interesting topic all right!

heres my experience...
I felt really bad about buying frozen chicken pieces and chops that Im eating for lunch and DH isnt getting any (as hes at work), so i did a rough calculation last night.
Now that im not buying any of the gluten free bread, snacks, sauces, cereals and cookies (im a coeliac) that I used to, its still not as much as Im now spending on the extra meat, cheese and eggs.
And the food that the family likes; bread, chips, ice cream and processed meats like crumbed chicken is lasting MUCH longer now that im not eating them. So all in all, I dont think theres been much of a difference at all.
And I am very lucky in that DH works his parents farm so we occassionally get free lamb and beef, which of course helps enormously. I feel bad for those who are finding it expensive, because it can be. maybe the trick is to only buy whole foods and not bother with any of the LC substitutes?