fortworthgal
Call Me a Cab
- Messages
- 2,646
- Location
- Panther City
Lady Day said:I commend you gals for being able to shop at normal grocery stores. :eusa_clap
After living a while in the land of co-ops, and farmers markets, the concept of a Safeway, Kroger, Vons, Ralphs, Win-Dixie...etc, baffels me.
Everything is so over packaged, and overpried, I just walk out with nothing!
I cant deal with coupons, as I am always going to the grocery after they expire.
I also buy a lot of fresh things, and coupons dont always apply. Im also a gal who gets store brands on nearly everything, so I dont have to pay that 25¢-$1 extra they factor in for advertisments. Generics use to be a a safe bet, but now they are just a s expensive as major brands.
Trader Joes is my staple, and their brands and quality and price are always market value (with the acception of brands not labled by them).
I get a pound of spinich there for less than $3. Kroger would be $9. Might not be packaged as pretty, but I dont care about that, is gonna get recycled anyway.
Co-ops here are practically unheard of, but we do have an amazing selection of farmer's markets (in fact, my family runs one!) They supply almost all of our eggs, herbs, spices, vegetables, fruits, veggies, nuts...
I agree about the notorious overpackaging at most stores. I think that with a little ingenuity, one can eat healthy and green (or as green as desired) regardless of where you are able to shop. We live in the suburbs, but I still have a vegetable and herb garden. Everyone has room for a container or window garden, or even a salad bowl garden in the kitchen! I grew up in the country with a huge garden, chickens, well water, etc. I shop at the grocery store for the items I need, but I watch what I buy very carefully and I refuse to pay extra for "garbage" type items, such as the pre-made mixes and frozen dinners I mentioned before. It is generally far less costly to eat well and make things from scratch. It just takes a little extra effort, rather than just tossing a frozen Stouffer's lasagna into the oven. Even if you live near no farmer's markets or co-ops, I think it is very possible to eat healthy and be thrifty at the grocery store. You just have to learn how to shop differently, and not get sucked in by "great deals." I think it is a learning curve, just as someone who has never gone to a farmer's market or dealt through a co-op would have to learn to get used to it.
We both take our lunches to work most every day as well. HUGE money saver!