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ailbheHere I am, making up my menu plan and shopping list, blinking back the tears.
Why? Because we really cannot stretch to buying all our food in the highly ethical-consumer way we were until recently. We really, really can't. And I spent years working up to that level of knowing-my-food-was-clean and now I have to work back down again, not in a just-this-once way, but in a lifestyle change way.
It's so sad.
(Yes, other people have real problems, I know. One of the things I loved about not being poor, when I started to not be poor, was the choice to make ethical buying decisions).
I'm feeding our shopping list into online shopping services for the places we can't easily reach without the trike; in general, paying for delivery is cheaper than paying to get the bus.
(I actually just broke down and sobbed on Rob's shoulder; we used to use less meat per meal and the main result was that I didn't eat enough; our easiest money-saving option is for me to not eat enough and that's the first thing I tried, months ago, to save money; this is really, really broken - but so is the meat industry, and the fact that when I'm vegetarian I get sick).
We are, actually, of above average means. I'm just... cracked in places.
Why? Because we really cannot stretch to buying all our food in the highly ethical-consumer way we were until recently. We really, really can't. And I spent years working up to that level of knowing-my-food-was-clean and now I have to work back down again, not in a just-this-once way, but in a lifestyle change way.
It's so sad.
(Yes, other people have real problems, I know. One of the things I loved about not being poor, when I started to not be poor, was the choice to make ethical buying decisions).
I'm feeding our shopping list into online shopping services for the places we can't easily reach without the trike; in general, paying for delivery is cheaper than paying to get the bus.
(I actually just broke down and sobbed on Rob's shoulder; we used to use less meat per meal and the main result was that I didn't eat enough; our easiest money-saving option is for me to not eat enough and that's the first thing I tried, months ago, to save money; this is really, really broken - but so is the meat industry, and the fact that when I'm vegetarian I get sick).
We are, actually, of above average means. I'm just... cracked in places.
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-10-21 09:58 am (UTC)Meat is, SFAIK the most expensive part of my meal budget - closely followed by cheese/eggs/other animal proteins. I know there are some that manage well on a diet without meat/fish, but I think it adds a lot.
Perhaps the bottom line is that you need to keep yourself healthy, so that you can keep your family healthy. If cutting down the meat intake is not enough, and you tried that, and you tried going and getting cheaper cuts of meat etc, then something has to give. Don't let it be your health.
A principle is a guiding light, for me - I will buy happy eggs, and mayonnaise made with happy eggs. But I cannot stretch to happy meat. If I could, I would.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-10-29 11:17 pm (UTC)