Hey folks! I’ve been thinking recently about what stuff Adam and I use every day of the week that makes it so that we can live a Paleo Lifestyle while living frugally. I know that it’s because we have certain gadgets and products that we are able to budget differently and to afford more meat, vegetables, and nuts at lower costs.

Here are 6 must-have items for living a paleo lifestyle and keeping costs down.

1. A Vacuum Sealer

Adam and I have a FoodSaver V3835 Vacuum Food Sealer with SmartSeal Technology that we purchased as of our wedding presents to each other.

Any good vacuum sealer would do, and they range in price from $34 to $400.

You can get a FoodSaver V3020 Vertical Vacuum Sealing System With Starter Kit for $69.99 & with free Super Saver Shipping, and be on your way to freezing individual portions out of “family packs” of meat, fruits, and vegetables. (This is how Adam and I are able to save more than $1/pound on meats most weeks, and how we are able to quickly marinate meats.

2. A Food Processor

Another kitchen appliance we couldn’t do without is our food processor. How else would we be able to make Almond meal and flour?

Adam and I were lucky enough to be gifted a Cuisinart for our wedding. (I swear, if we hadn’t gotten married, we wouldn’t be able to afford to be paleo!) They range in price from $25 to $220. I wholeheartedly recommend the one we use, as it’s middle of the road, price-wise, and works reliably: Cuisinart DLC-8S 11-Cup Pro Custom 11 Food Processor. This is last year’s model, so it’s less expensive than this year’s 12-cup model.

3. A Digital Meat Thermometer

Nothing is more important to me than safety in the kitchen, but deliciousness is right up there. Fortunately, a digital meat thermometer ensures both, and it costs less than $15.

For $13.99 the Taylor 1470 Digital Cooking Thermometer/Timer will let you know when your meat hits the appropriate temperature to stop cooking, leaving you with juicy, succulent goodness instead of dried out nasty.

4. A Slow Cooker (or Crock Pot)

I can’t think of a more helpful appliance in our kitchen than our programmable slow cooker. At least 2 nights a week, it makes our dinner. Whether it’s chile verde, pot roast, roasted chicken and vegetables, or country ribs, I’m making it in the Hamilton Beach 33967 Set ‘n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker. Another very welcomed wedding present, it gets used constantly!

These tend to range in price from $29 – $90, so ours is right in the middle again.

5. The Magic Bullet Blender/Mixer Set

Adam got me Magic Bullet MBR-1701 17-Piece Express Mixing Set for my 31st birthday present. That’s how I know I’m an adult. I’m still excited about a blender for my birthday present, and it’s 3 months later. 🙂

But what I really love about this thing is that I can make smoothies every morning and put the mugs in the dishwasher every afternoon to wash! It’s so much easier than using a great big blender. That, and it’s really easy to make paleo mayo and other sauces in it. I just know I use it every day, sometimes twice a day – so I can recommend it without reservation.

6. Air-Tight, BPA-Free Food Storage Containers

Leftovers! We all have them, we all want to make the most of them. That means food storage containers. You want them without harmful BPA, and you want them airtight so that they decompose slower.

I recommend Rubbermaid 12-Piece Premier Food Storage Container Set because they are dishwasher safe, microwave safe, freezer safe, BPA-free, airtight, and the lids snap together and to the bottoms of the containers for easy organization. At $19.98 for a set of 12 with free Super Saver Shipping, they’re a righteous deal to boot.

Hope these suggestions help you out as you start on your way!