Kings On The Cheap.

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Seems like whenever our new "locavore" lifestyle is discussed, the first response I hear is, "We can't afford it." At first, this statement made me nervous, wondering if perhaps we were not being as responsible with our money as we ought. (What can I say? We eat well. ) Instead of succumbing to paranoia I took the high road and kept an eye out on receipts and prices. Turns out we're not so flamboyant with money as I feared; we eat like kings on the cheap. You can too, and like it or not I'm going to tell you how.

Know there are some sacrifices to be made. This venture is a commitment. Not only is it a commitment to buying local and organic, but it is also a commitment (which we sometimes break) to avoiding restaurants and trying to grow our own food.

That said,

• STOP EATING OUT: We must limit eating out if we are to afford buying local. The cheap, organic restaurant (The White Tiger) has threatened to blow a hole in this principle, but we've managed to stick with cooking. Sometimes it's hard and we slip, but we always feel better when we eat what we have made.

• EAT LESS MEAT: John loves his burgers and sausage. It hurt to take them away from him. Yes, he had some frozen Jimmy Dean sausage patties in the freezer, and once we made our rules he said, "I'm not throwing these out." I shrugged and watched him ration each little sausage until the frozen bag was empty. Now I order ground lamb and he rolls up his sleeves and works them into little lamb sausage patties and gets his fix. I'm sure if there wasn't work for him involved he'd never again look with longing at Jimmy Dean.We purchase two "selections" of meat per week. Usually it's 1 lb ground lamb ($6.50) which is much healthier than beef and very versatile. The ground beef is good too, and cheaper (1 lb. $4.50). Both lamb and cow were well treated through the duration of their life. Yay.

• EAT WHAT YOU BUY: It is a sad day when something we've purchased rots and I have to compost it. Because we are selective about our veggies, we make sure and eat them. We try not to waste. It's amazing, however, how much longer it lasts since it hasn't been schlepped from California (or further) sitting on ice until purchased. Our produce has twice the lifespan of grocery stores', which enables us to devour it without haste or waste.

And, lastly...

• GROW YOUR OWN FOOD: I can't take credit yet for these rewards, but I know we will save money in the long run heading out to our backyard to pluck tomatoes off the vine. This is a small investment money wise, but it is a very large investment time wise. If you are planning to grow a vegetable garden, know you will need to give it a lot of care. We are true amateurs in this project but it's okay, because we haven't spent much (30 bucks, maybe?). My only request is that you buy seeds from credible sources (most commercial seeds are developed with a termination gene so that your plants die after a year in order to get you to buy again, though that's another (blog) story). Try heirloom.
  

I'd also like to leave you with an itemized list of my biggest weekly CSA purchase. Note how much I spent and that I was preparing a dinner party for eight.

Items ordered on April 6, 2009

1 x Arugula -- Sylvette = $4.50

1 x Beet Greens and Roots = $5.00

1 x Beets -- Tops and Roots = $3.50

1 x Bok Choi -- Young = $4.00

1 x Bread -- MultiGrain Pan Loaf = $4.50

1 x Bread -- Sour Dough Baguette = $3.00

1 x Coffee -- Costa Rica LaAmistad -- Dark = $9.90

1 x Eggs -- Multicolor = $4.00

1 x Granola -- Autumn Harvest -- 1 Lb. = $8.00

1 x Kale -- White Russian = $3.00

1 x Lamb -- Ground lb = $6.50

1 x Lamb -- Liver = $4.00

1 x Mushrooms -- Shiitake -- Fresh -- 1/4 Pound = $7.00

1 x Radishes -- mixed bundle = $2.50

1 x Salad Mix = $4.00

1 x Salad Mix -- Baby Lettuces = $4.00

Total: $77.40