I do what I can. Shop's own cheapest brand for most things. But I always buy non-caged eggs. Yes, a little bit more pricey, but that's one of the few things I won't skimp on any more. I home-bake as much as I can. Well, I have to - DS is allergic to most shop-bought treats. I organise recipes in advance, cost them out then see what I can cut down on within the recipe. What I can make stretch further. If I buy XYZ for this recipe, I can use X and Y the next day for another...
We also grow our own veggies in the summer: we only ran out of home-grown potatoes at Christmas time and still have some pumpkins to eat!
Leasha, I read somewhere the other day about someone having to budget and they found that having a set weekly meal planner saved them loads of money because they were only buying what they needed for the set meals for that week and she reckoned that it cut $100 off their grocery bill - would is be possible for you to try that and see how it goes or do you think it would be too hard to stick to a set meal each week? I know I couldn't do it LOL,
It depends where you're spending the money elsewhere in your life. If you needed to save the money so that you could go on a baby seal clubbing trip, or to put fuel in your 4 Hummers, or to funnel into your home-based child pornography business, then I'd say hang on....
But you're not. The cheapest laundry detergent you can buy is an enviro-friendly one. Same as cleaning products (bicarb and vinegar!) Someone mentioned farmers' markets for eggs, and it really is so much cheaper. You're cloth-bottoming your babe...
So put your guilt away, leash. Don't stress too hard over it. You alone can't save this world, and you're already doing what you can - which, most importantly, is setting a fantastic example for Jazz, just by considering it - so you're changing this world more than you think....
OG: we buy usually buy Australian made, but go fair trade where Australian made maynot be possible (I'd always thought rice shouldn't be grown in Australia because of the water so Thanks Trillian, I hadn't read about that before ).
We do homebake, because Jazz and I both have intolerances to some major preservatives and flavours. We have been pretty lax with out meal planning/menu since I've been at work, Shel's just getting into the hang of things. We'll have to really get back into it, might make it easier to work out where we can buy ethically and still feed ourselves for the week.
Gonna have to get my butt into gear and work this out. We do a lot, local butcher which buys local meat and the green grocer attached to it buys local and Australian grown produce, both of which is important to us. I'm sure it can be done though. I worry about it a lot, especially when am talking to someone and start to go on about, for example, Nestle, and then realise "aw crap, my trolley looks like a home brand and Nestle advert"
ETA: NAAAWWW snuggley, you gave me warm and fuzzies
It will take a bit of practice, but I'm sure that you and Shel will be able to reach a healthy compromise on it - buy according to your ethics where you can and do a bit of research on which products meet that criteria and aren't that expensive and keep your eye out for specials on the stuff you can't regularly buy. I think I posted a link somewhere that listed all the australian made and owned products that you can buy through IGA stores and some of them are comparable in price to big imported names.
Budget wins here (although I have chosen 6 free range vs 12 cage eggs in the past because I just can't stand the thought of those unhappy chickens )...but everything else I'm buying entirely to my budget.
I do however try to compensate by op-shopping & buying 2nd hand goods where I can, selling my own used things, and trying to be less of a rampant consumer generally. Not always successfully and I'm sure I have a long way to go, but I figure something is better than nothing.
Just the fact you think about it and care makes a big difference Leash. Somethings i just can't budge on, like eggs. (anyway you could get a couple of chooks? they lay cheap eggs. )
But you do what you can, and you do what you have to. No point shopping ethically if you then end up on the streets because you couldn't pay the rent.
I have a real thing about homebrand products and the supermarkets pushing small business out of the market. Soon we wont have a choice. So i try, if i can, to avoid homebrand products. I wouldn't let me family starve though if that's all i could afford.
Leasha you can only do what you can do and you know within your heart that if you could afford all the right products you would buy them. I also try to buy fair trade, organic, local etc In fact I would like to not only buy the right products/groceries I would like to fix the whole world of pain, suffering, war, starvations, murder etc etc but you know what, I can't. I will start with making my environment full of love and compassion and let that spread as far as it can. That is all I can do. Is there a local farmers market you can go to? Their would be free range eggs there and local organic produce at a good price.
Well I'm an ethical buyer, but at times have had to compromise. We make most of our foods, so I try to check out where my flour (wheat) is grown, and I grow my own herbs. I have my own chickens which works out to be heaps cheaper than buying eggs anyway. The outlay was around $400 in the very beginning, but now I have 3 chooks who lay at least 2 eggs daily. I swap 12 eggs a fortnight to a friend who brings me special sourdough bread and he brings me 2 loaves of bread.
I buy my fruit/veg/normal bread from Aussie direct. I am now making my own rice milk at home, but I buy some at the shops.
I still refuse to buy Nestle... its hard at times, but I don't use packet mixes and it took us a few shops to change the way we bought. I guess thats just it, give yourself time and a budget and as you go along in your shop get the most important items first, the essentials, and then go and get the 'extras" and think about what is needed etc. I generally do something like a zucchini loaf for snacks for the week and hummous and then buy plain rice crackers and carrots for our snacks... sometimes we get a packet of chips on the weekend etc, but I guess its a matter of budget for us. We do not get take away, well once a week we have a budget of $20 for take away, so we might get fish n' chips but just get fish for us and I'll make a salad to go with it, and get the kids fish n' chips.
I think if you also think about what you are drinking at home... if you buy heaps of drinks, try to cut down to water and one other item per day... so water and a coffee, or tea.... or water and a wine etc etc .... it really makes you cut down on cost that way too .
ETA: also, just thinking, don't beat yourself up over it either, if you can't do it one week, thats okay. I actually bought Nestle chocolate the other week by mistake and got home and debated taking it back, but DH convinced me that it was worse for the environment if I got in the car and drove back to the shops.
time factor doesnt help when you work full time so sometimes markets are out of the question. You could start a small vegy garden, even if its just some parsely and chives to start with and build on that. I found that the kids love picking their own tomatoes from the garden so not only are getting something organic they are seeing were the food comes from and saving me $$$ and its Aussie grown
Eggs - we are fortunate enough to live near egg farms so we can get direct. We also source out the local produce farms and buy direct from them.
Nestles....as much as i dont like them my kids love their milo's so were I do my bit in other ways I have to lean in such a way for them.
As Ange said...atleast your thinking about it and giving a toss babe.
Budget wins here, too, although like LadyZaidie & Marydean - I cannot skimp on eggs, that's the only thing though. Otherwise it's all down to cost.
Like some of the others have said, I think just being aware is the biggest thing of all, there will be a time when you might be able to do differently, or educate someone else...
... in fact I have been educated just reading this thread, I am now off to learn what Nestle is all about...(I'm sure there is a thread on here somewhere but I've never read it...)
ETA - ok, found it gawd that is a big list of stuff to avoid. Good to know though.
I'm the same as so any on here. I would love to be able to buy australian made, organic, free range etc but our budget just doens't stretch to cover it. I do go to the farmers markets/fairs so guess that helps a little bit. Unfortunately at the moment I'm choosing food for my family over moral/ethical choices and I don't feel guilty about it at all - my family has to come first!
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)...but everything else I'm buying entirely to my budget.
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So i try, if i can, to avoid homebrand products. I wouldn't let me family starve though if that's all i could afford.
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