Recovery From an Eating Disorder When You Can't Afford to Buy Much Food
I found myself in the position where I had finally decided I wanted to recover and...I couldn't afford the food I needed. This is my perspective of living in Florida, USA on a 'poverty' income, so my resorces might be different than yours, but I wanted to share how I figured it out so you can maybe take another look at your options. Also, canned or dried beans make me terribly ill, so this is a 'bean-free list!!'
Things I wish I'd done differently:
1) Applied for SNAP benefits sooner. ED brain is like, 'You don't deserve that.' Guess what, I did deserve help!! I waited until I was recovering from a serious illness and could not physically work to apply and found out that I had been qualified for at least some help all along
2) Used the ibotta app. 'I'm too avant-garde to use a coupon app!' was also my ED lying it's ass off to keep me from recovering. I've earned about $50 in 5 months just buying SNAP food
3) Bought food from the Dollar stores. 'You can't buy food at the Dollar Tree!' is my internalized classism and ED giggling at me while they hug. When you get money in little bursts of $5 and $10, Dollar stores can literally help you survive. I went in there with a notebook and creepered down each isle, writing down possible options. I find it helpful to compare weights and amounts in packages with notes from the bigger stores
Things I was right about:
1) Beans are evil. I have digestive issues, and if I try to eat canned black beans I will be in horrible pain for hours. I knew what meal suggestions do not apply to me, either because that type of food is what led me down the path of restrictive eating in the first place, or my body reacts to it with shock and horror
2) Restaurants aren't bad. McDonald's kept me alive when I was recovering from food posioning and everything I tried to make nauseated me. I have no shame there! But buying food made by other people has become tactical. Tacos from the food truck cost less than I could make them for at home, and give me variety once a week. The Peruvian place has a lunch special that fills me up. I use 50% coupons for pizza and make it last by pairing it with veggies
3) Eating the same thing every day will suck the joy from your life. I recommend having 3 go-to dishes for each meal. 2 is just not enough. It takes the ED brain out of the meal-planning equation and gives you a comforting routine
How I make grocery lists:
I have sticky notes in colors coordinating with stores (i.e. blue for Mal*Wart) which live in a magnetic basket on my fridge, so I can write things as they occur to me. I start with check boxes for 'flyer,' 'ibotta' and 'coupons' so I stop to look at all of those things before I shop. I'll put another check box with 'coupon' under an item to remind me I have a digital or physical coupon for it. If I need something that I'll only buy when it's on sale, I'll write 'os' next to it so I know I'm not buying it unless it's the right time. If I can only afford some of the items that day, I put a star next to the essentials. I peel off the notes for whichever stores I'm going to and stick them on my wallet. I cross off the things I buy and circle the things I need to transfer to the next sticky
Where I shop:
I'm incredibly lucky to have a farmer's market in my city, which has food that's fresher and less expensive than produce from the grocery store. I do the majority of my shopping there, and supplement it with eggs, meat, frozen veggies and dairy from Wally World. I have a list of essentials that I purchase from Dollar Tree, like bread. I keep an eye on the Publix and Dinn ✔ Wixie flyers for BOGOs
It took me literally years to figure out a system. It's a system that keeps things as automated as possible so there's less chance of my ED paying a visit. Hope this helps somebody!
