When my husband and I were first married, we both ate breakfast out most days. Cory would pick up a slice of breakfast pizza and a large fountain pop on his way to work at the gas station, and I would skip breakfast or eat at work or nursing school. Cory would often feel hungry by midmorning and eat a candy bar. Both of our eating habits have changed significantly, and Cory and I are both convinced that for us, eating clean foods have actually saved us a lot money. Today I am going to start with explaining how we are saving money at breakfast. I hope to be sharing many other ideas on how you can afford organic food too.

This morning Cory and I quickly researched how much he used to spend on his breakfast. We figured that if he were to eat this same breakfast today, the cost would be $4.59 for the morning. This is just from some quick figures online, because we have not bought anything in a convenience store for years. Please tell me if I’m off. 🙂

Breakfast pizza=$2.00

Large Fountain Drink=$1.59

Candy Bar=$1.00

When our family started experiencing health issues back in 2006, we slowly started changing our diet, and breakfast felt like a good place to start. I now make Cory 5 eggs, two pieces of sourdough toast, and I figure I use about 1/4 cup of butter for frying and spreading on his toast. He also drinks a pint of raw milk with breakfast. We raise all of these ingredients on our farm (except salt) so our cost is less for his breakfast than we would pay if he ate like he used to, but most people can’t do that. I figured if we purchased these quality ingredients, we would pay $6 for his breakfast. Some people pay that for a drink!! That’s only $1.41 more than he would pay eating out. Here are the prices I figured in this cost if we were buying these products.

Eggs=$6.00 per dozen

Butter=$10 per pound

Milk=$10 per gallon

Sourdough Bread=$10 per loaf

It might seem like it would be faster to stop and buy something, but when we really thought about, we weren’t convinced it did. When I had a new baby or when I was milking the cow, Cory would make his own breakfast before he headed to work early in the morning. He would throw his bread in the toaster, start heating up the pan on the stove, and hop into the shower. After he was showered he would throw his eggs on the pan and then shave. By that time it was time to flip. He had this down so well that he didn’t have to waste time just standing there watching his eggs. Since he could accomplish other tasks while his breakfast was cooking, it really only took a few minutes to prepare it. Think of the time one could spend sitting in a drive-through or going in and then standing in line to pay. By eating the same thing every day, there’s no time wasted in thinking about what we are going to make.

Cory’s breakfast is so satisfying that he usually just works through lunch without eating. I’m not convinced this is the best idea, but there’s another savings. We both have noticed that starting with a high quality breakfast helps us to feel satisfied, more focused, and have a lot more energy. If he can accomplish more tasks in a day, and have more energy to engage with the kids and me when he gets home, then that $1.41 is a small price to pay (considering if we had to go back to buying ingredients). We have been eating like this for years, and convenience is just not a temptation anymore. With the rising cost of health care, as my son Aiden says, “You can’t afford not to eat this way.”

What do you eat for breakfast? How does it make you feel? We love to hear from you!