more money in my pocket

over the last few years i have slowly turned into basically a vegan (i can not give up honey. it's the blood that runs in my veins, i swear). i started cutting out meat altogether for a few reasons, mostly surrounding the fact that it was another living creatures flesh that i was eating (just thinking about it makes me shudder, literally), and animal cruelty. livestock whether it be in the form of chickens or cows are treated abhorently, all in the name of making more money.
it's disgusting.
there is an old saying, "you are what you eat". i can not eat the flesh of another living creature who was killed with the sentiment "hurry up and get the next one through so we can make more cash". it's a basic disrespect for life.
i hate the process, but i can't bring myself to judge people who eat meat either. everyone makes their own choices. i have relinquished my role in the process, and that is my part. however i find it repulsive when people preach their own opinion and beliefs to me as if it is the undeniable truth, so i can not and will not do it to others.
but, i will rant about my disgust, without the expectation of anyone in particular to agree.

oh and i don't eat dairy products. i have nothing against dairy lovers (provided the cows are treated with at least basic respect for their quality of life. i'm a serious soft heart for animals. i can't help myself. i get more upset when animals die in movies than when people die. i think it has something to do with their innocence/ignorance), but eating any food with the 'm' word in it makes the rest of my day painful, as in doubled over, clutching my gut painful.

so back to the point of this post, saving money when you shop.
what i started this post thinking about was the cost of my shopping list. as i've moved from just (almost) vegan, to almost vegan who tries to buy organic, locally grown, all natural alternatives, my shopping list has gotten more complicated and more expensive.
and as i'm a uni student who has just quit her job (long story involving my new manager telling me that if i wasn't prepared to skip classes to come to work if she wanted me to, then don't be expecting shifts), i'm looking for the most cost effective way to keep my shopping list healthy.
and so i got thinking. i'm pretty predictable in my eating habits. i have oats in the morning with a chopped up banana. some kind of carb with veggies at lunch, and then protein and veggies at night. plus a protein snack during the day. so i figured the way to keep my wallet fat and myself healthy would be to keep my staples healthy and not worry so much about the little things.
for example, i spent my big dollars on my breakfast staple, which is an organic mix of 5 grains (oats being the most major player there), on some vegan protein (let's hear it for lentils and tofu people), on my milk (australia's own organic honey oat milk. this stuff is seriously like candy to me. i love it), on my favourite veggies (organic and as local as i can get them), my favourite fruits (bananas, oooooohhhh bananas...), and some staple carbs (essene bread, which i get from my local fruit shop. it's $8 a loaf, but it is amazing, and i only have a very small amount at a time). oh and a block of chocolate (whittaker's dark ghana block, 72% cocoa and no dairy to be found. just leave me alone with the block please). this is my basic diet for the week, and in the amounts that i buy, it lasts me at least two weeks (usually more). any other extras (some weeks i'll buy nuts, extra veggies or fruits) i don't worry so much about their organic-ness because i usually have minimal amounts, so any effects will be minimal and outweighed by the majority of nourishing foods i eat. having the main ingredients of my diet as healthy as possible also gives my body a strong base with which to deal with any disagreeable ingredients i come across otherwise (like a few far less than natural ingredients in a veggie burger i had on the weekend). it's not so much for my body to deal with when the rest of my meals are wholesome and healthy. plus i feel so much better for it.

oh and a note on alcohol... if you are going to try to go healthy with booze, try to get organic wines, beer and cider without any preservatives, and try to steer clear of spirits altogether (they are distilled more than beer, cider and wine, and therefore up the poisoning action - hence why they are stronger). alcohol itself is a poison in your body, so the less other crap you put in there with it, the less likely your hangover is going to have a saucer banging party in your head and a 'who can pretend they ate ate off chicken last night the best' competition in your stomach the next day.

so go forth, spend for the important bits, and be a cheap arse for the bits you don't eat much of, or don't eat very often.
oh and ps. don't forget you can grow basic staples at home! even if you live in a place with out a garden. some plants, like cherry tomatoes, go brilliantly in a pot!
and for goodness sake, love the food you eat. it is what makes you, you. your body can not be anything more than what you put in it, as all of it's bits a pieces are made from the ingredients you put in your belly and on your skin. love it.

x