The Dilemma

I've always been a thrifty shopper. I shop sales, I shop clearance sections. I buy generic. I'm not proud, and I love to save a buck!

But ever since we put our house in the DC suburbs up for sale and moved to Raleigh, NC, I have been extra thrifty. I've had to be. Making two house payments while waiting for our house to sell has left me pinching pennies and cutting costs any way I can.

DC was an expensive area to live in, but so far Raleigh is the winner in grocery prices. I have yet to find a good cheap grocery store around here, and everytime I've gone shopping, I've left the store feeling overwhelmed and depressed.

For the past couple years, I've been on a slow journey toward converting to all-natural, organic, and environmentally friendly products, but the penny pinching made me start questioning my principles. Was it more important to stay in the budget (even if that meant shopping at the center of grocery shopping evil, a.k.a Walmart), or was it more important to be good to people and the planet, seeking out fair trade and organic items?

Is it possible to do both?

So that's the question I'll be exploring here. Can I be a responsible consumer and still stay within my budget? Let's find out...