While visiting my sister this weekend,we found a local farm less than a mile away from her. We drove by and were able to pick up a lot of great produce, directly from the farmer that manages the fields! He has three farms in nearby cities, with one right there next to his farm stand. The only way you can get more local produce it to grow it yourself!
We were all amazed that there was still a decent sized functioning farm right next to houses. Land in that area is pretty valuable since homes over there easily sell for $800K or so. I have no idea how big the farm is (I can't judge things like that), but if a developer bought the land and built houses, he could probably have 50-100 houses, depending on the lot size.
It was great to see a family owned operation still in place!
We'll definitely be stopping by every time we see my sister. As for her, I think she's found a new place to get her produce and eggs,
Monday, July 14, 2008
Really Local Produce
Monday, June 23, 2008
Grocery Costs
On my last credit card statement, C and I spent approximately $500 on groceries. Some of this spending was a bit more than normal due to my mystery shopping, but the amount just seemed outrageous for a family of two. C and I do try to eat healthy and buy organic products, but I think the real issue was shopping without a list. C and I are both pretty big impulse buyers. So for this upcoming credit card statement (the one we're currently in), I told C that we were going to try to spend $100 or $150, at the most. I figured we would be able to spend a lot less since we did buy a lot of food in the prior month. I'm happy to report that with the credit card statement date almost coming to a close, we're definitely under $150, but over $100. Making goals really does help you improve!
Saturday, March 29, 2008
To My Loyal Readers
Sorry for the lack of posting. I have a ton of ideas, but I can' t seem to finish any posts! I've been on a mini vacation for this past week and I'm starting a new project this Monday. Hopefully I'll get back into posting this upcoming week.
In the meantime, here are some random thoughts:
You can really see inflation when you go somewhere to get one specific thing that you haven't purchased a in few years. In my case, C and I went to one of our favorite restaurants in NY. Something that used to cost $20 3 years ago is now $28!
Sometimes I remember something as being better than it really is. It's the idea that absence makes the heart grow fonder.
For some reason, I've always been turned off by Suze Orman. I found one of her books, 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, so I started reading it. It's been pretty good. I remember going to a book signing with David Bach and hearing him say that 80% of what he and Suze says are the same. I started reading the book and it's been great so far. She talks about how our early experiences with money shape our view of money now. Too bad, I can't really remember any of my early experiences with money. I will post some early memories later and you will see how little I remember.
It's important to set a budget when you vacation. C and I are on a work/vacation type vacation (i.e. about half of this trip is being subsidized by own employers). Too bad our employers don't cover the full cost of our meals and shopping!
Does anyone else think that the new frozen yogurt craze (i.e. pinkberry, red mango, et al.) is crazy? I think it's creating a new market. A yummy, healthy (gotta love the fresh fruit toppings) new latte factor! Personally I love red mango.
, so I started reading it. It's been pretty good. I remember going to a book signing with Tuesday, January 08, 2008
Wasting Money on Food
I hate it when I spend money on something that I don't need or really want. Normally I love going to restaurants and having leftovers, but not when I travel. I don't have a fridge in my room and it would be considered pretty extreme to bring my lunch to work when I'm traveling, staying at a hotel without a fridge, and pocketing a hefty meal allowance ($64/day).
Have you ever heard of the phase, "your eyes were bigger than your stomach?" Well today my ears were bigger than my stomach since I placed a pick up order. I could have ordered the $9 10 oz appetizer portion, but I was afraid that it wouldn't be enough. So I decided to opt for the $11 16 oz dinner portion. I definitely left more than half of the food untouched! While it's only a small mistake, it galls me since I wasted both food and money!
Next time I'll remember that a smaller portion will usually suffice for me, especially now as I'm getting older and my metabolism slows.
