First, I want to clarify something from the first post. I mentioned picking up and heading to Oklahoma. I don't want people to think that I am unhappy here in AZ. We are very happy. The biggest reason not to leave AZ (and on the other hand to go to OK) is our family. We have such a great family who love to love on our kids. I couldn't imagine not having that. So, just wanted to clarify.
Now on to the subject at hand. I mentioned in the first post that I have so many thoughts bubbling in my already full brain. (Forgive me if I have trouble coherently expressing them) I've been reading on the importance/benefits of eating organic, buying local, eating grass fed/free range beef, buying eggs from free range chickens, etc. I love the idea of all of it. However, my biggest frustration is the cost to do all of this. We are a family of 5 on a single income. That doesn't leave much room for the cost of eating/buying this way. My mom went to a local farmers market last week and told me about some free range eggs she picked up. I was excited, until she told me she paid $5 a dozen for them. I was a bit shocked. At this point, I am not ready to pay $5 a dozen for eggs. Do I feel a bit guilty about that? A little. But I just remind myself that my goal is to get to a point where I am comfortable about doing what I can within the means that I have. Right now, that doesn't fit and that's OK. I have also decided that it's OK to start small. (Like I said before, I like to dive in deep) For us, that means that I am only buying organic produce to make my sons baby food. I am going to start our garden, but am not planning on a big harvest yet. I do buy a few other items for the kids and myself like Earth's Best's snacks and Stoneyfield yogurt. At the same time, I do buy regular old fruit snacks too. We are not at a point and frankly don't know if we ever will be where everything I buy has to be organic/gluten free/hydrogenated oil free/etc. If you can do that, I think that's great. If you can't or don't even want to, I think that's great too. I am not going to beat myself up over not buying that way or judge anyone else who does or does not do it. That is just our "fit" right now. I would love to hear what your "fit" is and how you handle the financial cost of going green.
