Have you begun to visit local farmers markets?
We have. First, just to look. What do they have? How much does it cost? Shall I try and see if I like it better than store-bought?
My conclusions?
The veggies are definitely cheaper. BUT you can't buy just one tomato like a French woman. And you must buy a GI-NORMOUS bunch of spinach. Tastes great, but wow, I had it allllllll week. Sauteed, in salads, in sandwiches. Got tired of getting my super iron dose, lemme just say.
Of course, I am cooking for two. Not my original 5. Makes a big difference.
But I have noticed that food prices are steadily rising. A dozen eggs last week were $1.69. HUH? EGGS?
My son who is with Whole Foods tells me the cost projections show food prices will rise very quickly very soon. And the only bulwark? Is to buy at the farmers markets.
Fine. I can do that.
But I must say the other set of products that are rising beyond BELIEF are drugs.
A med I paid $5.00 for a 60-day supply of, I recently paid $25. (And bear in mind, this is the ONLY Rx I take!!!) My hubbie recently had a med that used to cost him $25.00--and he just paid $120.00 for a refill of 60 day supply.
And supposedly, we do have what the current debate in Congress would term "GOOD INSURANCE." So those $$$ amounts are AFTER the insurance co-pay. (And Congress has great insurance, btw, that they awarded themselves in 1970!! 40 years ago. hmmm.)
Meanwhile, in the past year alone, our family insurance premiums rose by 12%. On "GOOD INSURANCE."
At this rate, we can all go broke by just:
eating
medicating.
I am ready for insurance regulation.
And I am healthy.
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Oh Cerise, you have brought up subjects I could babble on for hours about!!! Trying to eat right and stay on a budget is becoming harder and harder. I buy in bulk, freeze what I can and make meal plans. My husband and I both love to cook so that helps too.
ReplyDeleteHealth Insurance - OMG what a mess! I'm an HR manager as well as a person who uses the medical system on a regular basis. The costs are out of control. Something has to change when people who have "good insurance" wait to go to the doctor, or have to choose which meds they're going to fill in order to pay their bills for another month.
We need to become the country we claim we are. We have been distracted from the important things for too long. Let's add failed public education to that list and you have a train wreck on the near horizon. I firmly believe it's not too late to switch tracks but we have to compromise and work together as if our lives depended on it because they do.
ReplyDeleteXXOO Kat
Education! So true! Another failure. And god knows, I am not quite sure WHY.
ReplyDeleteI had a public school education that was superb. In Baltimore. Yes, that city of THE WIRE.
I learned how to diagram a sentence, understand what good journalism really is, had history classes from which I can still quote The Moral of the Story, had 4 years of Latin and 2 of German--and I can still speak the German.
What is wrong that we cannot interest our children? Too much emphasis on tests. Oh, I agree with that one. But too little ability to control unruly behavior. That is why I did 1 year of high school history teaching, went to grad school and thereafter, taught college.
My children learned in public schools. But for high school, because of the distractions of other children's behaviors, we put them in private school. They still thank us.
I am glad we could afford it.
But many can't. And if the system were good, why would look for alternatives?
Here in Texas I also receive many letters from college students who want to intern for me in my business. They cannot hit the spell check, don't know good grammar and these kids declare they are Communications majors!
OMG.
I am beyond dismayed.
I fear for us all if we cannot teach children how to think, write and talk to each other in civil ways that reflect LOGIC.
My daughter is a junior at Central Michigan University, majoring in Apparel Design and Merchandising, minoring in English literature. She tells stories of the students who can't do simple math in order to buy the correct amount of fabric or who have no idea what an adverb is!? I get that we are in the 'computer age', but hard earned skills and knowledge don't disappear if the power goes out!
ReplyDeletePretty timely topic. Of course out here in Cali, I pay at least $3.99 for eggs and if I go to the farmer's markets it won't be any less than $6 for a dozen eggs. Pricey! Yup, we definitely need health care reform. I guess the problem for me is that I wish Obama had waited until he had his feet under him before he tackled it. This is a very sensitive subject with conservatives.
ReplyDeletePolitics and religion are always touchy subjects...everyone has different views and it's hard to skim through what's better about one or the other viewpoint. Quite honestly, I have great insurance and no problem with the way the system works right now...and that's after 3 major surgeries last year.
ReplyDeleteFood prices will always increase...and I definitely paid more for everything when I lived in CA. Kinda makes you think about buying a farm and growing your own stuff!
Or buying a couple of hens and a rooster and selling eggs to the neighbors.
ReplyDelete