We try to eat a paleo/primal diet here, although as of late my budget has taken major hits, making this harder and harder to attain. We do keep gluten free, mostly dairy free (I sometimes make homemade yogurt, buy hard cheeses or butter but that hasn't been in the budget lately- we don't tolerate all dairy), we are soy free as well. We are a family of 5, with another on the way. My current average spending for the year is at $430 per month however, actual spending will be less as I just bought all our beef and chicken for this year in the last 2 months, skewing the average. For the year I project our average will be $300-$350 per month.
Ways we save money:
Meat- I buy straight from the farm and large amounts at a time-
Beef- bought 1/2 grassfed/finished for $3.50 lb/ $2.91 lb including all the soup bones and meat. Dh and I helped butcher to save costs- we have friends who have a farm and a cool set-up for butchering. That was $350 total and should last one year.
Pork- I buy 1/2 at a time, should need 1 whole for the year. Price $1.65 lb. Locally raised but not grassfed.
Chicken- Grassfed from a local farmer I generally buy 52, for 1 per week, but this year I only bought 32, dh and I both helped butcher to reduce costs. $2.39 lb. I only use whole chickens, I cut them myself before or after cooking.
Rabbits- We are raising rabbits to supplement chicken. I don't have an exact cost on this as there are too many variables and we've only been at it a year.
Deer- Dh hunts, last year he got 1 deer, about 70 lbs after processing, which we processed ourselves- cost was about $20/29c lb for tags(he already has equipment and clothes, so only costs last year was tags and a bullet).
We're hopeful that he can kill 2 deer this year but I'm due in the midst of season, so we will see how it goes. I'd like to raise hogs as well but dh isn't convinced. We don't have enough land for beef though, goats are possible but we need to work on fencing.
It takes a lot of networking to find good connections. I re-evaluate as needed if cost goes up or I cannot get what I want when I need it.
I always ask for my fat when getting a hog or beef and then render my own tallow and lard and use that for a lot of my fat while cooking.
Bulk Buying:
I buy a lot in bulk from Azure Standard. I usually buy the largest I can as that is usually the cheapest per ounce or lb.
Coconut oil -5 gal-(I buy this from either Nutiva, Tropical Traditions, Wilderness Family Naturals or Mt. Rose Herbs- whoever has the cheapest price and shipping at the time)
Honey - 5 gallon sizes (although we just started raising this year and I hope that we will be able to harvest next year). Honey is generally my only sweetner, although I do buy some maple syrup, which is currently cheapest from Amazon. I did have a local source for a good price, but they stopped tapping. I'm hoping to do our own next year, but we will see. As of now I limit the maple syrup use as it is twice as expensive as honey. $60 gallon versus $27
Spices/Herbs- I buy from Azure Standard or Mt. Rose Herbs usually. I have hopes of growing my own but it hasn't materialized!
Nuts/Seeds/Dried Fruits- Generally from Azure, although sometimes I find them cheaper elsewhere. I seen in Walgreens a few weeks back that figs were $4 lb and that is way cheaper than anywhere else. I haven't bought any in a while as it wasn't in the budget but we love them and they are a nice treat. Dates are cheapest from Aldi.
Coconut and Almond Flour- Almond Flour is by far the cheapest at Trader Joes but I don't have one locally I try to stock up if I go to one but at 2 hrs away it doesn't happen alot. Coconut flour is cheapest at Tropical Traditions when on sale but if I miss a sale I buy from Azure. I don't make a ton of baked goods though, usually a few times a week and have been searching out recipes that combine the two, which is cheaper per item to make.
Veggies:
I buy from Azure when I get good deals, like this fall and winter organic apples were 50c lb for juice grade (blemished) by the case. Otherwise these days I buy conventional from Aldi's, they have the cheapest produce around by far. Otherwise we eat what is in season the best we can. I buy bulk organic frozen green beans and peas from Azure, as they have them cheaper than what I can find around here locally.
I buy whole carrots instead of baby as they are half the cost. Fruit for the kids is whatever cheapest, generally bananas, apples, and oranges. Other fruit are rare treats. I buy "natural" blueberries by 10 lb bags from Azure. I have done U-pick before but the price wasn't any better. I do have blackberry bushes and hope to harvest some from my own and wild but I don't know how much I'll get.
I get some free fruit from my mom and in-laws trees as well, we have an orchard but it isn't producing quite yet. I canned a lot of pears from Mom's trees last year and they make awesome dried fruit and roll-ups.
I have a small garden this year, but don't know how much I'll harvest I got it in late due to first trimester tiredness. I'm hoping to be able to can some tomatoes and put up some sweet potatoes and white potatoes.
Canned goods:
I buy canned tomato products, olives, mushrooms, and pumpkin from Aldi's.
Fats:
I mostly use the tallow/lard or coconut oil. I use EVOO from Sam's Club ( a friend buys it for me on her acct) for dressings. Plain olive oil I use solely for homemade mayo.
I'm hoping to continue raising more of our own but a lot of times it takes a bit of start up investment, so we do a few things at a time. The biggest thing I'm hoping for next year is expanding the garden and also perhaps start raising hogs or goats.
FWIW IMHO different people can thrive on different diets. Regardless of the evidence either way I feel best eating primally, good amounts of meat, high fat and lots of low glycemic veggies. So, I try to keep to that the best I can.