October 24th, 2005 - Food costs (and missed comments)
I just remembered that comments are back on the blog, and discovered that I have to moderate all of them. Have to remember to do that more often so that people other than my brother have their comments show up right away! (He’s an admin on this blogging system so his show up without me having to do anything. Wish I could figure out how to get the spam ones to delete themselves automatically….)
Anyway, Rebecca wrote “It may be the case that in a direct comparison of two items, the cheaper one will be the mass-market one. But that is an artificial comparison. If you compare what I spend by buying produce and honey and such at the farmer’s market and growing some in my garden, buying whole grains and legumes in bulk at the health-food store, buying small quantities of local meat and chicken at the meat market, and also choosing healthy foods carefully at the grocery store — with what an average mom spends on mostly processed foods and carry-out, then you will see that healthy eating doesn’t cost more. Cooking your own fresh foods is cheaper than buying mostly cans and boxes. I try to buy as much locally-produced stuff as possible, but when I cannot (tea, for example), I make a point of buying from companies that make efforts to be socially and environmentally responsible.”
I have to disagree that it’s an artificial comparison (unless you count health care costs!). A bag of Tostitos costs less than a bag of organic tortilla chips. A bag of carrots from California costs less than a bunch of carrots at the farmer’s market. A pound of potatoes or tomatoes costs less at the store than at the market. (I’ve been amazed at the cost difference!) Organic milk is twice as expensive as non-organic. Even something like dried legumes are more expensive from the organic section (although if you buy them from the regular store section, they are less expensive, I believe, than buying processed foods, I’ll grant that.) Apples direct from the farmer’s around here are about $3 for 2 pounds. I can find apples on sale for 89 cents at the store; not on sale for $1.29. And meat….I can find meat under $2/pound, but the cheapest cut at Cattlana is $3.49 for ground beef.
I’m also comparing whole foods to whole foods, not to buying take-out. But, even then, you can buy a cheap burger and fries for about $2 (or even less; it’s been a while). It’s hard to buy organic foods to make dinner at only $2 unless it’s just beans and rice. I’m sure the produce prices are even higher in big cities, but McDonald’s has the same prices everywhere, don’t they?
I definitely agree with her that growing your own foods is a grand way to save money on organic food and cut your grocery bill! (Oooops…until you decide to buy organic seeds and heirloom plants and then you start to wonder if you are saving as much. And when you put in a $500 fence to have a larger garden. But I’m sure it does work out to be cheaper in the end. At least I sure hope it does since the fence went in this morning.)
Rebecca also mentioned socially/environmentall responsible buying. I’ve never seen a fair trade item that cost less than a non-fair trade item. Again, those who are rich are much more able to afford such foods.
I wish I could compare my grocery bills from the last few years to see if we’ve spent more or less since watching SuperSize Me and reading Fast Food Nation. Unfortunately, the advent of Maggie has threw off our diets last winter (we bought a lot of convenience foods to my dismay) and has changed our grocery bills (she eats more food from the Red Radish than we do). Maybe I can get a little sense of it at least…. Also, we stopped buying much meat at all since I thought it was too expensive at the grocery store already and Cattlana’s prices are even higher. So, we aren’t eating the same foods to compare properly.
2 Responses to “Food costs (and missed comments)”
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October 25th, 2005 at 1:08 am EDT
I’m not sure where you live, but fair trade is NOT always more expensive — at least when consumers check up on the corporations to make sure they’re not unfairly jacking up fair trade prices :)
For ex, even the behemoth Starbucks’ fair trade coffee, Cafe Estima, costs $9.99 a pound, which is at the lower end of their bagged coffees.
Perhpas you’d be interested in taking the Starbucks Challenge?
October 25th, 2005 at 8:13 am EDT
Well, to be honest, the only fair trade item I have bought is chocolate. And of the two or three brands I’ve bought, they’ve all cost far more than a Hershey’s bar would. The Endagered Species ones from Red Radish, for instance, cost about $2.50 each. I think the Green & Black ones (bought in Scranton, PA, where grocery prices tend to be rather cheaper than here in WI) were about the same or maybe even $3. My favorite candy bar, the Fast Break (or the Take 5; can’t choose) cost about 75 cents although I try to buy them only on sale for $50 or less. I also tend to eat more of the candy bar than I do of the chocolate bar, but that’s because at $2.50 each, I can’t afford to get one very often so I try to make it last!
I don’t drink coffee, but surely a cannister of Folger’s doesn’t cost $10? If so, wow, another good reason to drink millk and water! There is a Starbuck’s in my local Target so I just might go ahead and do the challenge. But I’ll just ask “Could I get a cup of fair trade coffee?” but not actually order one.