Savings on food after VSG

So what percentage of savings would you say you benefit from your new vsg eating lifestyle. Besides the cost of the shakes I would assume you save a heck of a lot of money on food and also factoring in reduced desire to go out to eat and ban on fast food runs. Any of you VSG'ers Rich now with that low food bill?

I don't think it will balance out until after reaching goal.  When you first have surgery you are spending on shakes and trying to make what you can eat taste better with flavorings etc.  Then you start having to buy clothing in appropriate sizes so that is an added expense that is going to balance out your food savings.  Once you reach your desired weight and have a wardrobe that is replaced normally season to season then you may see some savings in your pocket over all.  I figure right now our food bill has been reduced about 30% but I am spending a bit more for clothing. 

Here are some great examples of how much money I am saving...
- I went out with friends to Happy Hour, and had one shot of schnapps (mixed with a full glass of water, since it was so strong), and finished maybe half of it in 4 hours.  And, I ordered chicken, had my 2 oz, and gave the rest away.  They would barely let my pay anything, so I walked away spending only a few bucks.
- When I go with my husband to eat anywhere (like subway), I just eat a few oz of the protein on his plate, and I'm good to go.  Cuts our bill in half :)
- Food at home seems to last forever!  I wouldn't say our grocery bill is cut in half, but it's definitely smaller.  One reason our bill isn't cut in half is that we are buying more fresh fruit, and some nice seafood- expensive things that we didn't buy regularly before...

I invested in several new storage containers, since my food lasts so long now :)

Nope, not me.  Instead of buying a lot of cheapO carby things, I buy more meats now, I have to pay at least 100 bucks a month in shakes (cuz I have issues with dense protein absorption, not the norm, but not impossible), and more money in vitamins than I ever spent preop (although, probably should have).

Quality food, for me, costs as much, sometimes more, than quantity food did. 

I never lost my hunger, my shakes are a supplement, not a meal replacement.  *MAYBE* if they filled me up and kept me full that might be different, but its just not my reality.

The only place we save money post-VSG even at 2 years out is eating out.

Healthier foods are more expensive. My grocery bill increased because I no longer bought pre-packaged, or "ready to eat" meals. Everything I bought was fresh, and I was making things from scratch. So, there was an increase in our food bill. Also, I was buying way more meat/seafood which is way more expensive than say frozen pizzas and other frozen meals.

 Although I eat very little...I have two teenage boys and a husband...I am in the store EVERY DAY...
buying more more more basics...and then snacks and then meat meat meat....so no I spend more but it has nothing to do with surgery...I am grateful for the surgery because the store used to be very difficult for me and having a house full of stuff used to be difficult...but now I can navigate around all the food and get to my basics...most of the time.. :)....SEAVIEW

I have always shopped at whole"paycheck" foods based on what my husband and I spend on food today and lack of wine, out grocery bill is down 75%! I have lost 29 pounds and my husband 11. I think my surgery is the best thing for b oth of us!

Can't really say that my bills have been reduced either. I don't buy cheap carby crap anymore or fast food, but rather high quality dense protein. I also purchase protein powders as well as lots of vitamins and supplements as I want to keep my numbers up and remain healthy rather than wait for them to get low and have to fight to get them up.

I easily spend $100-200 on protein and supplements a month and my grocery bills are $50-100 a week and I'm just one person. Keep in mind that I also live in NYC so it's a little bit more to buy food here and I don't really shop sales, I just buy what I want that week.

Not sure if I'm the exception, but I can easily say that our grocery bills have gone down. I don't do alot of impulse buying any more, and the "I'm too damn tired to cook so I'll pick up take out" syndrome has been eliminated.

Going out to eat is so easy and cheap too. We live in a small town, with 'diners' kind of places. I usually order a cup of soup, or cottage cheese, and share a few bites of who ever I am with's dinner. Everyone has been supportive of my efforts, from the husband to the friends. They figure the more I eat off their plate, the less they will.

While healthy foods are more $$ than junk food, the amount I purchase/eat is so small that it easily justifies it. Also with my increased energy levels we have a huge garden again this year, along with our own chickens for eggs and meat.

To give you an idea, this weekend I made 4# of pork tenderloin on the grill, sliced super thin for the others to make sandwiches with. I rounded out the meal with 1 ear of sweet corn person, fruit and a lite pasta salad (very little noodles, lots of veggies and cheese).

It fed 5 adults for dinner on Sat. night, then my husband and grown son had some for a midnight snack, and the 3 of us ate it again on Sunday night for supper. In the past, that same 4# would have fed just the husband, son and I for ONE meal, and we'd still be hungry.

I do buy shakes, but I find that I often just have a glass or two of milk aday. Not so sweet, not so thick and almost the same amount of protein per oz. Milk really does do a body good!

Best wishes.

I actually spend MORE on food now than I did pre-op... but it's a good thing.
Now I focus on fresh, organic, local (whenever possible), healthy foods for my family. No processed crap, no artificial sweetners, no high fructose corn syrup.

Pre-op I didn't care about the **** foods I was eating. gross fast food made from cheap ingredients. Chemical/preservative filled sweets... it makes me sick to think of the crap I used to eat.

I do save money on no longer buying fast food or having big expensive meals at restaurants. These days, DH and I split a meal and always skip dessert.