What are your priorities?

[OrganicAnn]

Poll. What is your priorities in life or just groceries.

 

I find that I'm always making choices between things that are healthy and cost a lot vs things that are on sale but not so great. Throw convenience vs home made and it gets crazy. Anyway, as I'm thinking about the coming year. I wonder what others priorities are in these areas.

Edited January 1, 2010 by OrganicAnn

[OrganicAnn]

Just bumping it up.

 

I guess it is not unusually that convenient and frugal or frugal and convenient don't go together too easily.

[amyable]

I put frugal, healthy and convenient - but that is mostly because that is how dh shops (and he is the main shopper right now).

 

Actually, non-allergenic is our top priority, everything else is gravy. :D

[Rosie_0801]

Those three plus ethical :) Which is on top of the list depends very much on factors such as who is doing the shopping and how much money is in the wallet.

 

:)

Rosie

[Sputterduck]

Healthy, frugal, convenient

[Denisemomof4]

oooops! Can I change how I voted?

 

I put frugal, healthy, convenient but should have posted healthy, frugal, convenient.

 

Some weeks it's convenient, healthy, frugal. ;)

[Parrothead]

I used to be convenient, frugal, healthy. Now I'm shooting for healthy, frugal convenient.

[AuntieM]

I chose Frugal/Healthy/Convenient only because my current budget and schedule dictate those priorities.

 

My best case scenario order would be healthy/high quality/convenient.

ETA: Best case scenario would also include the chef, haha!

[missmoe]

Yes, I lumped the ethical in with the health when I considered my answer. I voted healthy, frugal, and convenience.

[MamaT]

Healthy, Frugal, Convenient. I don't mind cooking from scratch and healthy is important to me. I also like finding deals and saving money when I can, but health comes first.

[IsabelC]

Good question. I change from one day to the next. I try to prioritize healthy with an eye toward frugal, but sometimes convenience just wins anyway :001_huh:

 

We used to buy all our fruit and veg organic, but in the end I decided that it would actually be more healthy to buy mostly non organic, because that way we end up eating about four times as much fruit and veg. I figured that heaps of fruit and veg with a few nasties is preferable to filling up on bread and butter because we've run out of fresh food.

 

On the ethical side of things, since we gave up buying anything containing cocoa that is not organic/fair trade, I spend about the same as before but only eat about 20% as much chocolate stuff as I used to. So that's all good.

[Peela]

The truth is we are not feeling the pinch too much and as time goes on, I feel that I prefer to prioritise healthy food than spend the money on something that is relaly a luxury. However, I dont buy all organic...only some.

It really depends on the day, on what is on special- I am often goign to a local Italian deli and they have amazing B grade fruit and veg specials. So, its frugal, its healthy because its fruit and veg- but not organic- and acutally its not so convenient but when it is convenient, i make teh effort to get there.

Its all mixed up here...the priorities change regularly. I am not rigid about any of it. Some days its supermarket fruit and veg, others I feel only organic will do etc

[HappyatHome]

Frugal has always been a priority, but I love that being frugal often goes hand in hand with being healthy.

[hsmamainva]

I'm healthy - frugal - convenient.

 

We have tons of food allergies in our family so health comes first and organic / allergen-free doesn't come cheap!

 

But I try to save where I can on the things that we're not allergic to, like fruit, vegetables, and meat.

 

Convenience...ha! Most convenience foods contain allergens, so they're not convenient for us as we can't eat them! ;)

[OrganicAnn]

Frugal has always been a priority, but I love that being frugal often goes hand in hand with being healthy.

 

That's interesting. I find that being frugal and being healthy goes together with processed foods. But with buying meat, fruits and vegetables they are at opposite sides of the spectrum. Except eating less meat is frugal and healthy. I might put growing your own veg & fruit as both frugal and healthy. Hmm I have to think about that. I find that buying cheap fruit, veg, meat, diary produces are not what I would call healthy choices. But it could be different definitions of healthy.

[MomOfOneFunOne]

It was close but I voted Healthy, Convenient, Frugal. I voted frugal last mostly b/c lately I've been thinking about frugal vs. cheap.

 

Really when I consider what we're having for the week I think healthy and yummy. After that I think about if we could manage it that week with our schedule. I put frugal last b/c while diligent economy is important, I do spend more to get healthy, organic, et c. However, just b/c I put frugal last does not mean that it isnt' very important.

 

And convenient doesn't mean prepackaged to me. Convenient means I can put it in the crockpot on a day we'll be out or in the oven with the delay start if we'll be out that evening. It means that I can get all the ingredients at the two stores I shop. It also means that it won't be too terribly pot/dish/time/ingredient/cleaning/prepping intensive.

 

And that's goes for "mostly." I do like to fix meals from time to time that break all those rules, or most of them, but not on a daily basis.

[babysparkler]

Healthy, Frugal, Convenient. I don't mind cooking from scratch and healthy is important to me. I also like finding deals and saving money when I can, but health comes first.

:iagree:

[Narrow Gate Academy]

I put healthly, frugal, convenient. Truly we eat healthy because I generally cook from scratch. I'd love to buy more organic foods, but the money's just not in the budget.

[LibraryLover]

I didn't vote because it's not clear for me. Health is one. Frugal is another but within reason. We are lucky to have a rather steady food budget. Convenience is not really on my list. I enjoy being able to heat up a frozen pizza at times, but ease of prep is not a huge concern as kitchen time is family time so we don't need to rush. Plus, most of the time (not all of the time ! lol) cooking is a pleasure for me. I love to be in the kitchen, I like to chop and saute etc. I look (mostly lol) forward to it. I feel grateful and blessed to have the time & opportunity to do this. I don't want to take it for granted.

 

So, I guess family time, health, good value. And I wish my climate was more termperate so I could have a garden all through the year.

Edited January 2, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Doran]

My first priority with regard to food is health. But, I'm only willing/able to take that to a certain extreme. I have an economic tipping point which gets in the way of my healthy ideals, and often, convenience is wrapped up in that same ball of wax. Bear in mind that my children now attend public school (:001_huh:), so by way of example, I'll dissect my purchasing habits when it comes to what they eat for lunch.

 

1. 4 days out of 5, they take lunch from home. Once a week, I let them buy a nasty school lunch. I consider it worth the trade off for the convenience it offers them and me, that one morning a week.

 

2. I buy Applegate antibiotic/hormone-free deli meats for their sandwiches. These cost at least 50% (sometimes 100%) more than conventional sandwich meats, but I'm not willing buy the other. Could I cook a whole ham or turkey (abx/horm-free, of course) and slice it up instead of buying the packaged meats, and would it save money in the long run? You bet. But, that's where convenience steps in and takes over.

 

3. They usually take along some kind of salty snack, like chips. I buy organic tortilla chips, but they get sick of those. I also buy a Frito knock-off made for Trader Joes which is also organic. I can't get to TJ's very often (it's 50 miles away, one way), so we run out of the organic goodies. When that happens, I buy regular old Fritos, because they are made with simple ingredients, albeit using genetically modified corn! :glare: And/or, standard sourdough pretzels. Or potato chips.

 

4. I buy little bottled drinks with screw caps a few times a year. The girls refill these bottles with juice (organic) from a larger (more cost effective) bottle rather than buying the small lunch-size versions all the time.

 

5. They take a sweet treat, too. Generally cookies. I encourage them to bake their own, or I'll make a batch as often as possible. But, when life is too overwhelming to keep up with the baking, we buy store bought cookies. Unless you catch me in a VERY weak moment, I refuse to buy anything with HFCS or hydrogenated oils. That leaves very few conventional cookie options. Safeway makes a Select brand with decent ingredients. Or, we may kick down for some Newman's O's. But, OREOs don't show up on our pantry shelves except by accident.

 

6. They also take fruit and veggies. I buy organic celery and carrots year round, because they are affordable and convenient. I'll buy organic apples, when I can find them in the stores I frequent. Other organic produce is not readily available to me except during farmers' market season, during which I buy only some organic. I work for a conventional farmer during peak season, and she gives me produce from her stand. I can't justify the cost of the organic when I can get local/fresh from her for free.

 

I'm sure you really wanted to know all that. I'll stop now for your sake. :lol:

[LibraryLover]

But.

 

People often believe that Annie's Mac & Cheese (for example) is healthier than non organic carrots or sweet potatoes, and that's all kinds of wrong. Cheap carrots beat costly organic fast food any day and in every way.

 

Organic cookies or Veggie Booty is not healthier nor cheaper than a non- organic avocado, gram for gram. (Unless you have a dealthy allergy).

 

 

 

That's interesting. I find that being frugal and being healthy goes together with processed foods. But with buying meat, fruits and vegetables they are at opposite sides of the spectrum. Except eating less meat is frugal and healthy. I might put growing your own veg & fruit as both frugal and healthy. Hmm I have to think about that. I find that buying cheap fruit, veg, meat, diary produces are not what I would call healthy choices. But it could be different definitions of healthy.

Edited January 2, 2010 by LibraryLover

[Lisa in the UP of MI]

I put healthy, frugal, convenient. But...we don't buy organic, which I wish we could. It's just not feasible for us right now.

[Denise in Florida]

I put frugal, convenient, healthy because that is the way it has been. I am trying this year to put healthy higher up the list. :001_smile:

 

We need to stay with frugal but there are plenty of healthy frugal things if you are organized and willing to put in extra effort (or so I have been told.)

[ereks mom]

I chose Frugal/Healthy/Convenient only because my current budget and schedule dictate those priorities.

 

My best case scenario order would be healthy/high quality/convenient.

ETA: Best case scenario would also include the chef, haha!

 

:D

[zaichiki]

I could vote for any of those options depending on the day.

[CalicoKat]

Healthy, frugal, convenient

:iagree:same here.

[Laura W.]

Hmmm. I live in West Africa. Healthy and frugal are pretty much mutually exclusive here. And convenience...well, it takes on additional meaning.

 

I voted convenience first. We're busy, and we do use some "convenience foods" like macaroni and cheese. First and foremost, convenience for me means it's something I can get locally. The closest grocery stores are 11 hours away, so the more I can be creative with supplies I get at the local market, the easier it is for me to pick and choose wisely when we do go to the grocery stores.

 

Healthy second. Frugal here = lots of rice and very little meat, vegetables, or fruit. Since that's not particularly healthy to be frugal here, we do spend money to get what fresh fruits and vegetables we can (what we can get depends on the season), and make do with canned stuff during the months when there's very little fresh stuff available in the market.

 

Frugal last. We eat less meat than we did in the US, but still enough to be healthy. We've found the cheapest brand of powdered milk, but we still drink milk. We eat vegetables and fruit every day.

 

Oh, and here's a sampling of the best prices we've found for some things.

 

powdered milk (1 lb bag- enough for about 3 quarts) - $2.50

chicken breast - $6/lb

mutton or goat meat - $3.50/lb

carrots - $1.75/lb

butter (not margarine) - $4.50/lb

16 oz can of green beans - $1.75

apples, oranges, tangerines - $1.75/lb

eggs - $2.20/dozen

cheese - $7/lb

 

Blessings,

 

Laura

[MyLittleWonders]

I voted healthy - convenient - frugal. For us, healthy means gluten free, all natural (no artificial ingredients/preservatives/etc.), and usually dairy-free. With food intolerances, we have no choice. We also buy about 75% organic.

 

Convenient is second because if I can find something to help make meal prep a little easier and it meets the above requirements, I'll buy it. But like a previous poster said, this includes things that can all go in the crockpot in the morning, and not just pre-packaged junk. (We do buy store-bought "junk" food - usually chips and cookies - because the boys have so much on their "you can't eat this list" that I like to have some treats for them.)

 

Frugal, well, I try and be as frugal as I can be, but not shopping in traditional grocery stores and not eating pretty much anything that has accompanying coupons makes it more difficult. I have a general food budget that I try and stay within, but I'm more concerned about "healthy" when it comes to food above cost.

[SilverMoon]

I voted for healthy, frugal, convenient. More realistically it's gluten free, healthy, frugal, convenient.