I’ve been reading a bunch of posts on different blogs today about organic foods. While there is certainly alot of arguments ‘for’ buying organic, there are just as many arguments (or opinions) for not. I’m still on the fence about it all.
Since I am a solo cooktician, I don’t tend to shop in the larger stores like Costco and Sams, since buying in bulk doesn’t suit my RV lifestyle and I don’t like to waste food. So I stick to the 99 Cent Only store, Big Lots and hit the chain grocery stores about once or twice a month for some meats, poultry, fish/seafood and items not readily available in my discount stores (which isn’t much nowadays). I also shop at Sprouts (my preference over Trader Joe’s) for whatever produce I can’t get that week at the 99 Cent Only store and bulk grains like brown rice and quinoa (my new favorite). I only hit Trader Joe’s once a month for TT’s chow since it’s the only place I’ve found that carries a brand worthy of my pooch’s palate.
Yesterday, I took a run over to Big Lots since I haven’t been there in a while because I was out of Almonds (due to all of the almond milk I’m making lately). You can get a 15 oz. can for only $6 or two 9oz. cans for $7 (you do the math). Needless to say I bought 4 of the 9oz cans and one is already soaking in water this morning.
Ok, so I went in for almonds and $88 dollars later…. to my surprise I found that they are now carrying many of the items you can find in Trader Joe’s or Sprouts. They carry a full line of Bob’s Red Hill products. For those of you not familiar, they are organic & gluten free items such as bulgar, quinoa, flaxseed, various flours & grains, etc. and all at a MUCH lower price than TJ or Sprouts! I immediately starting dumping bags into my cart. Just to prove my point, I went to Sprouts after this shopping spree and compared prices. Let’s just say my bill would have been almost double had I not stopped in Big Lots first!
I am also constantly amazed at what I find in the 99 Cent Only Store. I have to give them kudos for jumping on the bandwagon and recognizing an opportunity when they see one. They too have recently begun to carry these items. I was so pi$$ed to find the very same bag of flaxseed for a dollar that I had just spent $6.95 on in Sprouts an hour before! (This was a few weekes ago before I realized they were carrying these items now).
They also carry organic produce and some organic canned goods (like my favorite Aunt Penny’s Organic Garbanzo beans for the various different humuses- is that a word? – that I’ve been making lately). And everything is a DOLLAR!. I come home weekly with organic baby spinach, organic fruits, organic veggies and my grocery bill rarely goes over $30.
It used to be that only the TJ & Sprouts stores would carry all of this stuff and they milked you for it too. The only other place to pick up your organic produce used to be at a farmer’s market, again, at inflated prices. Now with the convenience of my favorite discount store carrying these items, if I choose to go down the Organic highway, it won’t cost me an arm & a leg anymore.
Like I said, I’m on the fence about buying organic, but if they’re available at a reasonable price, I’ll buy them. Otherwise, I’ll just do like mama used to do, wash everything when I get it home or grow it myself.
What’s your take on organic?
Rv Mama's Table For One! 