I need this kind of connection, we all do.
I stood next to the farmer who grew this lettuce for my salad as he filled his bins at the co-op, the very bins that stood empty upon my return (two days ago) due to damaging hail on his farm last week. It matters which companies we support and those we do not. It matters what goes into our carts and into our bodies. We are living in a time when how we spend our food dollars is arguably the strongest political voice we have. Now please pass the rice and beans to balance out the $3.75 bunch of kale that when cooked just a bit and wilted, I could eat in it's entirety by myself. It's not the grains and beans that challenge my budget - it's the fruits and veggies! And well, I've decided to make no excuses about it, they are here to stay. the price of beef per pound discussion), and I agree to a certain point. Meat only once a week if that? Sure! Spaghetti every Wednesday because it can feed the whole table for $3 (homemade sauce and bread of course)? Bring it! Money saving Brown Rice Patties once a week? Absolutely! But please don't ask me to pass up our desired amount of organic/non-GMO vegetables or fruit, I can't mentally justify rationing the most important medicine we have.Ī lot of times we hear it costs so much less to eat healthy (you know, the whole price of beans per pound vs. I am willing and able to ration/go without in many areas of our diet. Lots of good for the body, mind and soul produce. The rest? Well, grains, beans, a bit of dairy and eggs, a few spices, other simple pantry items, and produce. There were two splurges (which I factor into our budget, those splurges change from week to week). The first was goat cheese from a local farm - $6 for a tiny but oh-so-delicious portion, and there was some fresh figs, $5 for a large handful. There is not a single fancily packaged $5 box of organic granola bars in there. I went shopping last week and these four bags (which represent only one of the two stores that I shop at) cost $120. But I also am still so amazed at how much so little costs each week, regardless of not buying packaged foods and doing all of our cooking from scratch. I was taught growing up that our grocery budget is the one area in our household finances we have the most control over, and I do believe that still. Maybe it would help us to feel a little less alone as we hand over however much it is to the cashier in our respective hometown markets each week. But then I thought, maybe it's not just for me, maybe we all need the information - from one another.
Is that too bold of a thing to ask? I've been wanting to pose this question for several days now, yet admittedly, I don't really know why I need the information. I wonder how much other families spend on groceries each week. ::Updated:: Nine tenths of this post takes place within the contents of the comments section.
0 kommentar(er)
