My Attempt at Cooperative Shopping

I went to Wheatsville Coop the other day to see how it stacked up against the bigger stores I usually go to. I would much prefer to give my money to a store that benefits the community in some way, but not at prices that are exponentially higher than I'm used to. I have no qualms about joining a coop--my parents were members of the Genesee Food Coop for years while I was growing up--but again, not if I'm unable to make full use of such a membership.

All coops are different; some offer a flat percentage discount to members in exchange for a few hours' work in the store each month. Some offer the same discount, but in exchange for a membership fee, either yearly or lifetime. The Wheatsville Coop, as far as I can tell, offers a lifetime membership for only $70 (great deal!), but their discount is only on certain items (not-so-great deal). For example, of all the stuff I bought the other day, none of it would have been discounted had I been a member. So, unless you just happen to buy the same items they decide are discount-worthy, you're really not benefiting in any way from being a member (besides, of course, the general satisfaction you may or may not get from supporting a local business, et cetera, et cetera).

In addition, the selection of products, as I'm sure you can imagine, is limited. I had to get half and half, and only had the option of getting a pint for 1.99 or a quart for significantly more. Compare that to HEB, where I can get a quart of half and half for under 1.50. Of course, it's HEB brand half and half, and thus of unknown origin, probably chock full of hormones.

Which brings me to my current quandary: What is my objective here? Is it to purchase organic, whole foods on a limited budget, or to simply find ways to feed my family on said limited budget? If I shop at a place like Wheatsville, I'm going to spend more money on staples each week, but I'll be somewhat reassured that I'm not piling chemicals into our bodies. But if I shop at HEB or, to a limited extent, Central Market, I can get a whole lot more for my $30, including meat for Erik, but would have to kind of turn a blind eye to the content of my food. My conscience feels better after having shopped at Wheatsville this week, but I had to forgo a bunch of crucial items because they would have eaten up too large a chunk of my budget for the week. So I still have to go to HEB anyway.