Exploring new options

One of the benefits of underspending the grocery budget is getting to decide how to invest the savings. Due to our once a month shopping we had some surplus in our freezer that has allowed us to not have to grocery shop for 2 weeks out of this month. (More on how this happened in a later post)

This means we have about $210 left in our grocery budget with no where to go. There are several options for what to do with this extra money:

1. Send it to our current savings goal (my Roth)
2. Invest in stockpiling meat and non perishables
3. Investing in Community supported Agriculture (CSA)in our area

We have decided to invest part of the money in a local CSA. By paying $100 now for a membership to a local organic farm I guarantee myself discounted organic produce through March. Not only do I get discounted organic produce but I get to choose exactly what I want via the internet, the price of the vegetables comes out of the $100 I sent them, and if I don't feel like going to the farm to pick it up they will mail it to me! Even better any money I have not used up by the beginning of April will be sent back to me! You really can't get a better deal than that!

Come this spring we will also be buying into the CSA's meat program as well. We will be buying several organic free range chickens and having them slaughtered for us in June, giving us a surplus of chicken to go in our freezer. Now if I can find a place that offers the option of buying a half a cow we will be set!

As we have found with bulk shopping sometimes spending a little upfront can give you big savings later on.