A changing ethic of compromise

When growing up, the shopping ethic I learned from my mother (for both groceries and everything else) was: buy the cheapest available. This was rooted in financial reasonability and responsibility, but came to be a way of life for me. What budget we did have for food, we spent practically; boxed macaroni and cheese and frozen foods were certainly on the menu occasionally, but for the most part, my mother prepared foods. Junk foods simply didn’t exist in our house. As I grew older and my mother graduated from college, we gained the potential for some flexibility in our grocery habits, typically resulting in better quality goods. This meant sometimes buying a more expensive brand if we had a coupon for it, even if the coupon did not bring the end price below that of the brand we’d normally purchase. The next major turning point in our eating habits occurred when my mom’s boyfriend was diagnosed with diabetes. At this point, our groceries were chosen for not only their price, but their nutritional value; for example, the whole family made the permanent shift to whole wheat pasta and bread. Since then (beginning even prior to taking this class), I have developed a goal of my own. While being wealthy for the sake of it does not appeal to me, I want to make enough money to be able to comfortably feed myself (and family, if applicable) sustainably; these are the conditions by which I measure my success. I have learned both in my experience living at home and now, on my own, that the least processed the food is, the cheaper it is; eating at home is obviously cheaper than going to restaurants every day, but it is also cheaper to make salad, bread, baked goods, etc. than to purchase them pre-made. This does not pose a problem to me. What is problematic is the price sacrifice required when trying to buy organic and/or local products with which to prepare meals. As a college student in New Orleans, I wish to take advantage of living within easy walking distance of farmers’ markets, and I can afford to buy some of their products. However, there is no way I would be able to make all of my purchases there. Seventy-five cents for a single local plum might not sound excessive if weighing one’s options for lunch, but when compared to the per-pound rate of the chain stores’ fruit, it is rather shocking. The prices at stores like Whole Foods are even more disturbing. I try to compromise my budget with my morals; for example, when faced with a decision between two varieties of traditionally-grown and similarly priced apples, I will take into account from where they’ve traveled and choose those originating closest to my current location. While I value sustainability, I also have to keep both my budget and my health in mind; until I reach such a point in my life where I can afford otherwise, I will continue to buy the majority of my diet from Winn-Dixie, Langenstein’s, Hannaford, or Shaw’s, and supplement it with splurges on more responsibly grown items.