Monday, December 14, 2009

Things They Should Invent (throwing money at problems edition)

1. Equip all food drives to collect money as well as cans

Food drives are inconvenient for me. Apart from my 72-hour kit, I tend not to have unopened nonperishable food on hand that I don't plan to use in the very near future. And when I find myself in possession of unopened nonperishable food that I don't think I'm going to get any use out of, I tend to put it in the food bank bin at the grocery store as a matter of course. So if I'm going to give actual food to a food drive, I have to either buy food specifically for that purpose, or I have to buy food specifically to replace the food that I removed from my kitchen.

However, I am happy to give money. I also think I read somewhere that money is actually more useful to the food banks, because they can get food for cheaper than retail (either bulk discounts, or wholesale prices, or suppliers giving good deals to food banks) and they can use the money to buy whatever food they're low on at the moment.

I totally see the appeal of giving actual food to food banks, but if all food drives were equipped to collect money as well, it would be easier and better for everyone.

2. Hybrid potlucks

Some people like potlucks because it saves money; these people don't mind going to a bit of inconvenience to save money. Other people don't like potlucks because they're inconvenient - these people don't mind spending a bit of money for convenience. The problem is when you have a mixed group. You just want to have a fun social event without burdening anyone unduly, but some people feel unduly burdened by having to spend money for a restaurant meal, while others feel unduly burdened by having to prepare a dish that's good enough to serve to others, big enough for a large group, and can be transported to the destination without being ruined.

Solution: a hybrid potluck. You can either contribute a dish, or you can contribute money. All the money is pooled and used to order pizza or buy catering. Perhaps one person's contribution could be to collect all the money and use it to fill in whatever gaps are remaining in the spread. That way everyone can contribute in the manner that's least burdensome to them.

4 comments:

laura k said...

1. I usually buy food specifically for food drives. I rarely have anything appropriate at home. I wonder if it would be better if I gave money instead?

2. I like this idea. But I also wonder we people feel they must cook for a potluck. Why is it considered inappropriate to buy something prepared and bring that?

impudent strumpet said...

I think it's because the idea behind a potluck is to save money, and the conventional wisdom is that making something yourself saves money. (Which I think it does in family-sized households, but not so much when you're only one person).

I have considered buying something prepared, but I have trouble coming up with something good enough that will serve enough people without getting ridiculously expensive and can be easily transported and will fit in with the other things people are bringing. I'd rather throw money at the situation and get pizza or sandwiches or something that I'm more certain people would enjoy.

Last time I managed to get away with bringing dishes and napkins etc. I think next time I'm going to propose a hybrid.

laura k said...

Some people frown on buying something prepared for a potluck for reasons other than economic. It's like they want you to make the effort - whether or not you enjoy it. The effort is what they're going for.

For my potluck last summer, for the non-cook people, I suggested chips & salsa, and raw veggies with purchased (not home-made) dip.

I like the hybrid idea. Let us know if it flies.

impudent strumpet said...

In my case, before we even get to the question of whether I enjoy the effort, there's the question of whether the effort will be fruitful. I don't often prepare food in large quantities, so I can't be certain enough that it will turn out good enough to feed to other people. If I try to make something, it's quite possible that I'll have to turn up empty-handed. (Or make a disproportionate quantity of food in several discrete attempts, and throw out most of it because it's no good.)