useful to give a breakdown of what I spend when I’m starting a new diet (hopefully this diet works well so I won’t have to do it again anytime soon!).
Here is what I ordered from InstaCart.
I benefited from a $25 gift card from a dear friend, which is why I tried Instacart in the first place. I probably could have gotten many of these items cheaper at Aldi, so I will probably go to Aldi in 2 weeks when I need to re-shop.
Below is a breakdown of how much I spent in each area: basics, meats, fruits, vegetables, grains, and snacks.
Starter basics (that hopefully I’ll only have to buy every few months, if I stay on this diet):
- Sunflower Oil: $5.19
- Ghee: $10.99
- White Rice Flour: $3.49
- Minced Garlic: $1.99
Total for basics: $21.66
Meat:
- 3 lbs. Ground Turkey: $7.99
- Turkey Bacon: $3.99
- Turkey Sausage: $2.50
- Ready to Roast Chicken Breast: $15.69
Total for meat: $30.17
Snacks:
- Coca Cola (which I will flatten and use for migraine/nausea days): $1.67
- Sweet Potato Chips, 2 bags: $5.58
- Kale Chips: $4.49
Total for Snacks: $11.74
Vegetables:
- 10 lbs. Potatoes: $3.99
- Frozen chopped kale, 2 packages: $3.38
- Frozen cauliflower: $1.19
- Frozen broccoli: $1.00
- Frozen brussels sprouts, 2 packs: $5.98
- Frozen sweet potatoes, 2 packs: $4.58
Total for vegetables: $20.12
Grains:
- 5 packs of Uncle Ben’s Ready Basmati Rice: $9.95
- 1 pack plain oatmeal: $2.79
Total for grains: $12.74
Fruit:
- Red Pears: $2.99
- Bosc Pears: $2.99
Total for fruit: $5.98
Fresh Herbs:
- Poultry Blend: $1.99
Total for herbs: $1.99
The breakdown makes a lot of sense to me. I spent the most on meat, followed by basics. The meat may last me more than 2 weeks, I will freeze anything we can’t use, and the basics will last for a while. I’ll do another breakdown in 2 weeks to see if I’m able to buy less then (I’m sure I’ll be able to! It’s always priciest at the beginning of a new diet.) And while this is primarily food for me, much of it my family will eat as well (the pears, all of the different turkey, the potatoes).
pear / 1565 posts
I can see how someone not on a restricted diet can freely choose more onsale items or cheaper alternatives in general, but honestly this isn’t too bad! I feel like because you can only get certain things, you don’t buy any extras, no impulse purchases, etc! Thanks for sharing!
wonderful pea / 17279 posts
Maybe I spend too much on groceries, but this doesn’t seem bad at all.
pomelo / 5621 posts
This seems not too bad, especially since you bought basics that will last a while. I’d be curious to know how much is spent on other food for the rest of your family for two weeks.
Yesterday I spent about $170 on groceries and I’ve been doing shops every two weeks. We are sure to pick up a couple items before I go again.
grapefruit / 4455 posts
When I had GI problems the biggest cost I remember was tossing food. Every other thing I ate seemed to leave me in pain and ended up getting tossed. Between that and buying all the safe foods only to find out they weren’t safe and buying something else, and then paying copays for doctor visits and meds and the probiotics I was on ($$$) it added up to be so much.