DaisyRN
Explorer
Because my digestion moves so slowly, I’m spending way less on toilet paper alone!
Do GLP1 medications actually reduce our grocery spending?
- Thread starter kugelblitz
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SeaGypsy
Explorer
I think we're saving a lot when it comes to food expenses. It's only my husband and me at home, and since we're both taking GLP's, our food bills have genuinely dropped. These days, whatever we make tends to stretch into 2 meals. We still haven't mastered the whole 'don't cook too much' skill though......Unfortunately, any money I 'save' ends up going right back into more peptides I'm curious to try and every accessory—storage containers, labels, new pens, you get the idea
jjplantgeek
Explorer
For me, the largest chunk of savings — same as a lot of folks — comes from skipping trips to the liquor or beer store. That used to mean 3-4 visits every week. The amount I'm saving is enough that compounded tirz could stay affordable, though I'm happy to have landed on this forum. These days there's extra cash to put toward looking into plenty of other peptides!
UpDownLeftRightAS*
Explorer
Since beginning GLPs, I've trimmed my spending on several fronts: alcohol, food shopping, restaurant meals, and—something that caught me off guard—even fresh salads...though I'm buying more Quest protein bars. The peptides do carry a price tag, but each weekly dose runs just a few dollars, making it fairly insignificant.
On the flip side, my size change has led to greater outlays for new garments and alterations, along with supplements, vitamins, and regular lab tests. I've likewise seen skincare costs rise (SPF, moisturizers, and similar items), while outlays for chewing gum and even nail biting have dropped. Strangely, my utility expenses have moved as well—winter heating runs a bit higher since I feel the cold more after dropping weight, whereas summer air conditioning runs lower.
The long-term health and lower medical costs could be a real benefit. All my wealth for another day.....
On the flip side, my size change has led to greater outlays for new garments and alterations, along with supplements, vitamins, and regular lab tests. I've likewise seen skincare costs rise (SPF, moisturizers, and similar items), while outlays for chewing gum and even nail biting have dropped. Strangely, my utility expenses have moved as well—winter heating runs a bit higher since I feel the cold more after dropping weight, whereas summer air conditioning runs lower.
The long-term health and lower medical costs could be a real benefit. All my wealth for another day.....
My routine is a protein shake in the morning, 2 small healthy snacks, an actual lunch (I’ll be honest, that’s usually takeout), then another shake at night. If food prices in my area hadn’t gone through the roof, I’d likely be putting away a decent amount of money — but over the last year everything got so costly that sticking to my old way of eating wouldn’t even work financially.
My grocery bill hasn't really changed — I was already doing some meal prep before starting Reta. The big savings come from cutting out DoorDash entirely. In the past, I'd often cave and order far more food than I needed on impulse, even when there was decent food sitting right in my kitchen.
A couple of months back I was putting away something like 2 Monsters every day, and then one day I decided enough was enough and stopped completely — no tapering, no gradual reduction, just done. Since that point, on 3 separate really brutal days, I've had 3 small Red Bulls, treating them the way energy drinks are probably meant to be used.
Honestly, it might be the single best change I've made in my life lately, and my energy levels are pretty much identical to when I was drinking a lot of Monster.
Edit: I stopped before I began glp1, but the choice grew out of my plan to start glp1s, so I'd say the money saved belongs to my glp1 journey
Rolltide61
Explorer
That claim doesn't hold up.kugelblitz said:
Unfortunately, that's not true. Eggs do contain a lot of cholesterol. Eating just 7 a week might actually hurt your heart health.lemoncrisp said:
Hard to argue with thatStanNorth said:
lemoncrisp said:
We've absolutely cut costs in our household! Previously, we'd order through DoorDash around 3-4 times each week (due to long work hours and being lazy), but after I began Reta (my husband doesn't require it), we've dropped to only 1-2 times per week, and those orders are placed by him.
I'm in the same boat — eggs are basically my entire diet at this point
On my scale, the left side doesn't just balance out the right — over time the right side also delivers returns through fewer health problems and a better quality of life.
For me it's been a win/win.
I did put some money into inventory, though it ought to pay for itself.
And when it comes to the savings from DIY china.. that covers it all!
PS:
My blue jeans feel so much better on me!
My guess is that my outlay has gone down. Fewer cravings seem to put me in a better mood about eating well, which means fewer meals from restaurants, and since what I want to eat has narrowed, my daily purchases are fairly consistent. Counting calories also simplifies things, and the pounds are coming off.
Romulusguy
Explorer
Since I began Tirz, my outlay has dropped quite a bit. Groceries are only 1 piece of it; GLPs create a ripple effect that touches many smaller corners of the wallet, and together those add up to fairly solid savings.
1. Dining out is completely off the table for me now. Meals get cooked at home, or prepared at home and carried to work.
- The range of snacks and foods I purchase has shrunk. What I eat these days is quite plain and repeats often.
- Most of what I buy is, by itself, cheaper than the assortment of meats and foods I bought before. Take a frozen bag of jumbo shrimp, a frozen bag of scallops, and a bag of vegetables (my pick is the Italian mix of cauliflower, lima beans, snap peas, and carrots): that covers a week of dinners. Before, I would buy pounds of beef, pork chops, chicken breasts, and so on, which tended to sit forgotten in my freezer and cost far more.
- Yes, protein drinks and protein powder do take some of my money, but I tend to buy them in bulk, so the expense still lands well under what bulk groceries used to run me.
2. Fuel: because I eat out less and shop less, this carries over to what I spend on gas. Fewer trips behind the wheel = a tank that lasts longer. A tank that lasts longer = a smaller monthly bill at the pump.
3. Putting a workout cycle into my week 4 days a week gets me out of the house. Los Angeles is starting to warm up, and even 2 hours at the gym rather than at home means 2 hours when the air conditioner is off and not drawing power, which keeps my electric bill down.
4. Better eating habits and workout routines have brought better health. Fewer illnesses, fewer doctor visits, means LESS TIME MISSED FROM WORK. That builds up more vacation time I can either cash in OR use....on vacation
5. My clothes hold up much longer, belts and underwear especially, since my gut is no longer stretching them to their absolute limit
6. This is gross, I realize, but....I use the toilet far less than I did before Tirz, because I am not constantly putting snacks, candy, and chemically loaded junk into my body. A small drop in my water bill AND I buy toilet paper less often and in smaller amounts.
7. Mattresses, cushioned chairs, couches....every one of these lasts longer, with fewer indentations and less wear, as I get lighter.
There are likely a hundred other tiny places where Tirz/GLP1 helps bring costs down. My point being, if the grocery savings have you amazed, step back and consider what ELSE a GLP and a healthier lifestyle are affecting when it comes to cost
1. Dining out is completely off the table for me now. Meals get cooked at home, or prepared at home and carried to work.
- The range of snacks and foods I purchase has shrunk. What I eat these days is quite plain and repeats often.
- Most of what I buy is, by itself, cheaper than the assortment of meats and foods I bought before. Take a frozen bag of jumbo shrimp, a frozen bag of scallops, and a bag of vegetables (my pick is the Italian mix of cauliflower, lima beans, snap peas, and carrots): that covers a week of dinners. Before, I would buy pounds of beef, pork chops, chicken breasts, and so on, which tended to sit forgotten in my freezer and cost far more.
- Yes, protein drinks and protein powder do take some of my money, but I tend to buy them in bulk, so the expense still lands well under what bulk groceries used to run me.
2. Fuel: because I eat out less and shop less, this carries over to what I spend on gas. Fewer trips behind the wheel = a tank that lasts longer. A tank that lasts longer = a smaller monthly bill at the pump.
3. Putting a workout cycle into my week 4 days a week gets me out of the house. Los Angeles is starting to warm up, and even 2 hours at the gym rather than at home means 2 hours when the air conditioner is off and not drawing power, which keeps my electric bill down.
4. Better eating habits and workout routines have brought better health. Fewer illnesses, fewer doctor visits, means LESS TIME MISSED FROM WORK. That builds up more vacation time I can either cash in OR use....on vacation
5. My clothes hold up much longer, belts and underwear especially, since my gut is no longer stretching them to their absolute limit
6. This is gross, I realize, but....I use the toilet far less than I did before Tirz, because I am not constantly putting snacks, candy, and chemically loaded junk into my body. A small drop in my water bill AND I buy toilet paper less often and in smaller amounts.
7. Mattresses, cushioned chairs, couches....every one of these lasts longer, with fewer indentations and less wear, as I get lighter.
There are likely a hundred other tiny places where Tirz/GLP1 helps bring costs down. My point being, if the grocery savings have you amazed, step back and consider what ELSE a GLP and a healthier lifestyle are affecting when it comes to cost
Everything said here (as far as the topic goes) gets my agreement. Whether I'm actually coming out ahead financially is unclear — the money just goes toward different things, ones that now matter more to me than simply chasing food. I suspect this ties into how food's reward pathways get disrupted, which pushes me to look for dopamine elsewhere: working out, going places, and actually taking part in life. My weight has been and will remain something that shapes how good my life is. Peps is what broke me out of that loop where food equaled happiness and everything spiraled downward.
sheilarae74
Explorer
Once you add in the protein shakes and all the supplements, I'm likely shelling out even more,
BNLFL
Explorer
For us it's a lot lower. We don't buy junk, though that was already the case before. Cookies, ice cream, and those frozen dinners you grab as a quick fix are all out. What we get is meat, fresh produce, and quality items. These days Aldis is where we do most of our shopping. We're putting away a minimum of $300/month on alcohol/beer each month, both at home and at the local bars. This is completely accurate.
rkbleddyn
Explorer
I'm in the same boat
It's kind of fascinating to realize the real amount of food our bodies require. From there, it's only natural to think: "of course I gained weight — I was eating too much, even when my portions seemed standard." While we're young and still developing, we eat more, but with age our needs drop — less food, less often. By then, though, we're already dependent on the dopamine rush that comes with eating, along with the portion sizes and how frequently we eat.
UpDownLeftRightAS*
Explorer
With the additional workout days I've built into my week, I overlooked adding more laundry to the pile. That's a bit of wear and tear plus electricity and water.
Taking everything into account, the money I save is offset by what I put toward my long-term health.
Taking everything into account, the money I save is offset by what I put toward my long-term health.
TooBigtoFail
Explorer
Plus the long-term health gains. These days my diet is a healthy one. A1C, BP, cholesterol, etc. — I was on the losing side of those fights. Being retired, I see a lot of seniors whose condition is poor because of excess weight. At this point my health is roughly what it was in my twenties. Clothing-wise, I used to wear XXL/XXXL. These days it's SM/Med. The mental side unlocks a whole new world, and I figure on a normal retirement. That has no price tag. So look at the long haul, not merely at shaving off a few $$$.
ronin365
Explorer
I never actually sat down to calculate it, but our spending on food has definitely gone down — the amount saved isn't huge, particularly now that prices keep climbing. Where the real difference showed up was with Reta and how it changed drinking habits. Before, a bottle would come out with dinner several nights each week; these days it's down to one weekend evening, and after that it's only now and then or when there's an occasion. Beyond whatever good a peptide has done for me, I've also noticed drawbacks from using them — because I'm injecting myself 2 times a day, I find myself weighing everyday decisions that affect my health much more carefully. It stays on my mind constantly: not only what I'm paying, but the reason behind doing this at all, and that shapes not just the choices I make but where my money ends up going.