Buying Organic

According to The Free Dictionary a parent is:




par·ent  (pârnt, pr-)

n.

1. One who begets, gives birth to, or nurtures and raises a child; a father or mother.

2. An ancestor; a progenitor.

3. An organism that produces or generates offspring.

4. A guardian; a protector.

5. A parent company.

6. A source or cause; an origin: Despair is the parent of rebellion.

v. par·ent·ed, par·ent·ing, par·ents

v.tr.

1. To act as a parent to; raise and nurture: "A genitor who does not parent the child is not its parent" (Ashley Montagu).

2. To cause to come into existence; originate.

v.intr.

To act as a parent.

I like the definition "a guardian; a protector," as well as, "to act as a parent to; raise and nurture." I think we can all agree that being a parent means doing what we feel is best for our children/family. And over the last several years nutrition and fitness have become concerns/priorities within my parenting and lifestyle. So, what that in mind, I've decided to start buying more organic foods and materials. I feel there is enough evidence to support the need for young children {mainly in regards to their development and lower body weight being unable to metabolize harsh chemicals as adults can}, for the growing baby within my belly, as well as the overall health of my husband and I {in regards to cancer and obesity} to put forth the effort and become a serious shopper.


Now, I've always been under the impression that buying organically would require spending more money, but the great thing about many of the local stores that sell organic is that they buy locally which in turns saves on shipping costs as well as air pollution {trucks aren't driving across country to bring fruits and vegetables}. And by buying locally, the in-season fruits are very reasonably priced.


I've chosen to make my main priority raw fruits and vegetables, home products, and possibly some meats. Below is my grocery receipt from yesterday's shopping, notice the prices and try and compare them to your local grocery store.


Supergreens @ $2.99 x 2 bags {salad mix}
Pink Lady Apples @ $2.99/lb
Avocado @ $1.99 x 3
Roman Tomatoes @ $1.99/lb
Yellow Peaches @ $.99/lb {in-season, on sale}
Fresh Cherries @ $2.99/lb {in-season, on sale}
Organic Zbar @ $4.49 a box {Maddie and Jeremy love these protein bars and we use them as snacks}
Fresh & Clear Dishwashing Detergent @ $3.99 a box
Cucumber Bar Soap {Maddie is breaking out from something so I'm switching our soaps} @ $1.59/bar


My total came to $39.49 and this will meet our needs for fruit for one week. I'll still need to do a bit more shopping but I'll opt for our local discount grocery store Aldi's to do that. There are less pesticides in canned  foods so I can get a better deal on them else where, and this is where I see putting forth more of an effort {having to visit two stores rather than one}, and being a serious shopper.


So what about you? How do you shop? Do you clip coupons, do you shop around? Do you use discount groceries or simply stick to the local grocery store down the street?

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