With the launch of the GROW Method last week, I figured it was time to turn theory into practice with my next trip to the grocery store. Over 3 blog posts I'll discuss my 3 worst grocery store habits, and how I've traded them in for something more GROW friendly.
Now grocery shopping always provides somewhat of a struggle for me. First and foremost, there’s the challenge of cooking for one person in a land of buy one get twos. You see, it’s not that I don’t want the whole crate of potatoes for the price of three spuds, it’s just that one must be realistic when dealing with 4 square feet of kitchen space.
Not only do I have a kitchen smaller than most closets, but I also have the appetite of just one very medium-sized human, not a bouncy, bubbly family of 6-8. As it turns out, there are very few packaged goods that claim "serves one".
Luckily, this challenge becomes a solution in light of the GROW Method. Buying only what I need and eating up what I already have is key to reducing waste, and surprisingly simple. While it may have taken some self-monitoring to not look at a super-sized jar of spaghetti sauce and think, “YES! What a deal!” I instead bought the smaller, individually manageable portions.
While it initially felt like I was buying less for more, I realized that I was probably actually saving money by buying a cup that I would finish, instead of a quart that I would throw away half of. All those hugely portioned items were only taking up space that I can’t spare, and wasting too many valuable resources that we can't afford to use up.
When it comes down to it, maybe that whole potato crate isn’t worth it after all. Unless, of course, I plan on eating solely baked potatoes for the next 6-9 weeks, then I still think it’s a pretty great deal.
If I could manage to get the GROW Method to work for me, I have no doubt that you could too!
Have a great GROW tip? Share it with us at actioncorps@oxfamamerica.org!
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