Common Cuisine |

Last week I discussed the problem of rising food prices and how they have developed out of an imbalance in the global food economy. The question is, how do we at home survive the global economic balancing act? With an ever increasing demand on our resources, we face greater pressure to protect our own bottom line.

One powerful answer has an entire problem-solving movement named after it. Conservation primarily involves lowering consumption of resources; and promoting use of alternative resources that don’t do harm to the ecosystem that produces them. I see three valuable ways of applying conservation to my grocery shopping.

Spend Less
On the smallest scale, don’t buy as much. I don’t have the source, but I read once that Americans throw away about 10% of the produce we buy because it spoils before we can get to it. So let’s think about it: if I were to reduce the amount of food I purchase, would I really be taking away from my family, or would I just be donating less to the green waste bin?

Taking it to the opposite end of the scale, consider this before you go house hunting for a new home for your growing family: in addition to costing more upfront and in property taxes, a larger house will require larger amounts of power to heat, cool, light and otherwise power. In addition to which, the larger your house is, the greater your chances that the kitchen is a long trek from the garage with an armful of groceries!

We are looking at houses while we wait for our vacant one to sell, and this is a tough consideration for me. My husband is a big and tall guy, and smaller floor plans have smaller rooms and lower ceilings, leaving him with a sense of claustrophobia. In addition, we both crave a home office (as in, one for each of us). This makes it a little difficult to realistically think we could fit ourselves and three or four kids into 1500 square feet. But it is very tempting to remember that a smaller house will ultimately leave us with greater discretionary income, due to reduced mortgage, property tax, utilities and upkeep costs. It all adds up, helping both me and the environment.

Spend Smart
Did you know that you have spending power? Oh, yes, it’s one of your best weapons. Everyone has to spend money on food, and each purchase is like a vote for the products you choose. Every time you choose organic produce; dairy and meat products produced without hormones; and food that uses less packaging, you are voting for preserving our ecosystem.

Right now, buying better food does usually mean spending more. But each vote you cast for that better food brings it closer to mainstream, which helps bring the cost down. Just do the best you can to save money elsewhere, and watch closely for sales on your ideal items. You can choose your top priority organics, such as apples, carrots and strawberries; start with milk and add other dairy products gradually; and buy a filter for your tap so you aren’t buying and throwing away dozens of water bottles every month.

Don’t spend at all
This is such a simple idea, but is one worth addressing in our materialistic culture. Sometimes we get tempted to buy something we don’t really need. I find it wise to stop and ask myself, am I purchasing this to add something to my collection or to replace something old? If the answer is, “add,” then where will I put it? How much will I need it? Do I already have the means to accomplish what this tool can do? If the answer is, “replace,” then what will I do with the thing I am replacing? Is it really in need of replacement? A few months ago my husband presented me with the opportunity to buy a new Roomba floor cleaning robot from a friend who had bought two. Now, I think this gadget is way cool. But we already have a three-year old Dyson vacuum that works just fine. So I had to decline the opportunity for now. When my Dyson reaches the end of its life, I will check out the robot worker scene again.

One way to not spend at the grocery is to go armed with a battle plan and a full tummy. Then you know what you are going for, and you have the fortitude to stick to it. Then you can congratulate yourself on how much you didn’t have to save, because you didn’t buy those great bargains in the first place! Warning: just don’t let your reward be a purchase from the impulse section in the checkout line, I’ve been sabotaged by that logic more than once!

It seems obvious to me that helping ourselves and helping the world are interconnected. The less we spend of our financial resources, the more we have left. And the less we consume, the more is left in the global supply. As we buy smarter, we choose products that last longer or work better, which leads to lower overall consumption as well as less demand on global resources. As each individual makes the commitment to use less and buy more intelligently, our efforts will add up to make a difference.

Good luck to you as you attempt to implement these principles to protect your bottom line.