How much money do you save on food?

[niassy151 60]

Has anyone noticed how much money they save each month on food since they've had the surgery? I'm wondering if it's noticable - especially if you're a single person, I'd expect you to notice it more (or at least I'm hoping! Lol).

[bloreorbust 286]

Personally, not much if any. I have to buy a lot more Vitamins than I did before surgery. Also, I eat small portions of everything so I try to do as much organic/grass fed as possible which raises the cost. I could eat a lot cheaper if I was doing more tuna or egg salads, and meatloaf/meatballs.

[niassy151 60]

Those are some good points I didn't think about. Thanks!

[kimk1999 450]

For us, we're saving a considerable amount. I was taking Vitamins before so that's no change there. When we go out to eat typically we'll share a meal and my booze bill has significantly decreased... Usually I'll have a few sips of my finances beer where before I'd have ordered my own. I love the taste but the carbonation isn't that comfortable. I can usually get at least two meals out of my entree if I order my own and recently I actually got 4 since the portion was so huge. For home cooking, one chicken breast will usually make two meals for me. I used to dine out all the time for lunch but now I have a lot of leftovers so that saves money. I will get a free Water instead of soda/tea and I have been able to order smaller portions. Chipotle my bill before was $8.40ish and now it's $2.47 because I order one taco. I was just banded in December so I'll need to look at budgets for Nov vs this month for a proper comparison. My guess is easily $100 per month but it's probably more.

Edited February 11, 2014 by kimk1999

[parisshel 1,892]

Good question. While my food budget no longer goes towards Snacks or Desserts, I buy more quality Protein, vegetables and cheeses so my small plates pack big flavor.

I would say, however, that I spend less overall on my own food but it's hard to tell since I also feed two teenagers who go through food like...well, like teenagers.

[enjoyinglife 313]

As a single guy, I still spend about the same amount. The big difference is now I spend that money on quality items. I can live with that. Great topic!!

[KateB 63]

Being single I find I'm spending alot less now. I eat less at restaurants or share a meal when I can. What I'd used to buy to cover for a whole week now last way longer. And I don't like some of the same foods so I don't buy them but like others I spend a little more on fruits and vegetables.

[Frederic 500]

Our household (2 adults) has seen about a 33% reduction in grocery expenses but the quality of food has gotten much better.

I no longer shop for the best price per unit instead I'm usually buying the smallest sized option (what good is saving .02 cents an ounce if you throw away 50 ounces). I also switched to soy milk because it has a longer shelf life and I was tired if throwing away milk when it spoiled (the Protein boost was an extra benefit).

There's also more fresh produce and lean meat in my cart rather than cheap fatty meat and canned goods.

[Fiddleman 4,376]

I am not so sure we save on food costs. We definitely spend more on Protein stuff (food items from costco and protein tubs , hot cocoa protein off Amazon)' but less on fruit and non sleeve stuff (junk). Our milk consumption is also way down. The saving grace is that we try and split an entree when eating out (requires a little give and take).

[2Big2Skate 328]

We dropped our monthly food budget by $100. We also split a cow with my brother and there's a bambi in the chest freezer alongside it, so we made out good on meat this winter.

I'd guess I was eating close to half of what was consumed by the family in a given day, pre-op.

[NJDad 173]

Our food budget went down a few bucks per week. Buying less, but higher quality foods, so they cost more.

However, all the food savings are now being countered by the extra costs of buying new clothes. That's a trade off I don't mind making........

[☠carolinagirl☠ 18,721]

i second everything NJdad wrote/commented

Our food budget went down a few bucks per week. Buying less, but higher quality foods, so they cost more.

However, all the food savings are now being countered by the extra costs of buying new clothes. That's a trade off I don't mind making........

[bigcheese 50]

Has anyone noticed how much money they save each month on food since they've had the surgery? I'm wondering if it's noticable - especially if you're a single person, I'd expect you to notice it more (or at least I'm hoping! Lol).

grocery bill is about the same, i.feel price went up with quality, plus i can't eat reheated meats, it bothers me, so i have more waste.....our eating out bills have went down considerably

[Fiddleman 4,376]

If you happen to like eating out, you can save a lot of money by eating during happy hour. This is true especially if there are two of you to split a meal. There are a lot of bar food type items (e.g. nachos) that end up on the menu you want to avoid, but there are other good choices like lettuce wraps, satay, meat balls, sliders sans bun, etc. These end up being between 5-10 in price and can split without worry about left overs. A lot of restaurants also have been adding " small plates" to their menus knowing most will order 2-3 ala carte style. Little do they know (or perhaps they do know...), a small plate is perfect size for WLS guests and significantly less than ordering an entree. And no left overs, depending on how much you eat and/or if you are splitting. Hope these ideas are helpful in reducing eating out costs.

[jamilyne 102668 1,207]

I've saved a lot of money because I used to order food at work for Breakfast & lunch. I hardly ever order out for work anymore. If I do - I will get a veggie egg white omelet and eat it for breakfast & lunch. I prepare my food for work every day! I buy the bags of frozen chicken breasts and I eat one for dinner. I can never finish a meal if my family goes out to dinner and I almost always bring 1/2 home or split with my kids