Shop Local or Shop Affordable?

For all the shop local crowd, listen up...my family has been operating on a single income for a very long time now and there's one thing I've learned over the years when it comes to shopping for groceries and necessities, shopping local only works if local is affordable.

You see when most people say "shop local" what they are really saying is "only buy stuff at small businesses in your own town vacinity". "Shop local" NEVER means "do your groceries at Walmart" or a big chain store. Well, why the hell not? They employ my community! I have a teenage boy to feed on my husband's single, good income (And we are fortunate and blessed that he's still working). If I can buy my son shoes, my husband undershorts, and bacon for cheaper in one store, then I'm going to and I'm not going to let anyone who "only shops local" make me feel like I don't support my community, because my family kitchen comes first. If someone else has the luxury of additional income to always shop at local small businesses that's wonderful! Truly, don't get me wrong. I love my local small businesses and if I could support them affordably I would. They have to eat too! Its not like their prices are so outrageous that they're getting rich of it. Not at all,  but...and this is a big but...my family's needs come before yours.

If I can get my liquid iron supplement at Superstore for $10 a bottle cheaper than I can at my local (small business) natural food store, then, I'm sorry, I'm going to buy it at Superstore. For the $10 I'm saving I can also buy milk, eggs, & bread while I'm there. And...And...I'm NOT going to feel bad about it. I'm going to feel awesome about it, because I got myself something that keeps me healthy and I provided additional food for my massively tall teenage boy who eats like he's preparing for the big fight with Rocky Balboa.

Now, again, before people jump down my throat for suggesting "Shop Local" is bad, I will say this one more time for the people in the back....MY FAMILY COMES FIRST!

Feeding my own comes before supporting you so you can feed yours. That means that, although I LOVE our small local pet stores, I will continue to buy my dog food at Costco...its half the price of comparable dog food anywhere else. It means that I will buy my travel trailer parts from up north, because its the same part for less money than the RV dealerships in my area. I love the people who own these local businesses and I'm blessed to call some of them my friends, but they don't put food on my table eventhough they love me back.

Lets put this in perspective. If I shop at ten different local small businesses and each item costs me between $5-$10 more (and rightfully so, there's more overhead costs for small businesses) than at a larger chain store that's anywhere between $50-$100 more if I only buy 1 item at each place. That means I have to do more with less food or necessities by a large margin. I don't know about yours, but my family can't afford to have $50-$100 less in our fridge. And we have a good single income. I definitely couldn't afford it when we used to be poor!

People assume A LOT!  People assume that, because we live in a nice house and have 2 vehicles that we have a six figure income. We don't! We are careful with the money we have and we spend it very wisely. We stretch our dollars and save anywhere we can so we can get everything we need and have a little left over for camping, hunting, & fishing. We don't rely on credit to get us by. Cradit is a tool, not an income. We live off the money we have and that money has to do a lot of things as well as feed us and our pets.

Please, shop where you can afford to shop and be proud that you're providing for your family. Sometimes shopping affordable means buying a local farmers eggs and other times it means getting everything at No Frills or Co-op, because that's who has what you need on sale this week. All those options have just as much value, because you put food on the table. You provided! Our responsibility to our communities is important, but it has to start at home.

The Big Hunt is On!

With the beginning of November comes the full swing of hunting season, where most zones are now open for general season for deer and other large game, along with bird.  My guys have already had some success, because we go to the few zones that open earlier.  So far, after the butchering and finishing process we harvest 54 lbs. of meat for our family from a decent sized buck that Hubbs got last week.

We do all the work ourselves. Some hunters, after they tag out, take their game to a butcher for all the processing and packaging. We choose to do all that ourselves, at home.  Our first year we started out with a manual meat grinder and learned quickly how to appreciate the modern technology of the electric meat grinder the following year.  We package our finished cuts in butcher paper, not food savers.  We have a food saver that was gifted to us, but are mainly using it for jerky and pepperoni. The butcher paper keeps the meat well frozen, without freezer burn, for atleast a year. I have a couple pounds of ground and a roast from last years hunt that I just cooked up and it's still perfect!

Once the guys bring the deer back, it gets hung and the meat is harvested. Then they bring it all inside, I prep/clean the kitchen surfaces, and the two of them trim off all the shit not fit for consumption. Everything gets divided out into roasts, steaks, stew, and ground.  As they fill their trays they bring it all over to my "work station", the covered kitchen table.  I grind the ground and then package all the meat, regardless of cut.  The ground and steaks get package per pound and the roasts are packaged per decent sized roasts.  Then its freezer time! It's basically like a three person assembly line from start to finish.

I serve deer (I know lots of people call it venison, we just don't) three times a week for dinner and the we have leftovers for lunches and such. Last year, both Hubbs and KoasterRider brought home one each and the bulk of the meat lasted us for over 7 months.  I saved about 10 lbs to have a little here and there until this hunting season started.

Deer loin from last week's buck

~ Slathered with montreal steak spice rub, wrapped in bacon

~ baked at 350F for about 1 hour. 

served with mashed potatoes and veg on the side

Hunting has become part of who we are and brought us closer as a family unit, providing for one another.   It's a very authentic experience hunting and harvesting your own food. We pray for the life the animal gave and we thank God for the blessing of feeding ourselves from the land.  The meat we are able to harvest from legally and ethically hunting is 100% organic, wild, and pure.  The money we spend on hunting is also a few hundred dollars less than if we were to buy regular store bought beef, not even the organic stuff.  The quality time with each other and the bonding between my two guys and the friends we've made are priceless.  For all of these reason and many more, we are proud hunters.

If your curious about hunting and want to know more, I included links in a previous post...check it out:   We Interrupt This Marriage for Hunting Season!

We Interupt this Marriage for Hunting Season!

It's hunting season in Alberta!  Most areas are open for bow hunting and game bird season. So, what is my family doing? Hunting...almost all the time when not in school or at work, my guys will be out on the land getting some upland birds for our freezer.  Come November 1st then it shifts to actually taking time off school and work to go out for the deer and this year Hubbs scored a moose tag from the draw. Woohoo!!!

I've become extremely protective of my guys when it comes to hunting, because to my surprise I've actually gotten quit a bit of negative feedback from people I thought were friends. I'm so very proud of their hard work and thankful for the food they provide for us, that I get mama bear angry when people share their negative opinions on hunting. My stand is, unless you are a very strict vegan, shut your mouth and keep your opinions to yourself. I don't care! If you buy meat from a store and then condemn my family for harvesting our own, fuck off!  No, seriously...go away. We're busy enjoying our beautiful life with the gifts given to us from the land to have time for nonsense.

Hunting is a natural, instinctual way to provide for ones family. There is nothing more real than teaching our kids exactly where food comes from than by teaching them how to hunt for themselves. There is an amazing respect for animals and the land that is gained through hunting that just can't be bought or taught any other way. Hunters are part of responsible conservation and stewardship. Survival skills are so precious to have and surviving while hunting is a delicate dance that builds character and hardiness of spirit.  On opening day of bird season my guys invited me to walk with them while they went on their hunt and my Lord, was it beautiful!!! I see why they come home so recharged and calm after a hunt.

Our family does it all too, from the first moment of the hunt, with licence, tags, & all the legalities and ethics being followed, all the way to the harvesting, processing,  packaging and freezing of meat. We do it all ourselves and with the help of fellow hunters.

I've learned how to cook and season deer, duck, prairie chickens, & rabbit (so far, not a fan of rabbit yet). I've learned how to make deer jerky and even deer pepperonis (They still need practice though).  What KoasterRider and his Dad hunt and harvest is what feeds our family through the toughest parts of winter and if we're lucky until the following hunting season.  We're talking free-range, 100% organic, wild food for the mere price of time, tags/licences, and fuel.  It's become such a big deal for my journey into living more holistically and naturally. I love it!!!  I'm pretty sure they love it too.

If hunting is something that interests you, there's a few things to know before you just go out there and do it. All hunters in Alberta are required to take and pass the Hunter Education Course before they can purchase hunting licences and tags.  If you plan to hunt with firearms instead of bow, then you will also need to take and pass the Canadian Firearms Safety Course then apply for your Possession and Acquisition Licence (PAL) through the RCMP.  There are hunting regulations and zones that must be followed and they can change, sometimes yearly, so you need to get your Hunting Regulations book each year to make sure you stay current.  There's lots of information online, but the best way to truly learn is through another hunter, so ask around. Hunting is full of a large community of people who are skilled and love what they do. Hunting is more than a hobby, its a way of life...a way of life that my family has taken to very well!

Here's some links for more information regarding hunting in Alberta:

Alberta Hunter Education Instruction Association
Alberta Guide to Hunting Regulations
Hunting In Alberta - Alberta Government website
My Wild Alberta
Report a Poacher
Alberta Conservation Association


Happy hunting and stay safe out there!