Today, I traveled across town to my favorite local buying club to stock up on high quality grassfed meats and jersey milk cheeses. I make this trip every few months and save myself a small fortune. In fact, I have no doubt that I spend at least half what a typical family of five would spend at a regular grocery store buying cheap, processed foods. It is a great source of pride for me to feed my family so well and still be super smart about how much I spend. All you Healthy Home Economists out there know exactly what I’m talking about .. it’s a game isn’t it? Finding top quality and getting great deals is a super satisfying way to shop!
One troubling trend I’ve observed over the past 12 months during these tough economic times is that some folks are cutting back on quality food as they try to save a few dollars. In the end, this strategy is sure to backfire, as buying cheaper food inevitably leads to more frequent colds and even more serious flus and viruses. Being in a weakened state already from a lower quality diet will require doctor’s visits in these cases, as the body probably won’t be strong enough to just throw off the illness itself with no meds. Just one round of antibiotics for one person will set you back around $35 in most cases, sometimes even more than that despite having health insurance. If a family is without health insurance due to an unemployment situation, the meds are triple that price or more, just for one person! Multiply that cost by the number of people in the family as the bug makes its way around the house and you are out a hundred bucks or more for a single illness.
Please keep in mind that part of being a Healthy Home Economist is seeing the big picture and not just the dailyness of paying the grocery bill. It ALWAYS pays to buy top quality, nutrient dense food even under conditions of financial hardship. Good food is always cheaper than meds!
Back to my trip to the local buying club this morning sourcing quality food. Here’s a list of what I purchased, all for well under $300. Incredible savings!
Who says eating well and buying top quality food is expensive?
4 Eberly Cornish Hens
12 lb of grassfed ground beef
2 lb of smoked, wild salmon
3 lb of raw, jersy colby cheese
12 packages of Applegate Farms nitrate free bacon
8 packages of Applegate Farms roast beef slices
8 packages of Applegate Farms turkey slices
2 packages of Applegate Farms bratworst
4 extra large bags (about 3 lbs each) of free range, hormone free chicken nuggets
1 gallon Grade B Vermont Maple Syrup
Don’t delay .. contact you local Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leader and get your local list of buying clubs and farms around your area. Start buying top quality and save money at the same time! http://www.westonaprice.org/local-chapters/find-local-chapter
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
would you ever be able to put together a list of what you buy and about what you pay for it? I am looking for a way to feed my family better but with limited resources around here I want to make sure I am getting a decent price… but I have no idea what those prices should be around!!! I know you said $300 but that was for everything.
I would like to second that question. I live in Tampa also and would be grateful to find out where you do your shopping. Granted I only shop for two but local sources would be great.
Thanks,
Joe
Hi Sarah,
I live in Tampa also and was curious if you would share with me where to find the local buying club you are talking about.
I have been trying to find local meat sources but they all want me to buy a whole pig/cow etc. There are only 3 people in our family and that would take years to eat!
Thank you so much. I really like you blog 🙂