Mel Buttle: How I’m making money off juicing

In the hopes of changing my life, boosting my immune system and having something to offer guests, I bought a juicer - and now I’m pretty much making money every time I juice, writes Mel Buttle. This is how.

In the hopes of changing my life, boosting my immune system and having something to offer guests, I bought a juicer.

I just have to drink another 17 juices at home and I’ve broken even. I got the juicer on sale, minus a $20 gift voucher I had, which means I’m pretty much making money by drinking juice at home now. Well, that’s how I’m justifying this somewhat extravagant purchase during COVID.

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There are some downsides to this juicer. Firstly, there’s the issue of bench space. Between the coffee machine, my pile of washing up and Lucy the Juicy, I have very little space left free for clean dishes or making an elaborate dinner, like lasagne or enchiladas.

Excuse me if this is overly personal but I have a sore tongue, which I think is from hitting the pineapple too hard.

I have two juices a day. I wonder how much longer it will be until I have the bright, glowing skin of an Insta influencer from Byron Bay.

I’ve become a pusher of juices – anyone who comes though my front door gets forcefully offered a juice.

Mel Buttle at her garden at home.

I offer again and again until they relent. I then watch them drink the juice, and recount the ingredients to them while they nod politely.

“Orange, celery, ginger, watermelon and turmeric,” I say on repeat, until a compliment comes
my way.

I have a whole lot of leftover fruit and vegetable pulp. My Dad suggested mixing it into my dinner “for extra fibre” – he is at that age where he’s obsessed with fibre. I don’t know how good celery, watermelon and apple pulp would taste in a shepherd’s pie, but I’m not keen to find out.

At the moment my pulp just goes into my compost bin, which one day will go in my veggie garden, which at the moment doesn’t exist, as I’ve put the cart before the horse.

But one day in the future, there will be a real circle-of-life moment where I juice my homegrown fruit and veggies.

I think by the time that happens, though, I’ll be at an age where I care deeply about fibre, if you know what I mean.