I have been trying to figure out how to make this blog post different from the food log. I know, this one calls for a lens of a system. Still, I had several dead starts. I kept coming back to why I purchased the food, not so much why I ate it. I reviewed the assignment and it says I can go that way, so, here I go.
Oh, wouldn’t the world be a better place if we just ate organically and locally. No wait, we did that. But sure, my life and my family’s life would be. And I’d feel warm and fuzzy about supporting those local farmers, putting their faces together with my food. I still believe I’d have no global impact, but my hubris could be felt for miles!
My husband, John, and I like Cub. It is close. They often have those warm-fuzzy inducing signs that credit the fresh produce to nearby farms. Our Cub has a Cub Fuel. For every $10 we spend in the store we get one cent off a gallon of gas. By spending a lot and using the maximum amount of coupons at once, we can get giddy knowing we saved as much as two dollars on a tank of gas (jealous, aren't you?) Cub is open 24 hours and has a bank branch inside.
I feel a need to briefly summarize the shopping influences I had growing up. My mother, whom I spent most of my time with, rarely shopped for groceries. Her father would often bring groceries when he knew the cupboards were empty. She spent money on fast food regularly. Almost everything we ate was ready-to-eat. School provided lunch and I never really had to buy food unless I wanted to. My father and his wife were as frugal as they come. Generics, double coupons, calculating the cost per ounce or per cookie compared to other brands, and still a great deal of time debating what to buy. Nothing was purchased if it wasn't on sale. I watched my stepmother beam with pride totaling up her hard earned savings at the end of the receipt. I preferred their thrifty habits.
When my husband and I were first living together, I was making more than enough to buy whatever groceries I wanted. Convenience and desire ranked far above thriftiness. We drank a lot of pop, and living in California we could've returned our cans for the bottle deposit of five cents each, but never bothered, choosing instead to just recycle them through the city. Sales were a nice bonus but not necessary and coupons were far too much of a bother. In our 11 years together we have suffered three serious financial crises that left us with nothing. Those, combined with being in our 30s and being homeowners has currently made us both more aware and concerned with where our money goes. I clip coupons from the Sunday paper (which I don't pay for) as well as the junk mail flyers which I used to recycle without opening. I search the store flyers at Cub as well. There's one thing my husband and I both agree on when it comes to saving money on groceries: we cut costs as long as we don't cut quality. Of all the places to save in one's budget, it's insane to me how many people choose to sacrifice quantity and nutrition in their diets instead of other expenses in their lives. If groceries became so high-priced that our grocery budget was inadequate, we would cut anywhere else to adapt.
So, my last shopping trip to Cub. Before I even leave the house, the coupons are sorted in the same order as my shopping list which is drawn up in the order of how I will physically progress through the store. The only decision-making I need to do in store is in the fresh produce section. Who knows what they'll have and what's looking good this week. Even though seasonal produce has been available year-round or most of my life, it still feels unnatural. How am I able to get berries in March? Why does everything look so colorful and big as it does when it's in season? I know all of the evil answers to these questions, but I focus on the luxury of the availability of delicious food that still has a shelf life. Two for ones are great here considering prices are higher off season. I don't need berries on my cereal but I like some and there's a coupon! Even if there isn't coupon, I'll still likely buy one even though it's pricey for such a little luxury. I choose the organic bananas over the non-organic because they're not much more expensive, they're right next to each other and well listed so I don't have to search for them, and they still seem to last as long as I need . The next stop is the meat alternatives freezer case. Nothing in here is ever a good deal. When they do have a big sale sign under my product, the fine print tells me I'm saving something like nine cents off of a four dollar item. I have only found coupons for these products once. The choices made here go beyond economy. I don't eat meat, my husband does. Of protein sources, he weighs my vegetarian options the same as he does his meat options. We like to eat together and often eat the same vegetarian meals when we can. When it comes to Boca and MorningStar products, the shit is expensive. There's not much there, and it doesn't last long. It's disconcerting that I can keep in the freezer forever and still eat it. I try not to think about all of the processing that goes into making it. But all these reasons are enough for me to not eat it every day but not enough for me to return to meat. I next move to the meat aisle, and I have to decide what meat to buy that I will never eat, but I choose not to eat, yet I will need to cook and get the most money out of for my husband. I won't buy meat if it's not on sale. I've got to have coupons. I've must be able to freeze it in single serving portions and know it may be a long time before I use it. I tried buying meat more frequently, but it went bad or didn't get used because there's only one person was eating it. There's no bigger guilt for vegetarian than buying meat and knowing it's going to waste.
Proceeding through the store I have the list of things I know I will buy it, but there are also coupons for things not on my list. I think some coupon enthusiasts get lost here. They have a coupon for what seems like a great deal and spend the money on a product that they won't use. Sometimes it's something they would even consider trying. I think I'm smart enough to see past the gimmicks.
Just as nearby are a Rainbow Foods and Byerly's. At Rainbow, I can double my coupons; same food, a little bit more savings. Why wouldn't I go where? I get anxiety just entering Rainbow. That's not relevant to this posting, so I'll just say that the way they force their generics down your throat combined with the most unenthusiastic employees you can find outside of government work are enough to keep me away. Then there's Byerly's which has a greater selection of the kind of foods that I like to buy. They're local and organic selection is the best you can find in the supermarket setting in my area. They have a greater variety of vegetarian options and their produce seems fresher than Cub. But damn they cost a lot! Not just on the things where you're getting what you pay for, but their prices on everything are notably higher than Cub; same name brand, same quality, big markup. It would be ideal if I could shop both Byerly's and Cub (and I've tried a few times) but it's outside of my convenience factor.
With spring almost here I'll again attempt to grow my own food in my yard. I've had difficulty in the past. We have a lot of trees so there's limited amount of sunlight for the garden. Gardening is also a lot of work in physical labor of which I'm incapable. I'm willing to make the time commitment but it's still a crunch with my schedule. I know more about home gardening and most city slickers, but I found it's not as easy as doing it on the family farm where the soil has more experience. Still, I'm going to try.
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