In most situations, we buy on value. The drive for a good deal is at least a mild motivator for most. If you could get the proprietor to drop 10% off the price, you would feel even better, right? That’s how my mind works. The combination of Modern living, working parents, kids at various stages of napping and development definitely create a family economy around convenience. For us, it has meant the purchasing patterns typically center on convenience and cost. That’s why our most recent purchase has stood out as an outlier.
This past weekend, we spent a day in western Wisconsin at a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm. With about 4.5 hours in the car and a chance to pick up and deliver some expensive veggies, one of our fellow Saturday harvesters worried about both the convenience and the value of the buy.
As a deal seeker, I feel very differently about the full experience of partnering with our CSA. As we were talking through it, we settled on this being an example of a values buy and not a value buy. Turns out we agreed, more for less isn’t always best. It feels great.
Hands that get dirty, using a knife to cut onion tops, looking at 15 vegetables with perfect color…and working side by side with the incredibly thoughtful people that created the program. Funny thing, I thought the best part was a bursting bag of veggies delivered weekly and two blocks away. When we loaded up the kids and veggies for the trip back home, we thanked Mike and Patty for having us. They looked at us strangely and then said, “no, thank you.”
When do you put your values in front of your value? Paying more at a coop, choosing a local hardware store over the Home Depot, what buy do you feel great making?
To learn more about Springhill Community Farm, visit: http://www.springhillcommunityfarm.com
Once again, a nice little conversation is taking place on my Facebook page. Comments so far are yes, we buy local; we stay in B&Bs instead of local chains; and we avoid big-box stores and shop at smaller local stores.