Organic Shopping Budgets Itself

Hi, again! I dropped another chunk o' change on some healthy goodies at Aldi's and Hannaford's tonight -- and don't feel TOO badly about it. There are a couple of reasons to feel guilt-less (or less guilty, at least) about my expensive purchases. (And, yeah, I'm an Irish Catholic -- one of the guilt-built-in breeds; the occasional twinge of "is my mom watching me and did she just see how much that organic kumquat I just picked up was?" does hit me in the grocery store.)

1. When I know how much I spent on something, I take a lot more care in preparing it. My cooking ability has improved greatly just out of fear of ruining a not-too-cheap ingredient. Organics make you a better cook.
   
   
2. I think more about snacking. I finally bought some organic snacks that I'll feel much better noshing on after school; for awhile now, I've gotten home and either starved when my salty cravings hit or went after the worst thing in the cabinets. Now, I don't have ANYTHING really bad in the cabinets and, again, knowing how much I spent on the good stuff, I'm not likely to eat the whole bag in one sitting. Organics make you watch your diet.
   
   (This goes hand-in-hand with the fact that someone mentioned Doritos today and my mind immediately went to, "What the hell is IN those?!" -- when I used to think, "Mmm. Dip 'em in PB or cream cheese, you're golden." I can't believe it.)
   
   
3. Dave and I have been a lot more conscious and verbal about what we eat. He'd prefer to be able to grocery shop with me every time it's called for, but his hours just don't work out in his favor on this front. So, today I showed him absolutely everything I got -- and, no, he wasn't bored by it. Organics make you aware and, dare I say, bring you closer together with your significant other.
   
   
4. When shopping for organic and natural foods (not the same thing), you're much more in-touch with the shopping experience. I don't buy half of what I'd like to, and I don't shop at Walmart anymore. Shopping at Hannaford's, I KNOW I have to watch myself because I could spend a whole paycheck on groceries. Walmart is, admittedly, cheaper but stocked with SO MUCH CRAP that I'd end up leaving the store with more crap than cupboard space -- oh-so healthy, oh-so what they want you to do. So, I have to shop fully aware and almost in a trance -- which is also helpful when you see people you'd rather not talk to while you're grocery shopping. ;-) Just kidding! Regardless, I think to myself, "Will I have time this week to make homemade granola? Should I buy the ingredients now, or put it off?" My priorities this week concerned healthy snack foods and a few less expensive, quick lunch options (organic cup o' soups). So, that said, organics budget themselves and make you prioritize.

Yeah, all the italicized ideas are vast generalizations, but sometimes it's fun to make them. Overall, the cost being spent so far hasn't put us in the poor house, the act of purchasing has been therapeutic and conversational ("When we have kids, they'll drink these" conversations are always uplifting), and we've taken to enjoying cooking AND eating a lot more. I like the new consciousness. I think I'll keep it.