Where to Spend your Money...

Now I'm not one of those "shut ins" who believes in conspiracies and thinks every major company is out to get them, but I do think you spend your money with companies you believe in...if given the choice. I do not go looking for background info on CEO's of companies I spend money with but if stumble on that info I feel compelled to act. Like I have long ago had a personal ban on WalMart...the fluorescent lights alone are reason not to go, but the fact that those mega rich Texas owners take up 3-4 spots on the "richest people in the US" list and they are also on the "richest people who give the LEAST to charity" list! I think that's crap.

I hate Kraft since they make shitty fat filled food and they merged with Philip Morris. PM is also parent company for Birdseye, Post, and General Foods...now this makes things tricky when I take the kids to the cereal aisle and my personal love of Grape-Nuts! Why hate Philip Morris? That seems pretty obvious...daughter of heavy smokers, my lungs compromised and seize up every time a someone with cigarette even walks by house, Big Tobacco ruining peoples lives and health, duh?!

I recently had a Chick-Fil-A sandwich in the Orlando airport...and I have to say given the fact that I have a wicked gag reflex when I even look at chicken, this was an amazing sandwich...the texture, the moist yumminess, the pickles! But then to find out that the owner of CFA gives a boatload of money to anti-gay and Christian family groups...well, I can live without the chicken.

Do I care that Trader Joe's was started by Germans who have ties to Nazi's? Yes. But I do shop there now and then. (Sorry RE)

Whole Foods owner is a total loon, but it's not that that bugs me. It's the INSANE markup of his food. They have become the WalMart of "natural food stores", by strong arming vendors, they promote their own brands more than local farms. Their arrogance by acting like they don't have their share of SEC scandals, law suits for carcinogens in products, e-coli outbreaks, rat infestations, and a crazy owner who comes up with fake names to trash other people in social media and who doesn't believe people are entitled to proper health care. I refuse to throw up my hands and believe that's my only option for healthy food. Talking to farmers who are being pinched so bad by the buyers of WF. They boast "local produce"? Go to our local GreenCity Market and ask all the farmers if WF carries their products and the answer is no. Buying at Whole Foods (or "Whole paycheck") does NOT mean it's healthy...just look for "yeast extract", it's in many of the 365 and vegan products, it's a fancy name for MSG. Their trucks are using gas and driving coast to coast just like everyone else...nothing "local" about that. When I go to my husbands restaurants and see what boxes of vegetables cost and then look at the prices at Whole Foods I am shocked and sad...it just seems like they're taking advantage of us...especially here in the mid-west where we don't have many other options of natural stores. The alternative to WF? Going to the local farmers markets all summer and really buying local...the markets now run into November. Plus during the winter you can do "farm shares" and get weekly, or monthly deliveries of fresh, local produce. As for all the other things you'd buy, there are organic and health conscience foods at all other local grocery stores. So really?!!? Blah!

The problem is is that it has become so damn difficult to be "conscience"! You could go in any "health conscience" persons home and find some crap food or another...and I do know people who praise themselves "conscience shoppers" and there is some evil in their house too...big business, big tobacco, politically backward, MSG, fructose...whatever it is even if you have the best intentions it sneaks in! Some days I don't know what to eat!!