Economics of Healthy Living

[aimeecc]

For Aliantha...

Not only is buying healthy and organic foods expensive, but contrary to claims that its better for the environment, its worse for the environment when the organic food has to be shipped 3,000 miles to the consumer.

I don't buy all organics, but do when its not much more expensive. Probably half of my little one's food is organic. My mom's visiting in 2 weeks and will only eat ALL organic. Its going to be a pain. Oatmeal has to be organic slow cook - no quick cooking Quaker Oats.

One of the funny things is there are 2 stores nearby that carry a good selection of organic foods. One is incredibly expensive. About once a month I get a $10 coupon in the mail from them, so I go shopping there then. The other store isn't too bad on price, but their selection is hit and miss. And their farther away. There's another store that carries some organics, but its 20 miles away, but way cheaper on everything. So usually once a week I go there. My husband says I waste time, and money on gas, but when a box of cheerios is $1 cheaper, and its the larger box (x 3 boxes a week), and the diapers are $2 cheaper, and the chicken is $3 cheaper (x 3 packs of chicken), and the baby food is 20 cents cheaper a jar (x 18 jars of baby food)... it adds up quickly. My husband thinks it funny I remember all the prices.

I was thinking of going organic toys for little one with all the scare over lead in childrens toys (it is IMPOSSIBLE to find toys not made there). But organic toys are incredibly expensive. So I figured I'll take the risk along with the millions of other parents who buy the China toys.