It's been a while, and times have sure changed So I wanted to share some of my thoughts on how I budget my food without the usual "rice and beans" tips from the vegan brigade.

I turned my life around with my own autoimmune elimination diet. It's a process still ongoing, too. It was only a few months ago that I ditched "nuts and seeds" and got further improvements. But the stuff I do eat is expensive.

I'm working from these general rules:

• Can't compromise quality. When I try to spent less on "the same thing" it turns out be not even close. At least in my area, that discount hamburger was not edible. Also, bad food is dangerous. Might be cheaper because they are skimping on safety and hygiene! I look for sales and stock up the freezer if the food, like meat or berries, doesn't mind.
  
• What I spend on food is not being spent on medical. This is how DH and I got into low carb. Then we both went stricter for health reasons. It's working. When the drugs medical science offers was of only limited utility to DH, and none to me. I figure we're saving money by paring down our prescription drugs. Since, even with insurance help, they are stupid-expensive.
  
• Supplements only semi-negotiable. This probably won't apply to everyone, but an investment in D3/K2 is pertinent to everyone, unless they live on a tropical island and run around skimpily dressed. And with age, our ability to make our own gets increasingly compromised. It's taken 20 years of research and experimentation to figure out what supplements help us. And even so, they are cheaper than drugs.
  
• Health is priceless. I got laid off a few weeks ago, with no chance of finding another job right now. But I haven't changed our regimen except around the edges. Right now, keeping up with our treatment/diet plan IS our best health insurance.

When I first started low carb, I discovered that I actually broke even. I was buying more meat and vegetables, but I wasn't buying all those carbs that aren't cheap when cookies were $5 a box.

Now, when I figure out what it would cost for me to eat SAD and pay $900 a month for ONE drug to control, not cure, my condition; I figure I'm ahead.

WB, you are a genius! You skimmed over the years of effort you have put in to reach this conclusion: Good quality food is the basis for good gealth. What that good food is also excludes so many foods that cause harm to your specific body.

Defining the problem foods is the kicker.

So many people have said to me, when I tell them what I eat, like grass fed meat, that they couldn't afford to eat that way. I know I live on less than they do. I don't have a car. I don't eat in restaurants. I don't take vacations and I don't take prescription drugs or have to regularly seek medical care that I would have to pay for, at least in part. Looking at the big picture, prioritizing quality in food is the best investment I could make in my health, better than going to see doctors and buying prescription drugs.

Good guidelines that could be effectively adopted by anyone. The point about budget and where you justify your spend is something that many miss. Yes, you'll likely pay one way or another, but being selective up front can save you a lot more in the long term.

Without your health, you have nothing.

I don't live with Air Conditioning, I don't subscribe to Cable TV, I'm not a clothes horse, but I eat good, quality food.

If you're sick, all the money in the world will only get you a better room in the hospital or a more expensive coffin.

If I'm going to cut expenses, money for food and shelter are the last things I'd cut. These are the two most important requirements.

Bob