I’ve been thinking and writing a lot about eggs this week. This is, in part, because since I’ve started eating “good eggs” I’ve come to discover that eggs are not as gross as I once thought they were. And it’s also due to the fact that I saw “Mad City Chickens,” a documentary that chronicles the resurgence of the backyard hen on Monday.

Since moving to Kansas City six months ago, I have not been able to shut up about having a chicken coop of my own. This movie increased my desire tenfold. For now, though, I live in an apartment and even if I did live in a house, the city’s rules on chickens are pretty strict. So until I can find a place that will allow me to have my few hens 100 feet away from the nearest home or business, I will do my part to ensure that those who let their chickens run free are supported and those who do not are, er, insulted (see my late-night rambling on that here).

I will do this buy only buying eggs from farms that give their chickens free range. Sure, free-range, organic eggs are a little (or a lot) more expensive than factory-farmed eggs. True, I am living on a food budget of $50 a week and can put back at least a carton of eggs each cycle. But there are just some areas where, even though I hate to buy generic, I do (ground cinnamon), and others where, even if I go over budget, I will not (eggs, milk, meat). I am lucky that for now, most of the ingredients I refuse to skimp on are included in my CSA, but when that ends in September, a $4 or $5 carton of eggs will take up a good percentage of my weekly budget. And that’s worth it to me.

What items do you feel okay buying generic? And where will you never skimp?