Juice Feasting Bill Update

Kathy has asked me this:

"In your first few posts, you mentioned that you were going to keep track of the financial aspects of a juice feast. Any comments on that? "

Yes, Kathy I do have a comment on that one. I'm a slacker. My intention was to keep a better blog record of my monies but I started getting into the habit of juicing by the sale items so for some unknown reason I stopped posting the amounts I was spending.

Alas, I did go through the receipts I did save and on average I have been spending around $5-$7 per day of juice feasting.

If you noticed I drink pretty much the same juices everyday. A lot has to do with how I shop. I do purchase lettuces for the family to eat but I don't juice them. I don't like the taste. I think with it being winter the hardier greens suit me better.

I've been a very bad girl and I haven't purchased organic greens in a very long time. I feel the organic gods will strike me down any day now. But that is a burden I must bare.

I purchase what's on sale and I've been lucky to find greens like spinach and kale for .88 cents a bunch and I drink 3 bunches a day and a head of celery, that too has been .88 cents. That is $3.52. That makes me around 2 quarts of green juices. At the beginning of my feast grapefruit was 8 for $1. As you can imagine I was in heaven. An interesting thing, prior to the juice feast I didn't eat or drink grapefruit. It reminded me of ear wax.

Now grapefruits are 4 for $1 and I use about 8 per day so that's $2. it makes about one quart.

Strange how my perception changed when money was involved but I was willing to do anything it took to maintain my feast and my family's funds.

Other items I have included in the mix that have effected the cost from time to time is:
MSM: $4-$5 every two weeks
Pineapple: 2 for $4
Oranges: .69 cents per pound
Carrots: 22-25 pound bag for $15-$17 (carrots last me almost a month) I use around 2-3 carrots just to sweetened up the taste of the green juice
Green Powder: $6-$10 lasts a month
Coconuts: .99 cents each 20 of them will last me 2 weeks. I store these in the garage refrigerator and I forget I bought them. That is the only reason I don't drink coconut water more often.

How much is this going to cost?

photo by mag3737

A big concern for my husband and myself was how much is this feast going to cost.

In May (the month of my previous feast) it wasn't a big issue because the family was eating more fresh fruits and veggies, now that the family dynamics have changed, it created discussions.

We worked out a juice feasting and family grocery budget that we were both comfortable with and based on those budgets I know what I can spend.

This total below includes trips to the juice bar, produce and supplements.

photo by jot.de

The produce is the most fun to buy. The store I'm purchasing at now posts its sales ad online so I shop before I head into the store. It helps with my budget and I get a bit of variety into the juices. Alot of what I buy is also communal. The family is welcome to eat the fruits and vegetables I buy and I still have plenty to juice.

The supplements have been the pricier items. I am using about 2-3 tablespoons of MSM powder daily and it is about $5-$10 per week. The royal jelly and wheatgrass powder ain't cheap and I go through those like it's nothing.

I have given up on the bee pollen. Once I reached 8 granules the itchiness came back and I got sick to my stomach. And vomiting where I draw that line, but hey that's just me. I have issues.

Dec. 7-Dec. 17 Juice feasting bill: $96.14

Total Juice Feasting bill: $164.77

If my math is correct that's about $9 per day. I believe it is a shade under what JuiceFeasting.com says the cost of a feast could be. Not too bad.

Also I have added Day 18 photo to the Juice Feasting photo gallery. Check it out.

WHAT I CONSUMED TODAY:
1 quart lime water with MSM
2 quarts spinach/celery/carrot/sweet potato
1 quart pineapple/grapefruit

12 oz coconut water with liquid chlorophyll
2 quarts water

Last day of solids

Tomorrow's the day. I'm so excited, I almost started today, but I needed this extra day to prepare.

I will be producing weekly videos, documenting my juice feast. Yeah! I'm very happy about that. I graduated with a film degree so it's nice to able to make use of it some how. My first video won't premiere until January, a month into my feast. From there I'll see what the turn around is for doing a video and editing.

I have stop taking the bee pollen granuals, they make my tongue and throat itchy, so I'm thinking an allergy of some sort may be developing. I have taken the capsules in the past, so maybe I'll take thoses instead.

I will look over my to-do list tomorrow to start a plan of attack on that. I will also add a new "to-do" and that's to keep track of my feast expenses.

I have included receipts from my juice feasting purchases. I'm curious about how much I'm spending on this journey.

It isn't my main concern but I would be lying if I said it's not an issue in my family. I have 5 other people I share my home with. Of course I buy extra fresh produce, because the kids need their fruits and vegetables, but a bulk of it is for my consumption and I can't help feel a bit guilty about it.

My husband and myself aren't wealthy people, as a matter of fact we get by with the grace of God and by the skin of our teeth.

My husband and I have a theory that the powers that be want to keep people of lesser income, unhealthy. Why else would it be easy to purchase a double cheeseburger for a dollar and a small head of organic lettuce is almost $4?

Health Food store

Maybe I'm venting a bit, because I'm a slight punchy after spending almost $30 for 5 items at a health food store and spending $40 for more than 4 times that amount at my favorite Asian Market.

Thank goodness, the Asian Market will get my business over the next few months more than the health food store.

Asian Market
This juice feasting is an important thing and I aim to complete it for my health cutting the corners where I can.

Anyhoo, I will be documenting how much I spend because that is something that is important to me and it might be curious to you.

Nov. 30 Juice feasting bill: $68.63

I've subtracted $20 for the the produce I purchased for the family and the kimchi I had for my last solid.

Wish me luck on my juicing adventure and I'll chat with you later.