Author Topic: local versus frugal  (Read 6129 times)

simplertimes

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local versus frugal
« on: May 17, 2016, 05:48:36 PM »
What are your thoughts on buying locally versus saving money?  I seem to struggle with this quite often.  Where I am located (midwest college town), there are countless local options when it comes to buying meat, toys, gifts, etc.  But most of the time these options are more expensive than what can be found online or at traditional big box stores.

I feel torn between supporting our local toy store, or buying something on amazon for cheaper.  Buying humanely-raised chicken from the farm 20 minutes away, or buying the ones at the store from Pennsylvania (not local but cheaper).  Shopping at the local bookstore or buying from amazon for cheaper.  Even bulk organic dried black beans that are sourced in the US are more expensive than the bulk ones sourced from overseas.  There is a local bike shop down the street but I bought one from Amazon because it was hundreds cheaper.  And so on.

Sometimes I joke with my husband about buying the cheaper item online, and making a cash donation to the local store for the price difference!

I love the idea of supporting our local economy but in nearly every example I've come across it is cheaper to buy something online/made in china/from a big box store than to buy it locally.  I'm not even talking about sacrificing quality for the cheaper item - sometimes it is the same exact toy/book/food item that is more expensive locally.  Even our local bank has insanely terrible interest rates for savings/cds/etc. vs what can be found online.

Shopping locally feels like giving to charity!

I know the most frugal and environmentally responsible solution is to shop at thrift stores, grow your own, and use the library (based on my examples above), but I'm talking about instances where you need or want to buy something from the store.

One specific example I'll give is chicken.  Buying from one local farm is $7 per pound!  At the farmer's market someone sells chicken for $5 per pound. Compared to $2-3 per pound for Amish chicken from our local grocery store (at least the grocery store is local and not a big national chain...).
« Last Edit: May 17, 2016, 05:56:13 PM by simplertimes »

Northwestie

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2016, 06:11:37 PM »
Probably like most folks it's a balance.  Throw in the mix organic, which I try to purchase most of the time as I can do without added chemicals and like to support agriculture that is spewing less into the environment.  But convenience and time is an option when I don't want to run around to visit a local store I'll opt for on-line shopping.  Which can save both money and aggravation.

forummm

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MMMarbleheader

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2016, 07:05:01 PM »
I try to cut out the box box stores. No Walmart, target, Best Buy. Home Depot is tough but overall I try and strike a balance of local and online. As someone with an urban planning interest I am loving seeing malls go out of business. They represent everything wrong with this country including the big box stores in them.

Grocery stores are a mix of whole foods, trader joes, Costco and the farmers market when in season. I wish I could buy more local meats but they is really expensive in New England. At least the grocers I mentioned are somewhat responsible companies.

GorgeousSteak

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2016, 07:08:14 PM »
I think it depends on what financial position you're in and your beliefs.  If you're easily FI, you should make the decision as if money was not a factor.  On the other hand, if you're in debt or have a low net worth, you should probably be focusing on the bottom line more.  In the area in between, it depends how important buying organic and local is.  You can roughly calculate how much it will cost and how this will impact net worth accumulation.

Personally, I don't have any hard rules for this stuff.  But generally, if its not food, I just get it for as cheap as possible, but always try Craigslist and the Library and local stuff first.  If its something that needs to be bought new, we get it from amazon but try to be cognizant of grouping stuff together.  If its food, I prefer organic, but only if its reasonably close to non-organic prices, but am willing to go higher for certain things (like dirty dozen things).  I do grow a bunch some stuff myself, but don't make a point of getting other stuff local.  If it was just as easy and the same price, I'd prefer it, but trying to get stuff from the farmer's market ends up more expensive and adds an extra place to go every week for us.

rantk81

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2016, 07:40:47 PM »
I don't subscribe to the theory that "buy local" is worth any effort or extra expense.

We're already experiencing the downsides of globalization... Might as well take advantage of the upsides.

simplertimes

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2016, 08:52:05 PM »
Well I am glad to know I'm not the only one caving in and getting the cheaper options haha.  Though I am surprised I am not seeing more emphasis on local.  One thing that appeals to me about the whole Mustachianism thing is how it can help the planet and makes logistical sense (i.e. walking/biking is win-win for finances, planet, health, society, etc.).

In my idealistic mind, we would acquire items locally as much as possible!  But realistically our society just does not appear to be built that way.  I'd love to save my money at our local bank, shop at local grocery stores and buy meat from the local farm, get what produce I'm unable to grow myself from the farmers market, and so on - with those local items being CHEAPER since they are made right next door instead of having to be shipped in from around the country/world. 

I hate thinking that I'm contributing to local businesses closing up shop because I buy things on Amazon instead.  I don't WANT my town to become nothing but big box/chain stores, but it seems local businesses just can't compete with these larger/online stores. 

For now we do pick and choose when to support local businesses (i.e. we get our bikes repaired at that local shop, but we bought our bikes online).

HipGnosis

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2016, 01:21:04 PM »
I've been an Amazon customer for many years.  I use to order at least twice a month.
But I feel they have out grown me.   More of the reviews are 'plants' and more of the products are from un-proven mfgs.
So I'm doing more shopping locally.  I appreciate being able to see, feel and return things.  And the local economy boost is a bonus.

I have a reminder programmed to cancel my Amazon Prime when it's about due for renewal.  I have enough things in my wish list that I'll never have to small of an order to get a discount on shipping.  And I can't remember ever NEEDING something from Amazon in 2 days, so why am I paying extra for it??

ketchup

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2016, 01:24:24 PM »
I've been an Amazon customer for many years.  I use to order at least twice a month.
But I feel they have out grown me.   More of the reviews are 'plants' and more of the products are from un-proven mfgs.
So I'm doing more shopping locally.  I appreciate being able to see, feel and return things.  And the local economy boost is a bonus.

I have a reminder programmed to cancel my Amazon Prime when it's about due for renewal.  I have enough things in my wish list that I'll never have to small of an order to get a discount on shipping.  And I can't remember ever NEEDING something from Amazon in 2 days, so why am I paying extra for it??
FYI, you can cancel Prime and they'll refund you a pro-rated amount back.

HipGnosis

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2016, 01:28:54 PM »
FYI, you can cancel Prime and they'll refund you a pro-rated amount back.
Oh, I know.  I do use A. prime video once in a while.  I gotta find a replacement.

Trudie

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2016, 01:37:37 PM »
I don't have any hard and fast rules, but I try to make my decisions based on perceived value.  I also factor in my time and the hassle factor.

Some examples:
I do not belong to our local co-op.  I shop there occasionally for the odd ingredient, but I do not support them with a membership fee.  I "vote with my feet" and support them by buying stuff there occasionally.   But for them to make their business model work they stock the shelves with a high proportion of organic and non-gmo foods that aren't "local."  I can buy the same stuff at Costco or my local grocer for less.  Why pay more for that box of Annie's Mac and Cheese?  I won't do it.  Plus, I'm trying to reduce processed and pre-packaged food in my diet.  Sorry, but I wouldn't exactly call organic potato chips "health food."  There's a lot of smoke and mirrors with such places, in my opinion.

Most food - I buy at Costco or a local (statewide) grocer.

Fresh veg - I do have a CSA share at the local farmer's market.  I think I get excellent taste and quality for my money.  There is also added value because my farmer tries unique varieties of things and I feel like I can supplement my diet with new veggies and try new things.  And I can purchase bulk quantities and preserve without the work of gardening for two people.

Clothes - I don't enjoy shopping for clothes.  But when I do, I buy a lot of them at Costco.  I've had very good luck with fit and price.  I love their return policy.  I have a lot of items directly shipped to my house.

Books - Mostly use the library, but when I must have a book (rare) I use amazon for convenience.  I usually buy used copies.

Everything else -- I don't wholly avoid Wal Mart, but I avoid the place.  I just can't stand the experience.  But, there are times when a gal needs $2 bags of mulch and in my town WalMart is the place for that. 

Rarely do I ponder purchasing decisions on whether something is local or not.  But I almost always ponder whether a purchase is necessary or not (for frugality reasons).  And so, I guess, by running it through that filter first I am reducing my consumption a great deal.  I can live with that.

We do get a lot of our services locally -- banking/mortgage, bike repair and accessories, car repair/oil changes/tires, local (non-chain) restaurants when we eat out, hardware store... I am also a big fan of our local thrift store which gives a huge amount of money to local non-profits.  I shop there and donate there.
« Last Edit: May 18, 2016, 01:44:01 PM by Trudie »

BlueHouse

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2016, 02:14:29 PM »
I shop at local stores as much as possible.  For me, it's a quality of life thing.  I live in a neighborhood that has a pretty high walk score and is expecting to have an even higher walk score as more retail comes in over the next 5 years.  The reason a walk score is so high is because of lots of little (local) businesses.  There just isn't that connectivity between high walk-score and big box stores. 
I chose to pay more money to live in a place like this, and that means I have to support the neighborhood stores, or they could go out of business and be replaced by concrete walls that contain a Walmart.  Thankfully, my neighbors feel similarly.  There is a big grocery store near me that I frequent, and that block sucks to walk down.  If there weren't something great on the other side of it, no one would even bother walking down that far.  That's what big stores do to local economies. 

mak1277

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2016, 02:48:27 PM »
I've been an Amazon customer for many years.  I use to order at least twice a month.
But I feel they have out grown me.   More of the reviews are 'plants' and more of the products are from un-proven mfgs.
So I'm doing more shopping locally.  I appreciate being able to see, feel and return things.  And the local economy boost is a bonus.

I have a reminder programmed to cancel my Amazon Prime when it's about due for renewal.  I have enough things in my wish list that I'll never have to small of an order to get a discount on shipping.  And I can't remember ever NEEDING something from Amazon in 2 days, so why am I paying extra for it??

Why not just shop locally and then buy the identical product (for less, almost every time) on Amazon?  No need to worry about reviews, get a chance to handle the product first, and get the cheaper price.  I've also never had a problem returning items to amazon after I get them.  I often order three different versions of the same thing, pick the one I want and return the other two.

Fudge102

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2016, 02:55:15 PM »
I feel like Walmart is the prime example of why not to buy just because it's cheaper.  Some number of smaller ma and pa type stores have been forced out of business because someone was able to come in and do it bigger (and better?  debatable) for cheaper.  As a result we now have Walmarts everywhere.  And I don't know about you, but the quality of items at Walmart is downright lousy.  But they were able to make everything cheaper.  I think local is better because it encourages more opportunity for those around us, not just shuffles money into corporations and companies in far off places.  There might be a higher price because it's not as efficient, but its better than saving a little money and watching all the jobs be shipped off overseas in the name of cheaper prices and higher efficiency.  Quality and care require effort and it's worth the time and cost it takes.

MMMarbleheader

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #14 on: May 19, 2016, 05:56:09 AM »
I've been an Amazon customer for many years.  I use to order at least twice a month.
But I feel they have out grown me.   More of the reviews are 'plants' and more of the products are from un-proven mfgs.
So I'm doing more shopping locally.  I appreciate being able to see, feel and return things.  And the local economy boost is a bonus.

I have a reminder programmed to cancel my Amazon Prime when it's about due for renewal.  I have enough things in my wish list that I'll never have to small of an order to get a discount on shipping.  And I can't remember ever NEEDING something from Amazon in 2 days, so why am I paying extra for it??

Why not just shop locally and then buy the identical product (for less, almost every time) on Amazon?  No need to worry about reviews, get a chance to handle the product first, and get the cheaper price.  I've also never had a problem returning items to amazon after I get them.  I often order three different versions of the same thing, pick the one I want and return the other two.

I have bought many electronics on Amazon from the Best Buy sales floor.

Fishindude

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #15 on: May 19, 2016, 08:09:28 AM »
I try to buy locally whenever possible and generally try to use the locally owned stores rather than the big box retailers.
I want these places to stay around and stay open, because they are so much easier to deal with and the customer service is so much better.

mak1277

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #16 on: May 19, 2016, 08:31:58 AM »
I try to buy locally whenever possible and generally try to use the locally owned stores rather than the big box retailers.
I want these places to stay around and stay open, because they are so much easier to deal with and the customer service is so much better.

Just curious...how often do most people utilize customer service?  I see this as a stated positive for local/smaller businesses, but I just don't see this as an issue.  I don't use customer service more than once a year at most for all the things I buy in total.

HipGnosis

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #17 on: May 19, 2016, 10:15:01 AM »
Just curious...how often do most people utilize customer service?  I see this as a stated positive for local/smaller businesses, but I just don't see this as an issue.  I don't use customer service more than once a year at most for all the things I buy in total.
This is one of the things that soured me on Amazon.
I hate how their search function includes so much totally un-related JUNK.
I tried to let them know, but their 'contact us' forms only allow a certain set of circumstances - and search function or general feedback isn't one of them.
I was home sick a short time later.  I spent over an hour trying to find an Email address or form to submit my feedback, and I'm pretty computer and internet savvy..  never found one.
How often isn't the issue.  It's when (not if) you do need it, you NEED it.

mak1277

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #18 on: May 19, 2016, 10:19:34 AM »
Just curious...how often do most people utilize customer service?  I see this as a stated positive for local/smaller businesses, but I just don't see this as an issue.  I don't use customer service more than once a year at most for all the things I buy in total.
This is one of the things that soured me on Amazon.
I hate how their search function includes so much totally un-related JUNK.
I tried to let them know, but their 'contact us' forms only allow a certain set of circumstances - and search function or general feedback isn't one of them.
I was home sick a short time later.  I spent over an hour trying to find an Email address or form to submit my feedback, and I'm pretty computer and internet savvy..  never found one.
How often isn't the issue.  It's when (not if) you do need it, you NEED it.
 

you NEEDED to complain about their search function?

mm1970

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #19 on: May 19, 2016, 10:54:31 AM »
I struggle with this too, and end up going back and forth.  I like buying local, but I'm not made of money.

So what I do, often, is think about what I want to see in my life?  Example: food. 

I live in So Cal, and we have a lot of local farms and farmer's markets, CSAs, and farm stands.  Yes, I can shop at the 99c store and Costco and the grocery store loss leaders and get my produce for cheaper.

But.  The farmer's market, CSA, produce box delivery, local farm stand produce is MUCH better.  Tastes better.  Lasts longer.  And...in many cases - I know the farmer, the owner, etc.  I want to continue to have these options.  Therefore, I pretty much should put my money where my mouth is, literally.

That's not to say that I never shop for veggies/ fruit elsewhere - I do.  But it's about 1/2 and 1/2.  (Splitting the difference, that's me!)

Can't really think of many other examples, except maybe wine. :)  And dining out.  We don't dine out often, but when we do, we try to support local places.  Yes, I will spend $8 for a very good sandwich, because I want the business to stay in business.

In my hometown, for example, a super Walmart came about 5 years after I left.  Most of the other grocery stores are gone.  Now people are complaining that there are no other options.  Well, you stopped shopping there.


homestead neohio

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #20 on: May 19, 2016, 12:02:15 PM »
I identify with OP on this.  It is based on financial position and beliefs.  My wife and I are in a financial position where we can spend a little more to support people we know instead of faceless megacorps because we think that is important.  We've gone back and forth regarding which businesses and systems we want to sustain with our dollars.  After waffling for years, we've found our personal balance.  Part of our decision was building relationships and community since we are rooted in our forever home.  This sometimes comes at the cost of higher prices, but we like knowing our farmers and we've been to their farms and know what they feed their animals, how they manage soil fertility, etc.  That knowledge and trust gives us peace of mind.  Everyone has to make their own decisions, but I find the more you learn, the easier it is to see value in some higher-priced, locally-produced items, especially food.  I wanted to chase lower prices and ignore ecological costs because I wanted to be FI sooner, but my wife is more idealistic and I'm a convert, though I do try to keep us to a budget. 

1) We don't do big box other than Home Depot.  MIL was a worker bee for Home Depot and they were good to her.
2) We do local and organic for meat and dairy.  Many pesticides and harmful materials are bound up in oils and fats and accumulate there.  Since we rely on fat in our diet for energy more than carbs, we want safe, healthy fats.  We sometimes raise and process animals for meat.
3) We do local in-season for veggies, trying to grow and preserve our own or source from a local farm.  We buy organic from a grocery store to supplement.  We will buy conventional if organic is not available or eat something else.
4) We do organic or conventional for staples like beans, rice, nuts, etc. based on price and availability, preferring organic.  We either buy at a chain grocery store that only has locations in our state, from a regional organic co-op, or online.
5) We've reduced amazon purchases.  We try to not buy stuff, or get used instead, Craigslist or thrift stores.  In a choice among various megacorps for things we can't get used, we will choose amazon for convenience/cost.
6) We eat at local, non-chain restaurants if we eat out, which is infrequent

We could cut our budget and FIRE a couple of months sooner, but we feel the quality of the food we buy and the feeling of connection to local farmers or businesses is worth the additional costs and wins out.  It is the life we prefer to live, we can afford it, so we do.  We expect our fresh, local, organic diet will support good long-term health, which could reduce future costs considerably.  Our plan is to in-source food production over time and have a low food budget prior to FIRE.

lackofstache

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #21 on: May 19, 2016, 12:02:28 PM »
I source meat, bread & beer locally. I don't generally support businesses that sell the same things that I can get online significantly cheaper, but if it's a few $ (like most things at my Local Bike Shop) then I'll go w/ the local vendor. We don't eat out often, but we shy away from most chains & restaurants in general that don't have quality foods. We pay for it when we go out, but again, we just don't do it that often. I'd love grow and store more fruit so that we aren't terrorizing central America by eating 2 dozen bananas a week, but Aldi has them pretty dang cheap & my kids eat a lot. It's a balance, I suppose.

freeazabird

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #22 on: May 19, 2016, 12:09:48 PM »
These replies have all given me things to think about. I relate to responses that said buying local is connected to quality of living. When you buy local so much more of the money you spent cycles back through the local economy supporting your neighbors. I live in a city where the effects of jobs being shipped overseas can be seen heavily and is depressing. The pockets of vibrancy in my city are in large part supported by local shopping, so I try to do my best. Plus I like the intimacy of knowing the owners and stuff.

For now I will be continuing my strategy of eating locally as much as possible (because that seems the easiest and is something I consume regularly. I have started buying other items locally as well, I'm not sure how much of that I can do.

Another reason I want to shop local is because I buy a lot from Amazon and all those boxes are getting on my damn nerves!

Fishindude

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #23 on: May 19, 2016, 12:22:01 PM »
Just curious...how often do most people utilize customer service?  I see this as a stated positive for local/smaller businesses, but I just don't see this as an issue.  I don't use customer service more than once a year at most for all the things I buy in total.

Example My local lumber yard -vs- local Home Depot
Home depot, park 100 yards away and spend 20-40 minutes walking around inside to fill my order and load a cart.  If I can't find something, search for a while till I find a body, and most of them don't know the difference between a 2x4 and a drywall screw.   Tote all the stuff up to the cashier on a cart, then haul out to parking lot and load my truck.   
Local lumber yard, call them on the phone, talk to someone knowledgeable that I know, give him a list of what I want, come home after work and the stuff is stacked in my driveway ready to go, delivery no charge.

 

Chris22

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #24 on: May 19, 2016, 12:34:52 PM »
Just curious...how often do most people utilize customer service?  I see this as a stated positive for local/smaller businesses, but I just don't see this as an issue.  I don't use customer service more than once a year at most for all the things I buy in total.

Example My local lumber yard -vs- local Home Depot
Home depot, park 100 yards away and spend 20-40 minutes walking around inside to fill my order and load a cart.  If I can't find something, search for a while till I find a body, and most of them don't know the difference between a 2x4 and a drywall screw.   Tote all the stuff up to the cashier on a cart, then haul out to parking lot and load my truck.   
Local lumber yard, call them on the phone, talk to someone knowledgeable that I know, give him a list of what I want, come home after work and the stuff is stacked in my driveway ready to go, delivery no charge.

That is awesome for you. 

My experience:

Home depot: go in, know mostly what I need, get it all, ask a guy for one thing (or pull up HD on my phone) and he/it tells me exactly where it is

Local place: Go in, get some of what I need, ask old guy behind the counter (always an old guy) for one thing, he asks "well what do you need that for" and starts telling me I need something different, or hey, we can order something else for you, or whatever.  And it's more expensive.

Hedge_87

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #25 on: May 19, 2016, 01:02:46 PM »
Just curious...how often do most people utilize customer service?  I see this as a stated positive for local/smaller businesses, but I just don't see this as an issue.  I don't use customer service more than once a year at most for all the things I buy in total.

Example My local lumber yard -vs- local Home Depot
Home depot, park 100 yards away and spend 20-40 minutes walking around inside to fill my order and load a cart.  If I can't find something, search for a while till I find a body, and most of them don't know the difference between a 2x4 and a drywall screw.   Tote all the stuff up to the cashier on a cart, then haul out to parking lot and load my truck.   
Local lumber yard, call them on the phone, talk to someone knowledgeable that I know, give him a list of what I want, come home after work and the stuff is stacked in my driveway ready to go, delivery no charge.

This is my experience as well here. Or if I go to the lumber yard I just pull into the back load up all my lumber (if one of the employees is outside they will see me and help), walk in to the store to the counter and pay. I probably pay on average 10% more than the big box store but save about a 2 hr round trip. however sometimes on BIG projects I can negotiate a better price.

I also bought a tree from the local greenhouse this year for my wife's first mothers day. The owner was giving me instructions on how to properly care for the tree for the first couple of years. He then remembered that I have a well on my property I do all of my watering out of and mentioned that the previous owners had some problems getting trees to start due to high sodium content in the well water and to let me know if I have any problems and he would come over and help remedy the situation. Try and find that at a big box store.

former player

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #26 on: May 19, 2016, 01:04:07 PM »
For food, it's local (village shop, farmer's stalls) mostly, with occasional trips to a chain supermarket for bulk items.  Having a village shop I can walk to is priceless in terms of quality of life and security of supply, so I support it as much as I reasonably can.  (Also, having local facilities keeps demand for houses and therefore house prices up.  So there is also a longer-term economic return there for the slightly higher prices.)

I don't buy organic, as I'm pretty happy with the food safety and quality standards in the UK.  I do make a point of ensuring that any meat I buy was humanely reared, so I always buy more expensive British bacon over continental (where the standards for keeping pigs are lower) and like to avoid halal or kosher killing - there are some local producers who avoid this.

mak1277

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #27 on: May 19, 2016, 01:55:41 PM »
Just curious...how often do most people utilize customer service?  I see this as a stated positive for local/smaller businesses, but I just don't see this as an issue.  I don't use customer service more than once a year at most for all the things I buy in total.

Example My local lumber yard -vs- local Home Depot
Home depot, park 100 yards away and spend 20-40 minutes walking around inside to fill my order and load a cart.  If I can't find something, search for a while till I find a body, and most of them don't know the difference between a 2x4 and a drywall screw.   Tote all the stuff up to the cashier on a cart, then haul out to parking lot and load my truck.   
Local lumber yard, call them on the phone, talk to someone knowledgeable that I know, give him a list of what I want, come home after work and the stuff is stacked in my driveway ready to go, delivery no charge.

That is excellent.  I guess maybe my point of view is skewed by the fact that I almost never shop anywhere frequently enough to *know* a person who works there.  If I was frequenting a particular store multiple times a year, I do see how it would be valuable to have a known quantity around for service.

kite

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Re: local versus frugal
« Reply #28 on: May 19, 2016, 05:36:38 PM »
A few books shaped my thinking on the local versus import question.....
First was
"A Year Without Made in China".  Reading this didn't have the effect I expected.  Rather than bolster some nationalistic pride in American made, it made me think we just buy too much shit, regardless of where it's from.  The worker around the world is just as entitled to make a living as the one who lives 100 miles from me, but I shouldn't waste money on crap. 

Later I read
"Just Food".  People latch onto the idea of food miles because it's intuitively meaningful, but that doesn't make it better.  Depending on your locale, the local producers might actually be worse.  The carbon footprint of imported tomatoes is nothing compared to the closer sourced ones that needed a hothouse.  Veggies and fruits grown where they thrive natively require less fertilizer than trying to force a crop in a new environment.  Converting forest to cropland to satisfy a fetish for local is ridiculously destructive, especially when we try to do it organically on a large enough scale to feed populations.  The distribution system to get food to where people are is remarkably efficient, so don't feel guilty.

In between, I read
"Kitchen Counter Cooking School"  and "Everlasting Meal"
Buy the most delicious chicken.  They don't all taste the same.   Actually get one whole bird from each, look at them side by side and prepare all at once and taste.  Get the best, but buy only as much of your budget allows and don't think too much about the price per pound.  If it means you eat less meat, that's OK. But supporting those who produce the tastiest chickens is good.

There's an Amazon distribution warehouse within 10 miles of my home.  When I buy something from Amazon, it is a small part of helping 6 people I know personally get paid.  That's local, and not necessarily bad thing.  But it is a bad thing if it means my mom or neighbor had the same product that I could have borrowed or bought used.  Which leads me to my latest read....

"Zero Waste Home"
I'm not as hard core as Bea Johnson.  But I do see everything on store shelves as being, basically, landfill.  If I must acquire something, we try for borrowed (use & return) or free (shopping in the pickin's aka dumpster diving).  Third option is Craigslist or Thrift Store.  There is very little we need to ever buy new besides undergarments.