How to save more time and money on the raw food diet

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Now what you’ve all been waiting for….  How to save more mula!! (and time!)

  • Invest in a dehydrator and make your own chips, crackers, cookies, dehydrated nuts, etc.

  • Go to the bookstore and copy down recipes you’d like to try out OR search for recipes online and collect them in a word document.
  • Always search several websites online for the best possible price before buying online.
  • Hold off on buying first-time supplements or other items at health food stores and see if you can find a better deal at your local health food/supplement store or online.
  • Make a deal with a friend who’s into making raw foods and exchange crackers, pate’s etc, with each other.
  • Make your own Rejuvelac if you can. It’s very easy and cheap to do. It could save you money on Probiotic supplements as well.
  • Save gas money and time by making lists of what to buy and limiting the number of stores and times you go to these stores each week.
  • Buy whatever good organic food is available at the farmers market or smaller produce stores before going to Whole Foods or your local premium supermarket. Then make your menu lists for the week.
  • Eliminate cooking all together and you’ll lower your gas bill J
  • Organic/grassfed meat is expensive so it’ll save you money to eliminate that too!
  • Buy all your spices and nuts, seeds, grain, and dried fruit in the bulk section of Whole Foods. The packaging and containers for these items make them more expensive.
  • Invest in a membership at Costco for big savings on family-size bags/boxes of fruits and vegetables. You will probably go through these just as fast as a family will!
  • Refer to the recommended items section on www.gorawchicago.com for all of the best deals found on Amazon!
  • You’ll be saving tons of money by not spending as much on doctor visits, OTC meds, prescription meds, hospital visits, etc.
  • You’ll be saving tons of money by not spending as much on coffee, soda, candy, chips, alcohol, bottled juices, etc.
  • You’ll be saving tons of money by not going out to eat all the time at costly restaurants and cafes :)
  • Invest in superfoods to get more nutrition out of less food.
  • Fast/detox for 1 day a week or 3 days every 2-3 months to save time and money on food.
  • If you’re not ready to buy everything organic (which is sometimes quite hard to do), continue buying produce that is on the “okay to buy organic” shopping list.
  • Cheap nutrition to get at the grocery store: aloe vera leaves
  • Get mint, basil , and other herbs in the bulk section if possible.
  • Order sea vegetables online by the pound. Do not buy the $5 to $6 bags unless you are experimenting with a new one. Order 2-3 lbs at a time to cut down on shipping and handling.
  • When paying for shipping and handling, try to find someone to split the order with.
  • Grow your own sprouts-each tray of sprouts will only cost you about .20-.30 cents each but $4-5 dollars at the store.
  • When you eat organic food, wild foods, superfoods, you will get nutrition faster so you feel satiated faster (you also need to take your time when eating). Less food means less money.
  • Go to the library to borrow health books and raw food books OR exchange books with friends.
  • Forage for FREE wild foods for SUPER NUTRITION (e.g. dandelion, clover, purslane, stinging nettles, etc.)
  • Make your own beauty products out of the foods you now have in your kitchen.
  • Make and exchange food with friends– Go to potlucks or organize your own.
  • Buy used equipment:  Check online or at local health food stores for ads OR ask your friends and family if they have food processors or juicers they don’t use that you could (borrow).
  • Become an Elements for Life distributor and save money on superfoods!  For more information on Elements for Life see the Elements for Life page on this site.

To learn all about sprouting and to buy sprouting kits:
http://www.sproutpeople.com/

To buy sea vegetables:

http://www.seaveg.com/

Tip: best to buy in bulk, 2-4 lbs at a time.  You could split with someone else to share the cost of S & H

To buy all sorts of supplements at a very discounted price:

http://www.herbspro.com/

Tip: Best prices ever on spirulina, chlorophyll, toothpaste, mouthwash, hemp protein, beauty products and a myriad of other supplements.  When you spend over $80, shipping is reduced. I love shopping on this website.

Other time saving tips:
•    You could have a dehydrating day where you fill up all the trays with crackers, cookies, nuts and seeds, etc.  Make snacks for the entire month! Just make sure you carefully plan out the night ahead what you need to soak and make sure you have enough of everything for the next morning or day.  Dehydrate fully and they will last in ziplock baggies for a long time.
•    If you’re thinking: this takes too much time!  I don’t have time to soak, sprout, and dehydrate foods—then forget about it! You don’t have too. Green smoothies, superfood smoothies, and green or energy soups are the easiest and healthiest ways to go!  They are so quick and easy to make, as long as you have lots of fresh produce in the fridge!  Don’t get burnt out in the kitchen)
•    I actually spend much less time in the kitchen now than I did before because I’m never waiting for water to boil, or for things to cook in the oven or microwave.