Bill and I have been together for over 20 years so we are well aware of the key elements to a successful relationship. But for over a year now, the two of us have a new commitment: keto. So, how does our new passion for food impact our relationship? We look at this in a 5-part series of blogs about being Married to Keto. Today we look at the cost of keto. You can find the rest of the series here.
The Cost of Keto Can Be Stressful
One of the most stressful things in a relationship is finances. Like most, Bill and I have had highs and lows when it comes to finances. We have had to count out pennies for bus fare at certain times and we have been fortunate enough to make enough to go on family trips to Disney World on the other end. It is incredibly stressful to be at the counting pennies stage and if you don’t handle it together, it will cause breaks in your relationship.
Couples handle finances in different ways. Some people keep their finances separate. We did this in the beginning, as I was coming out of a relationship when Bill and I first met and I wanted to be independent for a while. Soon, this just became an inconvenience for us as we moved in together and had to remember who paid which bills. Some couples hide expenses from each other.
The Elements of a Relationship
If you look back to the last blog on elements to relationships, it is communication and hiding things from each other is not usually recommended. Some people just go out and buy expensive things without talking first. This might work for some, but I would not be a happy camper. I like being open and honest about where we are financially. Communication about finances is key to a happy relationship!
So, how does this relate to keto? When we started keto, we realized that it can be expensive. You eat fresh vegetables and grass-fed meat. If you’re me, you also spend money on new clothing to keep you motivated and show off your best self! But keto doesn’t have to be a bank breaker.
The Cost of Keto Hasn’t Been Too Bad
We haven’t found a lot of difference financially. Sure, the food we eat is more expensive than the processed crap we used to put in our bodies. There’s a reason why Kraft Dinner goes on sale for $0.99! But we also don’t eat nearly the portion sizes we used to. We keep our meat portion to 3 ounces a person. You can get a lot of meals out of a package of hamburger if you keep your portion size in check.
We also make sure we take a list to the grocery store, so we are only buying what we need for cooking that week. That cuts out a lot of the extras that you want but don’t need. Speaking of cooking, with keto we cook more so we are eating out less. If you figure that into the budget, it makes a huge difference!
Keto Products Are Not The Way to Go
If you are spending a ton of money on keto products like MCT oil, protein powder and ready-to-eat products labelled keto, please take a look at this and see if you truly need it. We eat the occasional ready-made keto food that is packaged for convenience, but we do not need it and we don’t do it often. They are expensive and we have not found it necessary.
We have also found a way to take our new passion and enter into the scary world of blogging and information sharing. Our goal is to share the information on keto with everyone in a way that is easy to understand. We’d also like to generate a little income from that. Hey, we’re nice but we aren’t saints – lol. So, keto has given us a new aspect to our finances. Here’s hoping our keto future is bright!
That’s it. That’s our five elements to a successful relationship. We are happy to be in a committed relationship with keto. It has strengthened our relationship with each other and given us new purpose in our lives. We love being married to each other, and we also love being married to keto!
Wendy
