I could take my scanner to my garden….
January 2009
Given the economic crunch I know we’re all trying to save money these days(!). I find it hard to do so sometimes when I’m also committed to eating healthily and buying fresh local produce. Because of course hotdogs & fruit roll-ups (blegh) are cheaper than anything free range or organic!
Back in the stone ages when I was a college undergrad and I took a nutrition class, our teacher recommended that the best way to stay healthy and spend less on groceries was to skip the middle aisles (read: processed foods) and only buy items on the periphery of the market (produce, dairy, bulk grains, etc). Of course it’s not that easy!
One way we’ve saved money and lived closer to our values over the past few months is to subscribe to a CSA plan that offers a weekly “veggie box” of fresh produce from a local farm (produce in image above is just a sampling from one week of goodies). I plan our meals so we eat 2 or 3 dinners and several lunch salads from each box. Yum!
I came across an article today that discusses how the author cut her grocery bill by 75% without having to sacrifice buying organic and healthy items and though you all would appreciate reading it and seeing if you could save as much, too.
Another idea I’m toying with is hosting regular potlucks where everyone cooks a dish to share–which would save me some cooking time and I’d get to enjoy the variety of others’ culinary efforts. This idea appeals to me on several levels–because I love spending time with friends and I think sharing the mealtime workload makes a lot more sense than everyone individually cooking well-rounded meals.
As long as you’ve dropped by, why don’t you drop your best grocery money-saving tips in the comments for all of us to benefit from!
Photo by John
The job prospects for historians are pretty grim these days. I don’t know if all my hard work from the past few years will yield a position when I’m done, but I’m trying not to think too hard about that just yet. I’m just concentrating on enjoying each day of grad school and maximizing the many opportunities that come my way.
The catalysts for our family trip to the East coast were my research in DC-area archives and my attendance at the annual AHA Meeting in NYC–both of which were fantastic experiences. There might not be much money in pursuing a career in history-making, but the travel benefits are terrific. Most of my trips this past year have been related to my archival work and I have enjoyed all of them. Some days I pinch myself even as I wonder how I could be so fortunate.
I thought I might start a list of all the amazing people we both met and met up with during our trip…but I realized that it would be nearly impossible to recount them all…
Like our Boston trip over a year ago, I continue to be awed by all the goodness that I find in the humans (and kitties) that cross my path, and words just can’t do justice to the kindnesses and memory-making moments.
This year is already off to such a fantastic beginning…so many upcoming adventures for me and for all of you. I can’t wait to see what lies ahead!
Photo above (by John) is of me & Marta–she opened her home to us and was not only super-hostess but also super-chauffeur.
We spent a lot of time in art galleries in NYC and I think the installation pictured above was our favorite of the bunch. Surprisingly, this gallery, AdHoc, is sponsoring an exhibit of Brooklyn street art at John’s fav LA gallery this month (Thinkspace). We’re looking forward to visiting and remembering our time spent wandering the local art scene..
:)