Grocery challenge whilst buying organic & Fairtrade: How much for a 2 people?

therealslimcj

Hi

I couldn't think of a better title so I hope people find this here and of interest!

My GF and I do a monthly supermarket shop at sainsbury's and a weekly fruit and veg shop at a local greengrocers. We are attempting a grocery challenge and there's a Lidl round the corner (much much closer than Sainsbury's, which is 15mins drive away). However, I'm not sure if we can/should, as we try to buy organic and fairtrade where we can and I've read bad stuff about Lidl's ethics with regards to how they treat their staff, and also I'm a bit suspicious as their stuff is so cheap.

I suppose there's 2 questions for people here:

1. Does anyone else have this problem with their grocery challenge?
2. How much do all you couples spend out there a month on groceries whilst buying organic and fairtrade where possible?

Cheers!

rayday2

I have no idea to be honest I don't buy Fairtrade because of the air miles on the products and true organic should be sourced from local farms.

It all depends to me if you can afford to shop that way, if you are not putting food on credit cards or overdraft shop as you like. You can always look at products that are not available as organic or fair trade and buy cheaper versions of both of those which is cheaper.

Maybe you should attempt to chisel so many pounds off your average shop each time you shop or something and do the challenge that way round.

As for how Lidl treat there staff as an ex sainsburys employee they ain't so sweet!

Crown

I cannot really answer either of your questions as I am single and also dont really buy organic food as what ive read about it doesnt make much sense to me. The Supermarket seem to use the label Organic to charge over the odds for certain items. Is there really that much difference in Organic Garlic for example apart from the price difference?

I do agree with you about the ethics part of your question and would love to be able to afford to to shop so consciously but after thinking about this some time ago now I have realised that as soon as I am out debt I will be in a much better position to actually help do something positive rather than buy fairtrade Coffee.

Im sure a lot would disagree with me and I hope you dont mind me posting my thoughts.

I wish you the best of luck

Seaxwyn

Hi therealslim

We do try to buy mostly fairtrade and organic. I have been reducing the amount we buy organic, however, in favour of buying locally grown stuff.

It's a personal choice, some people have Sky, some buy chocolate or magazines, my luxury is buying organic meat, flour and veg.

Just to comment on one thing rayday, I believe fairtrade products are not transported by air, so there are no air miles involved.

I agree with you I would never buy fairtrade apples from South Africa over UK produce, but for tea, coffee and bananas, whatever you buy is going to have been transported much the same distance anyway.

Karmacat

Interesting! I used to buy a lot of organic and fairtrade, including paper goods made from recycled paper. I still buy organic root vegetables at the moment (mostly, tho not entirely) because when pesticides are used on them, they just sit there, don't get washed off in the same way as veg "in the air", so to speak.

I have a looser definition of organic than rayday2, btw.

However, I've had to abandon most of the goods I bought - I just couldn't keep on affording it. When I'm debt free and on the up again, I'll definitely be going back to using them.

As for a challenge for a couple while using organic and freetrade, I'm not a couple - hey, how come I'm excluded - and I don't buy much of the stuff any more. But its great that you've raised it as an issue - might need to push it out to singles and families, tho!

Shineyhappy

As a veggie and skint I sympathise a lot with your predicament.

I only buy free range organic eggs and milk, dont like cheese but I dont bother getting organic anything else. I try to keep my food miles down by going to farmers markets but I dont buy fair trade as I just cant afford it and there have been questions as to whether fair trade is as ethical as it claims to be. Mind you in a way buying from local farmers market is fair trade.

Crown

I remember watching a program a few moinths ago about supermarkets and the people who who doing a green challenge type thing never realised that Anchor butter is imported from Newzealand when there was stuff produced locally for around the same price.

This Green issue is a big discussion and its about educating people I guess but I know when we were really struggling and counting the pennies when I was Kid we were more worried about actually having food to eat rather than how much it was effecting my Carbon footprint...

rayday2

I saw that programme too Crown.

Being DFW makes you greener, I shop mainly at Netto and take carrier bags because they charge me! I also have home delivery from Tesco and choose no bag option.

But being a busy huge family like we are we are a bit be glad there is something on your plate. We get veggies from our neighbour home grown and from allotments. I would love to grow my own but previous owner burnt computer parts in the garden regularly and they contain lead so best not!

therealslimcj

Crown wrote: »

The Supermarket seem to use the label Organic to charge over the odds for certain items. Is there really that much difference in Organic Garlic for example apart from the price difference?

I do agree with you about the ethics part of your question and would love to be able to afford to to shop so consciously but after thinking about this some time ago now I have realised that as soon as I am out debt I will be in a much better position to actually help do something positive rather than buy fairtrade Coffee.

Hi Crown

I'm really glad people have something to say on this as it's a subject my GF and I feel strongly about (she even runs a website selling organic baby stuff and skin care called theethicallivingcompany but I'm not trying to get people on the website ).

I had a long...discussion with a couple of friends recently who had the same opinion as you and I explained to them that, like one of the other posters has said, it's a lifestyle choice. We choose to pay for fruit and veg that has not been sprayed with toxic chemicals (really toxic stuff, some of it cancer-causing) which goes straight into your body (and then straight to baby if you're pregnant or breastfeeding). We also are aware that non-organic and most of supermarket's fruit is old (apples are generally about a year old by the time you buy them. No joke!) who wants that?!

But that was a bit preachy, sorry!

The main reason we buy organic and fairtrade is that we want a purer, less-toxic product where producers get a fairer deal, and we also boycott companies like Tesco and Asda (2 of the worst companies on the planet) so it's really part of a bigger effort for us.

Oh, and different articles have shown that organic shopping isn't actually that much more expensive, it's a common misconception. AND you get a better/tastier product for your money!

tyllwyd

My feeling is that if you are happy paying for organic/fairtrade products, then the real saving is making sure that you use as much as possible of the stuff you do buy. There is no advantage to buying a huge packet of something cheap, if you then end up throwing away most of it.

Crown

tyllwyd wrote: »

My feeling is that if you are happy paying for organic/fairtrade products, then the real saving is making sure that you use as much as possible of the stuff you do buy. There is no advantage to buying a huge packet of something cheap, if you then end up throwing away most of it.

Totally agree with you. Its something im sure we all have done in the past or my personal favis when people say it was in he sale so I brought it.... The fact that they will never use it or wear it doesnt seem to come into it lol :rotfl:

I like the catchphrase I heard on the program I mentioned before regarding Tesco BOGOF offers.. It may as well read "Buy one, Waste one!"