So by now y’all know I’m into food.
Like really into it.
I love to eat it, read about it, look at photos of it, talk about it, experiment with it, bless people with it, cook it, bake it and over think it.
I’ve been known to read recipe books for pleasure.
Crazytown, I know.
SO!
The more I aim to live every moment out of my faith in God, and truly rely on Him throughout my whole day, the more I become aware of His voice.
This could sound totally voodoo if you’re not a person of strong faith, but hear me out :)
The more I’m listening for God’s voice, the more I’m hearing it. And the more familiar it is becoming.
So, recently when I was feeling a nudge about my grocery habits, I decided to listen.
I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to do differently, but the bottom line is…
I spend too much money to indulge the false notion that eating perfectly is going to spare me from the harsh reality that we live in a fallen world where bad things happen.
Sickness and death and disease all happen.
Eating organic or paleo or clean isn’t going to prevent or stop any of that.
Ugh.
I didn’t realize just how much stock I put into what we eat.
But it’s pretty deeply ingrained.
When I’m at the grocery store carefully choosing the “right” foods and I see a mom loading her cart with sugary cereals, and spaghetti o’s and coca-cola, I wince.
I don’t like to think I’m critical or judgmental about it, but I think I am.
Ugh.
But my attitude aside (God has been already working on that!) this is about the money.
And how I’m spending TOO MUCH of it each week on our food.
I don’t buy all organic and I don’t home-make everything like I would love to, but even if I bought less organic and made more from scratch, I think I’m still out of whack.
You want to know why I think so?
This pin.
It caught my eye first of all because it is about food.
And secondly because I’ve been feeling bad for a while now about how much I’m spending on groceries each week.
So I clicked on it.
Reading about how families bigger than mine are spending $30 per week on groceries was a huge wake up call.
And then there’s this woman who fed her whole family for a year from her pantry! No shopping….just the pantry. Now she feeds her family for $.40 per person per day. Yes, you read that right…forty cents! I literally cannot visit her website without getting totally sucked in. She’s amazing. And so are her photographs.
I’ve blogged before about seeking God’s kingdom rather than being concerned about what to eat or drink. And I’ve blogged about being obsessed with what the “right” foods to eat are and how that changes depending on what I read.
But I haven’t blogged about how I spend too much money on groceries.
For a while I kind of wore it like a badge of honor…OF COURSE I spend a lot on food! “What is more important than the health and well being of my family?” “I’d rather spend it now on food than later on medical bills!”
While I still think there is value in not eating the cheapest possible processed crap, I’ve been hearing God whisper to me…
You could feed your family well for much less and give the extra away. You could give to people who are struggling to even put food on the table each day. You could put a little energy into shopping wisely and be able to freely give money away.
Y’all.
Generosity has never been an innate characteristic of mine.
We have given faithfully to our church and other causes that move us, but we have not given sacrificially.
The fact that I even WANT to have less and give more is a direct work of the Lord in me! I’m so thankful for it because on her own, Rebecca can be pretty stingy.
I still don’t know exactly how to practically work this out, but I can proudly say that I’ve only spent about $60 in the last 2 weeks on groceries.
This is a freaking miracle.
I was spending upwards of $150 each week which is just embarrassing.
I feel like I just shared my body weight.
But really, between Kroger and Randazzo’s (for produce and juicing) and Trader Joe’s and Heflings Amish Meat Market it all added up.
WAY UP.
So I’m making a change.
I heard the voice of my Lord calling me to something higher than perfect eating.
He called me to give generously.
And let me tell you, that tastes better than any fancy recipe chock full of clean ingredients.
Hey, Rebecca! It was so good to meet you at the Influence Conference, btw! Anyway…LOVED this post. I agree – it can be hard to spend less on healthy alternatives, but thank you for your challenge. I’ve been trying to cut corners recently by picking up ONLY what I need for the week. A lot of times I’ll reach out and grab some staples that I “think” I need but really don’t, and that usually sends my $$$ through the roof. Seriously. I gotta’ smack my own hand sometimes! :)
Hi Leah! It was SO GOOD to meet you too! Thank you for the kind feedback on this post :) I STRUGGLE with this whole “what to eat” “how much to spend” thing, so I’m praying that God gives me peace and direction. I so appreciate you taking the time to comment :)
Beautiful post Rebecca, I look forward to more of the recipes. That is what I love about red beans and rice, it is healthy and sooo affordable. I love it with black beans too. I hear your heart and thank God that He has blessed me with a daughter who desires to seek Him for direction!
Thank you for this! Since becoming a stay at home mom to my two sweet boys, my husband and I have had to tighten our budget. Although it’s been relatively easy to do it in general, I still struggle with saving on groceries. We spend upwards of $150 on food every week. I would love to (no, wait…I MUST!) find a way to save more and you’ve given me some great starting points in this post.
Mylene, thank you SO MUCH for your comment! Even after I posted this I was starting to doubt myself and think that maybe I should be buying all the “perfect” food even if I get obsessive about it and it strains our budget. But I honestly feel like God is challenging me to do things a little differently. I still have the things I’ll be stubborn about (which I plan to post about) but overall, I can settle down and make choices that save us money. Good luck on your own grocery saving journey! I appreciate you coming to read about mine :)
Great post, Rebecca! I can’t imagine there’s a woman, whether momma or not, who can’t relate to spending way too much on food because we want to eat/feed our family healthy foods. I was raised on overly processed/microwave food and absolutely take pride in buying healthy, non-processed, organic, range free, grass fed foods. I work 50 hours a week and it’s so hard to take the time to grocery shop because any time I’m not at work, I want to spend with Dave and Finneas. I absolutely struggle with the balance between the spending extra money and going to the one local market that has the healthy cuts of meat/fish and best produce, even though it’s also more expensive, and taking time away from my family time to go to several stores (or the one big corporate store) and spend less money. For me, I don’t think the right answer is the same all the time. Does that make sense? Anyway, great blog post and I hope we hear more as you explore what’s right for you and your fam.
OH Jen. This issue literally drives me NUTS! When I worked full time (also about 50 hours per week) it was even harder. I was desperate for time with Andy and Grace and often did one-stop shopping that was pricey and included foods I wasn’t thrilled about just because I felt so maxed out. I thought that being a SAHM would make this all easier and that I’d have endless time to do it all PERFECTLY, but that is a myth! I still stress out and want to temper healthy eating with wise stewardship. I know I won’t get it just right all the time and I totally agree that the right answer is not the same all the time or for all the families. I appreciate you reading and commenting and hopefully my journey along this path is helpful for others who are trying to figure out what works for them :)
AHH this! We spend a crazy amount of money on groceries / food each week. Insane amounts really. Even with menu planning! I admit, I have no idea how to grocery shop affordable yet healthfully without a ton of carbs / grains (which I personally need to avoid right now).
It’s so hard isn’t it?? I believe in feeding my family well (and avoiding grains too! especially wheat) but I also know that I can’t do it all and still feel like I’m spending my money wisely. I’m not sure I’ll come up with any miraculous formula, but I’ll keep plugging ahead :) Thanks so much for your comment :)
Good stuff Rebecca…I totally heart you …Love how our God works