I buy this...

[francemumma]

Just wondering (and getting out of housework:laughing:)
How many folks out there buy things for cost or ethics/morals etc ??

For example..caged eggs vs free range??

[bronny-jane]

:laughing: no ethics for me, just cheapest...:yes:

[Noah_and_Elijah]

I voted that I buy the cheapest option but it depends. Usually I try everything once and then buy whatever tastes the best.

For example, I buy free range eggs because they are larger and generally taste better. I don't buy organic meat because to me, there is no taste difference.

I just stick to what tastes good. :)

[NibbleCurlynBub]

We go through a carton of eggs a week.

I always choose free range, but go for the cheapest free range I can.

I figure its ok to spend a little more on eggs than the cheapest, because I don't buy meat so save a lot of money in that department.

[Ffrenchknickers]

I buy organic where I can.....when we lived in the city everything we bought was organic.

I buy free trade coffee and now tea :)

One thing I will NOT compromise on is eggs......never will a cage egg enter this house. :no:

[zenifa]

Whenever its possible and affordable, I will go for the fair trade, organic or free range option.

If the product seems to be better quality I will go freerange or organic, but if my experience shows no perceived difference, I may still go for the ethical option if we can afford it.

Cost is a big factor for us, but then so is ethical choices in what we consume and how.

[tootiredtosleep]

I don't buy organic or anything like that. I do however try and only buy food/groceries made in Australia. It costs more for some things, but after all the problems in China I avoid imported foods when I can.

[bada]

We always buy free range eggs, and feel very strongly against cage eggs I believe if I can't afford free range then I should not have eggs at all.
We don't usually buy organic stuff for ourselves, but do buy a lot of organic stuff for DD, especially dried fruits ie prunes, figs, apricots etc. as they are the only ones I can find that are additive free.
If I was living my dream life I'd be growing it all myself! *sigh* one day...

[A Party of Five]

We have six chooks in the back yard so we have free range, organic eggs :yes:

[emmwill]

I have my own chooks so theyare always free range. If they stop laying them we stop eating them.

I buy organic coffee and try togrow most of the fruit and vegies.

If not we buy from the markets and when that fails we buy from woolies.

So I do try. It is just not always possible.

[bectomandbub]

I don't really eat eggs but when i buy them i go for the cheapest... i have never had any problems with them

[Hokey Pokey]

I go for the cheapest option, although there are a few things I buy organic/free range..

[tyler's mum]

I buy whats on sale the only things i buy for the brand is coke, chocolate and toilet paper. Anything else i get the cheapest:yes:

[NibbleCurlynBub]

Oh yes, I'm a toilet paper snob too.

Have to have the very nicest stuff.

Though I do make a huge effort to buy in bulk when the really good specials are on. :yes:

[Mrs Nietzsche]

I always buy free-range.

I don't think that $2 is too much extra to pay, when you consider the misery and cruelty that battery hens endure.

[tyler's mum]

I always buy free-range.

I don't think that $2 is too much extra to pay, when you consider the misery and cruelty that battery hens endure.

Where are you getting your eggs from cause they are more the $2 at coles/woolworths

[shockinamillion]

Oh yes, I'm a toilet paper snob too.

Have to have the very nicest stuff.

Though I do make a huge effort to buy in bulk when the really good specials are on. :yes:

Me to, gogo Big W. They always have bulk specials on loo paper.

I never had to do the shopping before now. I will be buying free range eggs though. I am not so fussed with everything else.

[Freya]

I buy organic where I can.....when we lived in the city everything we bought was organic.

I buy free trade coffee and now tea :)

One thing I will NOT compromise on is eggs......never will a cage egg enter this house. :no:

Exactly the same here!

[bada]

Where are you getting your eggs from cause they are more the $2 at coles/woolworths
She said that she doesn't think $2 is too much EXTRA to pay, as in $2 on top of the normal price of cage eggs.

[tyler's mum]

She said that she doesn't think $2 is too much EXTRA to pay, as in $2 on top of the normal price of cage eggs.

Oh my bad i didnt read it right:o

[Fuchsia!]

Oh yes, I'm a toilet paper snob too.

Have to have the very nicest stuff.

Though I do make a huge effort to buy in bulk when the really good specials are on. :yes:

Haha me too, my kids are toilet paper snobs too! When Jax started his 1st day of school i asked was there anything wrong and his reply was

"Arrgh, they have crappy toilet paper where the fingers poke through!!!!!" :laughing:


Anyway to answer the Q at topic, I usually but what is on sale/cheapest as I'm only only a single parenting payment so don't have a lot of money to through around.

I wish i could afford all organic meats and vegies and i environmentally friendly products but it just ain't gonna happen until I'm more financially stable.

I 90% of the time but free range eggs, but sometimes if I'm low on money i have to buy yucky cage ones.

[bada]

Oh yes, I'm a toilet paper snob too.

Have to have the very nicest stuff.

Though I do make a huge effort to buy in bulk when the really good specials are on. :yes:

Oh yes, me too! Only the best for our bums! :D

I go to Big W for bulk too.

[bada]

Haha me too, my kids are toilet paper snobs too! When Jax started his 1st day of school i asked was there anything wrong and his reply was

"Arrgh, they have crappy toilet paper where the fingers poke through!!!!!" :laughing:



:laughing: That's so funny!

[francemumma]

. I do however try and only buy food/groceries made in Australia. It costs more for some things, but after all the problems in China I avoid imported foods when I can.

yeah I do this too!! :) I forgot to put it as an option!! :)

and the toilet paper...half a snob..half cheap..depends whats on special!!!

[Queen]

I buy brands I know and trust.
I use preservative/additive/colour free where I can.
I grow my vegies, and get eggs from my parents.

[JasmineLouise]

I'm a self confessed toilet paper snob. I hate the decorations and embossing on loo rolls so i always buy the plain hypoallergenic paper :laughing:

... oh and not a cage egg in sight :yes:

[bronny-jane]

I always buy free-range.

I don't think that $2 is too much extra to pay, when you consider the misery and cruelty that battery hens endure.

maybe not, but when you add up all the extra $2 on all your products.. it adds up quick... we already spend $250+ a week on shopping..not including the 3 litres of milk i buy each day.. so it all adds up for us..

but we are thinking about getting our own chooks;)

[Mrs Nietzsche]

We have just got some BronnyJane - highly recommended. They are very low-maintenance, you just need a little bit of yard fenced off, kids love them!

[chameleon]

I always buy free range eggs. Once DH went and got eggs for me and got cage eggs. I felt really bad having them in the fridge!

Sometimes I will buy free range meat too- but not all the time. I try to when I can.

Same with organic- I try to, but don't always. Usually I will spend a bit more buying organic and natural things for DD though.

[Ana Gram]

I don't buy eggs any more but when I did I only bought free range.

[stellarella]

It depends. I buy fair trade chocolate and coffee, and always always free range or rspca approved eggs, but I'm not so caught up on buying only Aussie made. I try to, but it's not my priority when there is a significant difference in price.

I have my super invested in ethical businesses only though, so not mining companies etc.

[PreetyInPink]

free range eggs and meat for both ethical and taste reasons, the rest just whatever is cheapest.

[Shananaaah]

I have my super invested in ethical businesses only though, so not mining companies etc.

How do you do that? Is it through a super fund or have you invested it yourself? Interesting!

[canberramomma]

I buy ethically. I always make sure that I take the way in which the product was made, company ethics, environmental impacts, social impacts, etc into consideration.

[canberramomma]

How do you do that? Is it through a super fund or have you invested it yourself? Interesting!
There are a few investment companies that specialise in ethical investments. I posted some links in another thread (the one about super supporting Gunns, I think).

[beebs]

I buy organic fruit and veg from a place that grows their own (so I know that its less that 100km away) which is another consideration. An organic farmers market has just opened up down the road - so am very excited about that.

I buy organic meat - but it is expensive so I tend to stick to cheap cuts. I buy stewing meat, mince, chicken drumsticks etc. If I have chicken breast or something I usually try for freerange.

Always freerange eggs - always

Loo paper - always has been unbleached safe, always will be

I buy eco laundry powder - its expensive but you use so much less than regular laundry powder that it works out the same.

I buy organic bulk grains, pulses, etc - that makes it heaps cheaper.

I don't buy any organic cans - just too expensive!

We don't eat preservatives, additives or colours in our house (although sometimes I can't help but have chocolate) I've got a great little book called 'The chemical maze' by Bill Statham. It tells you about every single additive in foods and cosmetics and what they can do to you. Quite scary when you find out that some stuff that is routinely used in food her can alter DNA and some is carcinogenic. And others haven't even been tested, we just eat it and no one knows what it could possibly do to you. Also there are some additives that have been banned in other countries due to health concerns that we still use here!

[forbetoel]

We always buy free range. Always.

I don't care that they are always more expensive, it is only a gold coin in difference.

While the disgusting treatment of caged chicken keeps my motivation for free range eggs going, it is also the quality.

I find caged eggs sub-stanard in quality, and I don't want my kids or myslef to eat them. :barf:

[forbetoel]

We have six chooks in the back yard so we have free range, organic eggs :yes:

Well that is the best way to get any eggs. :yelclap:

[missie_mack]

We buy organic where we can if its a competitive price. Beyond the environmental side it generally just tastes better (in the case of food) sometimes I won't if its extremely expensive in comparison and we go through a LOT and its not Australian Made.
Don't really buy eggs but when we did I far preferred the cage free or organic ones and when I could I use to buy them off a local farmer :)

ETA I love my organic flour despite it being a lot more expensive as I find the food I make with it stays fresher longer.... never would have thought that prior to using it and simply bought it as I thought it may taste better

[Teegzie]

Oh yes, I'm a toilet paper snob too.

Have to have the very nicest stuff.

Though I do make a huge effort to buy in bulk when the really good specials are on. :yes:

:laughing: same here! DP is very particular, to the point that I have to buy the Kleenex stuff with the puppy print! :rolleyes: I bought the double length when it was on special and he got sad because there were no puppies on it!

We always buy free range eggs. I actually find it weird that there is even a demand for cage eggs any more. Almost everyone I know buys free range, and I'm sure if they made cage eggs illegal most people wouldn't really notice the difference to their grocery bills.
I used to buy free range chicken in WA, but I'm not used to the different farms and brands here in QLD so don't know which are free range. I should really look into it. Other than that I buy most of the other stuff based on price. And we buy our fruit and veg from Woolies because DP is a Produce Manager. Gotta keep him in a job! :p

[HugsBunny]

I always buy free-range.

I don't think that $2 is too much extra to pay, when you consider the misery and cruelty that battery hens endure.

:iagree: I either get eggs from IL's farm (which are organic free range) or I buy organic. Our Beef comes from the farm too but I have no idea if it's classed as organic - they only eat grass or hay :confused: I always try to buy organic free range chicken meat too if we can afford it.

As for other products, I buy Earth's Choice products as far as I can. But I don't buy organic vegies over normal stuff. Not sure why though, I guess I've just never taken notice......... maybe my supermarket doesn't have a great Organic selection?

Really need to get my garden up and running again...........

[tee]

I get my eggs from my parent's chooks, they're so awesome - massive and the yolks are so yellow and tasty! We're considering getting our own as well.

As for meat, I try and buy organic. We don't eat much meat, so the cost doesn't bother me - although I went to get a whole organic chook at my local health food shop the other day and it was $30 - phew! I try and follow the advice of my naturopath and she's pretty big on organics - particularly with meat as I am following an anti-candida diet, and if I ate 'standard' meat that very possibly have antibiotics in them, then I'm undoing my hard work!

I have also just switched to recycled toilet paper. I don't notice much difference and I've always been a toilet paper snob! I remember when I was a kid and we used to really give mum a hard time about the stuf that felt like sandpaper! The recycled stuff now is really soft (but sometimes the finger can go through :laughing:). I'm also going to switch my laundry detergent and dishwashing liquid. I read recently that even the 'beads' in some body scrubs eventually get into the systems of sea creatures and make them ill/kill them.

I got a smallish box of all organic groceries at the organic store the other day and it set me back $150. I think you need to plan your meals well and know how to work it. I'm really useless and waste a lot of food (something I'm actively trying to change) - so we're trying a lot harder to use everything in the fridge before buying more groceries and so on. I can definitely see why the cost is a deterrant. My mother is really health conscious and eco friendly (and very thrifty with a budget) and yet she says she'd never be able to manage to live completely organically.

When you've read the books on the benefits of organic, you're always mindful of it when shopping though. I find that I've stopped throwing in all the empty-nutrition snacks and so on. The chemicals and crazy things in our food these days is eye-opening. Even just the amount of sugar! Since I've had to cut out sugar recently, it's been nuts trying to find food without it added. I also try and buy organic soaps/shampoos etc (especially for the kids) because our skin is our biggest organ and sucks up all the bad stuff.

Also, with the rate of cancer, and things like childhood leukemia increasing, it's more than obvious that something in our lifestyles is amiss. I like to do my part in attempting to prevent serious illness by doing what I can. Doesn't make sense to not use BPA plastic bottles, but then go and feed my 3 year old something that may have carcinogenic ingredients!

But, on the other hand, where do you draw the line? It's all so overwhelming, this eco-conscious thing. I guess if you did it properly, you'd end up living off the land somewhere, dressed in hemp sacks and sleeping on hay. Even brand new bed sheets are coated in stuff that is bad for you! *hyperventilates* :laughing:

[GraceUnhearing]

always free range and organic :)
even though its a little more expensive
i think its worth it :)

[bAaM]

I buy organic where I can.....
One thing I will NOT compromise on is eggs......never will a cage egg enter this house. :no:

I'm the same, I buy cheap meat but when it comes to eggs i wont buy cheap ones, I dont care if i have to pay $20 a carton, I seen that Jamie Oliver ep about the caged eggs and will NEVER go caged again.

And i get farm fresh vegies (when i can get to the markets)

[rainbow road]

Organic free range meat here :wave:

We have our own chooks and get 6 eggs a day give or take a few for the different months and trust me, you haven't eaten an egg until you've had a freshly laid one!!!

We grow our own spinach, lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, cucumbers, capsicum, chilli, apples, oranges, lemons and passionfruit and the rest of fruit/veg we buy organic where possible.

I buy fair trade chocolate too - it's so much yummier!

I am happy to pay more for my fresh food and would rather scrimp on items like clothes for myself, or buy Aldi stuff for things like paper towel, loo paper etc

[Joju]

Free range here....can actually find cheaper free range eggs at Aldi now. Buy free range chickens at Aldi too, but can't afford to buy all our meat free range/organic...it's just way too expensive. Would love to have some chooks, but it probably wouldn't work with an outdoor cat and terrier x living here too! The poor chookens would be terrorised:no:.

We grow some veges and herbs, but not enough to sustain us. At the moment we have some tomatoes in and have just cropped some corn, have previously grown zuccini, beans, garlic, onion. We only have a small patch, so we rotate.

Also buy enviro friendly cleaning/laundry products and dunny roll. I've recently noticed that Aldi are stocking a new enviro friendly laundry range, but it's actually cheaper to buy Earth Choice at Woollies I think.

[Chunkydunks]

We always buy free range eggs. I actually find it weird that there is even a demand for cage eggs any more. Almost everyone I know buys free range, and I'm sure if they made cage eggs illegal most people wouldn't really notice the difference to their grocery bills.

There is still a demand for it because there are still people out there who simply can't/won't pay extra if they can avoid it. The rest of my family and a lot of people I know always buy the cheapest eggs and I do when we're short on cash. I do prefer to buy free range but we can't always afford to.

I would love to be eating organic all the time but on top of the extra cost of the food I'd be having to pay to travel to get it because there simply isn't enough organic produce available in this town. Until we're rich (or better off than we are on the benefits we're getting) that's just not possible.

With cleaning products its always earth choice and toilet paper is always Safe. I prefer to get it in the paper too so all the packaging is recyclable. I find these products are among the cheaper things anyway.

[rainbow road]

I think I would rather go without eggs than use caged eggs. Not a dib at anyone, just my personal preference. I am very attached to chickens though and the conditions battery hens are subjected to are just out of this world. I don't understand the people who farm them - how can they look at up to 8 chickens stuffed in a cage about 30cmx30cmx30cm and go - yep, that seems fine! :confused::crying:

[teenie]

Bit of both here.

For a start, ALWAYS free range eggs.

I have significant food allergies, so the bulk of my own food is bought at a health food store. I would love to buy all of our food there, but we simply can't afford it:thumbsdown:.

I am picky about meat (esp chicken), genetically modified anything and preservatives. We save money by not eating much pre-packaged foods (I can't eat them, DH likes not eating them as it helps him not put on weight lol and I'm more than happy for DS not to get a taste for too much cr*p). We go to the Farmers Markets when we can for fruit and veg.