Buying Local

Recently in the Whitsundays (Airlie Beach/Proserpine & Bowen) area, we have been asked to reply to a survey on having a local farmers market.  This is something that interests me enormously!  I love the idea of buying locally grown and produced products.

There are a couple of awesome markets around, but they focus primarily on craft, clothes and gifts.  There's a smattering of local producers and food, but not a specific food market.  Understandably, the local markets focus a lot on the tourism market.

Here is the link to our Famers Market Survey.  If you are local I encourage you to take the time to answer it.  Anything that brings great, local produce to our region is a good thing right?

Whitsunday Farmers Market Survey

The Whitsunday Market runs every Saturday morning and also gets up and running when one of the big Cruise ships moors up nearby.  There is also the Bowen Market and the Proserpine Market as well.

I find one of the most difficult things to do product wise in our house is to stick to buying local.  I can buy so much online, cheaper than in our local stores.  I am very aware though that times in the region are tough and try my very best to resist the online bargains.

Why not shop at the market here?  Check it out, it's glorious!!!

Whitsunday Market

Organised shopping lists

I am a terribly disorganised person!  My friends will tell you otherwise, but I promise you it's an act!  I need to work very hard at organisation within my home.

One of my husbands biggest frustration with me is 'lists'.  I am forever writing list upon list and then leaving them all about the place.  To Do lists, shopping lists and chore lists.  I can always find a random list around the house or in my handbag.

I bought a journal lately and have only written my lists inside it, it's been great and prevented all my bits of paper.  I have also discovered a super organised way to write my grocery list, it takes an extra few minutes but I think it saves a bucket of time at the supermarket (and with a toddler this can only be a good thing).

I usually shop at either Coles or Woolworths, they have great online sites.  I logged on and registered and then created a shopping list (really meant for home delivery).  Once I've picked all my items I then print it off and head to the shops, and as an added bonus I already know what my shopping will cost!  Very conveniently most the items are automatically grouped together in the appropriate areas and makes shopping a breeze.  Better still, they are so up to date with information that you can automatically see items are out of stock...before you even head out to the shop!

I absolutely love it.

Here's an example

Coles Online

Woolworths Online