So, my family's grocery bill is larger than many. That's despite being thoughtful about prices, skipping most luxuries… it's just the actual products we buy (e.g. fresh fruits and vegetables, often organic) are not the cheapest even when we seek out the best deals.
For perspective, the Environmental Working Group publishes stuff on which foods have the most pesticides. So, we rarely buy organic oranges or avocados or onions — we don't eat the peels anyway; but we always buy organic apples (and stock up on the rare $0.99 or $1.29 / lb deals etc).
But this isn't just about the end product. I also don't want to externalize our costs. That's not good frugality. Good frugality is actually reducing our costs to the world, not just figuring out how to make others take on the costs. So, I don't feel good about saving money if it's part of supporting a system that abuses farm workers or is undermining the long-term sustainability of agricultural land…
How should I balance these things?
I know about doing things like eating oatmeal and beans instead of over-priced boxed cereals and fancy meats… but it seems our grocery costs are still on the high side. Maybe that's just the reality if we care to buy both healthy and responsible products?
How much is it really worth the expense? Where should we prioritize frugality versus the other values?
March 05, 2018 at 07:07PM
