The Good-Stuff Budget: how being broke fed us better
How a hard season reshaped my plate… and the Good-Stuff Budget that followed.
When I was pregnant with my second, I got really sick in the first trimester. None of my usual holistic tools helped. My doctor finally put me on an antibiotic.
Here’s what was going on behind the scenes: I knew divorce was coming. I had a 4-year-old, a baby on the way, and a clear picture that the next couple of years would wipe out what we’d built. That’s how it went—down to losing our home.
I’d already left the corporate track to build my life differently, and I didn’t want this to derail that plan. Over the next 12 years I raised my kids on fumes—no insurance, no steady paycheck. My ex’s business collapsed with nearly $2M in debt; I filed bankruptcy. There were addiction issues and quiet family drama in the mix.
Money and I didn’t have an easy history. I grew up in a middle-class immigrant home with the classic tiger-parent stoicism. Feelings were inconvenient; survival was the goal. I learned to look “on top of it” while treading water underneath. At 34, the losses forced me to drop the mask and decide what I actually valued.
The obvious paths—steady job with benefits, government assistance, finding a man to rescue us—were non-options for me. I chose a different way and got very scrappy. I made the hard asks. I learned to change my mind fast. I practiced wanting what I actually wanted.
Some specifics, because they matter: I kept studying with chef-teachers. I got certified in kundalini yoga and meditation; later I worked with an executive coach. I still saw my doctors—paying cash with a $300 post-bankruptcy credit card limit. I raised my kids in a modest 3-bedroom in Evanston for strong education. I shopped Whole Foods and farmers’ markets with a calculator and a plan. Christmas morning still looked magical.
Later, someone came into my life who stretched my mindset about money and possibility. I haven’t “figured it all out,” but I stopped hiding the richness of my life: regular well-care, frequent travel, and the cleanest ingredients I can buy.
Here’s why I share this: I know what’s possible at almost any budget. Every yes is a no to something else. Tight budgets just make the trade-offs louder. I chose health because feeling good gives you the strength to make more right choices—like cooking instead of microwaving, shopping the perimeter instead of the processed aisles, and celebrating with intention instead of numbing.
Warehouse shopping taught me the wrong lesson: quantity over quality, saving over investing, stimulation over grounded energy. Paying a little more, on purpose, forced discernment. Less spoilage. Less overeating. A calmer fridge and a calmer body.
Years of pushing a cart through Whole Foods with a calculator became a values practice. That muscle of discernment spilled into everything else and saved more than any bulk discount ever could.
Also, let’s be clear: the cheapest foods that actually feed you aren’t soda on sale or gluten-free “health” snacks. It’s produce, grains, meat, and dairy—even when not on sale. They yield more meals, deliver more nutrients, steady the nervous system, and give you energy and clarity so you spend less on caffeine, meds, and fixes.
With more money comes more options—and more responsibility. Travel, treats, and convenience. Great, and also tricky. Discernment matters even more now.
Poverty wasn’t the obstacle to nourishment. It was my way back to it. Privilege doesn’t always enforce rhythm; necessity does. But rhythm will hold anyone, privileged or not.
I want to share the approach that fed us well then and still does now.
The Good-Stuff Budget
The Rule of 1-1-2
Use this any week you want to eat well for less.
1) One base
An anchor you can build on: rice, quinoa, a simple soup, or a hearty salad bed.
2) One protein
Eggs; chicken thighs; canned sardines or mackerel; tofu or edamame; lentils/beans; or plain whole-milk yogurt.
If yogurt feels heavy, make a quick lassi (yogurt + water + pinch of salt; cardamom and/or a splash of rose water).
3) Two plants
Go fresh first. Think leafy greens plus a color (crucifer): kale, spinach, arugula, chard, collards, watercress; broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, summer/winter squash; herbs like parsley and cilantro.
Frozen only as a backup for peas and edamame.
Seasoning for flavor, not confusion.
Salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, lemon, olive oil, fresh herbs. Aromatics optional. Keep it bright and simple.
Eat it twice.
Dinner and next-day lunch (or lunch and dinner). Add lemon or herbs and repeat. Rhythm keeps digestion steady and decision fatigue low.
Drink water and tea.
Warm water, simple teas. Traditional Medicinals is a clean, widely available option. No affiliation—just reliable.
Fruit is your snack.
Apples, bananas, oranges, berries, pears.
Fruit, the Ayurveda way (quick guide)
When: before a meal (sweet first), as breakfast if you eat in the morning, or as a mid-day snack if you need it.
How: mostly on its own; keep combinations simple (one fruit at a time).
Notes: berries are light; pears can be lightly cooked in cooler months. If you do smoothies, keep them occasional and not icy—know your digestion.
Five-minute ideas (warm-forward, digestion-aware)
Greens & eggs: quick-sauté kale or spinach, slide in two eggs, finish with lemon.
Sardines + arugula: arugula, sardines, olive oil, lemon, pepper.
Cauli-quinoa bowl: warm quinoa, toss with chopped parsley, steamed cauliflower, olive oil, squeeze of lemon.
Broth & greens: hot broth, handful of chard or watercress, add cooked rice if you have it.
Lassi, cardamom/rose: yogurt + water + pinch of salt; cardamom and/or splash of rose water.
Where the money leaks
Delivery apps, sauces, bars, bottled drinks.
“Health” snacks in wrappers.
Restaurant meals with mystery oils and sugar.
When I’d eat out, I kept it simple: vegetables, a baked potato, olive oil, lemon, garlic, salt. Sometimes I’d eat light at home first and order less.
The deeper medicine
Warm, simple, repeatable meals steady the nervous system. Energy and clarity go up; impulse spending goes down. The good stuff isn’t a luxury—done this way, it is the budget. Start tonight: 1 base, 1 protein, 2 plants.
– Savitree
Your Guide to Food as Medicine — here to help you unlock your natural vitality through the power of food and mindful living.
Love your work. It is the way I lived with my kids. Meant we got a lot further than would have been expected for a single mother. Things could be tight, but I never felt poor.