That is what I’ve been doing – using GG too. I like that it’s non-homogenized and local although I’ve been having emilkman.com deliver it for me since I don’t go to the store but once a month now. Thanks for the suggestion!

Good info and ideas.

My dream is to put a more formal group in place, get a non-profit status and work with a community kitchen to store things until we can all meet to divide it up. I can envision local farmers selling us excess produce, a drop point for local milk, eggs and meat, a place to barter with your neighbors and others to help me organize since it takes a huge chunk of time once you get a lot of folks (and I hate bookkeeping!)

So many places like Wilderness Family Naturals, Mountain Rose Herbs, Cheesemongers, Fishermen, Grain Farmers have existing programs. Oh, and Charlie’s Soaps (google them!) If you each coordinate one order that spreads the love around. I would love to create a Costco for the people. Someday…

The grain is even less per pound, ranging from 40cents for wheat to 90 cents for spelt. I found a semi-local source for legumes so I could make a meal of veggie burgers with home canned condiments, lacto fermented veggies, home baked buns and garden salad for about $2 for all of us.

I’m spending 1/2 what I was on sweeteners, I found a local bee keeper (sweet as can bee) and 6 of us split a 6 gallon barrel of it, I buy the organic sugar from Costco that is $8 for 10# and their maple syrup for 1/2 the price I was paying for the organic syrup. When I researched maple syrup it turned out there are no pests or diseases to maple syrup trees so organic is a matter of certification. Boy did I feel dumb!

By buying Mt. Pleasant raw milk cheeses, Beechers cheddar at Costco and now Willipa Hills aged moldeds at wholesale price I’ve stopped making cheese. That was part of the reason I was spending so much on milk and my raw milk is $8.60 per gallon so one of our most expensive items. I could subsidize that with less expensive pasteurized dairy pool milk for the lattes or things we heat or culture but I don’t want to support that.

I planted a tea plant and am planning to grow some chicory root (yes dandelion by design) to make my coffee beans last. By commanding dessert is only once a week that has helped us cut back on frivolous eating and spending too. I have a sweet tooth and love to make the pretty things – I could get lost in a kitchen making torts and truffles for days and be in heaven. So I try to reign that in.

This has been a really interesting exercise to go through – I’ll have to reprice my food stocks next month and see how things have changed!

I’ve been carefully monitoring the electric bill too – no large increase from the additional chest freezer, the extra fridge/freezer or the grow lights.

Thing is, both of these require their members to donate their time (they ask you to do bookkeeping, website maintenance, help with new members, etc.) and commit to weekly meetings. Is this what you do?

Also, the closest buying clubs in my area are farther than 30 miles and require $350 purchases but I’m not sure how often you are required to spend that amount.

I had imagined buying clubs/co-ops to be more like a small scale organic Costco type of thing.

Yes, you live in a very expensive city! But oh so beautiful, diverse and open-minded. I wish we lived in WA or OR. Sigh.

(BTW, I should’ve made clear, in my previous comment, that the tip about making burger buns was directed to baking noobs like me.)

Thank you for the response. I was hoping that was the answer, but I know I’m going to have to have data to make my case to the hubby, and I can’t use my current grocery bills because I eat so differently when he’s gone.