You know, it is hard no matter what your profession and what kind of income you bring in to make ends meet. For most of us anyway! Someone asked if you can get well without buying organic. And, I think the answer is a big YES! Of course, organic is best, but, not everyone can do that. I absolutely think you can get well without. But, I have a few tips. Here in LA there are lots of great healthfood stores. But, they are super expensive. SO, to save money for my family, I have found many of the organic goodies that I can buy in our big beautiful healthfood stores at the normal everyday people stores. I buy what I can there and OK maybe not EVERYTHING is organic. I try to do my best, make my best choices. Also, sometimes a fruit or veggie that is not organic looks lots better that week than the ones that are organic. SO, for that week I buy regular. Unless it is something like berries which really absorb the chemicals. I usually wont buy those unless they are organic. Also, milk, I only buy organic. But, I save somewhere else. I don't spend money on lots of beautification things for me. I spend on food and water. I dont go to the movies much or those kinds of things. And, of course, you have to figure out where you can scrimp in your own life and where you can splurge. I splurge on food for sure. But still, I try to spend wisely. I usually only get things at the healthfood store that I jsut cant find anywhere else. SO, shopping takes me a few more steps bc I go to more than one place, but I do save this way. My grocery bill is half of what it would be otherwise!
Comments
shopping bills /gardening
I have to say the west coast has the best shopping inless your in a city like Chicago or NYC ect. I miss the hell out of trader joes.The way I decide how to buy orgainc is the order of importance. Any meets are organic first. I also take the ones that are most volerable to pesticides like bell peppers, asparagus . My grocrie bill for the month is 1,200. in a house hold of two. I am drinking the figi water and and really all I do is pay my bills. I have decided to try to get the energy up to start my own garden. Being in FL i can really garden yr round. I want to take advatage of that. I don't have any money left over after these bills and grocries but I feel like I have no choice. Everything has gone up because of the price of gas. I haven't really changed my diet much in the past few yrs and it has just gone up due to inflation. I used to spend 900 a month and that to me was reasonalbe.
I can't wait to get my garden going I haven't felt well enought to get out there and build my boxes but I am definatly going to get it going. I have grown things in the past and it is so rewarding to eat from your own garden. Those of you who have the means shoud defintaly try to start someting.
A lot of things are really easy for those of you who feel like you have no green thumb. Those green onions I found out that if you leave a little just a bit you can plant them. Even the ones from the store. I will replant them 3-4 times before just eating the whole thing. Potatos when they start growing on your counter you can just mound some dirt in a row and plant them they like to be mounded up.
I got mysefl a book on companion plating because a lot of plants like to be planted with eachother. THey like the same things and give to eachother. Such as tomatos and basil because the basil likes acid soil so the tomtoes that fall give to the basil. There are so many plants that work like that. YOu can get a book at the libray so your not spending more money on the cause.
Well happy gardening.
Nicole
Co-op
Organic can be very expensive, but not always! I prioritize what I buy as well including meat and berries. In San Diego, there is an organic ranch called Be Wise. They sell to our health food stores, but you can also buy from them directly. The orders are picked up at neighborhood drop-offs weekly and usually they are too big for one family, so many people share with another family and split the cost. You do have to accept what the market has to sell at that time of the year, but it is so much cheaper. Look in your neightborhood to see if something is offered like this. You can also ask Whole Foods who their local supplier is and contact them to see if they have something similar. Hope this helps. I have yet to take advantage of this because I am too lazy and just drive to the healtfood stores, but for those of you interested, here is the website for San Diego/Escondido area: http://www.bewiseranch.com/joinCSA.htm
fruit and vegies
MatiaI have heard you say before that you will pitch fruit or vegies that look bad, and itn this post you are sayiing if the organic looks bad, you buy the non organic fruits and vegies. What constitutes looking bad in your opinion? usually the organic does look a bit worse due to lack of wax and pesticides, etc. So I am curious about when you should bypass a fruit or vegie based on appearance. What do you look for? thanks!
Bad Produce
Just if it really looks on the edge of moldy and rotting. If it looks like that, I go for the non organic. Except if it is berries then I just dont buy them unless they are organic. Also milk I only buy organic. These are thing I think matter one vs the other.