Eating Organic: Tips to Help You Save Money
July 22, 2007
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I hear a lot of people commenting that eating mostly organic foods isn’t attainable for the average family. I beg to differ on that. The other day I sat down to write an article with all the ways I’ve been able to eat more organic with my existing food budget.
Actually, I feed 4 kids on far less than most people feed 2 kids because of my frugal ways. It does take a bit more time and work, but our food determines our health, so it’s worth it to me! I thought I would share some of these with you. Please comment below and share your own tips. 
Eating More Organic Without Busting The Budget
So you’re convinced of the benefits of eating organic, but the price tag has got you down. The good news is that with a little creativity and perhaps a change in routine, it is possible to eat a mostly organic diet within the confines of your existing grocery budget. Try some of these ideas that have worked for my family.
Search your newspaper or online for farmer’s markets in your area. You can also search LocalHarvest.org and RealMilk.org (for organic milk of course!). Many times these small farmers utilize organic practices, but you can always ask if in doubt.
photo credit: jwalsh
Farmer’s Markets
You can also find “you pick” farms locally if you search the newspaper, your county extension office or just by asking around. These often have great prices since you have to do the work. Going berry picking is fun as well as educational. Bring the kids and make a day of it.
Buy In Bulk
Larger health grocery stores often have a nice variety of bulk items. Some have bulk bins that allow you to bring your own containers for your grains, soap, maple syrup, and many other products. These can offer huge savings, especially on certain items like spices and herbs.
While it may seem odd to buy a 15 pound bag of organic brown rice, if you eat it frequently and have a little space in your freezer, bulk is a smart idea. Bring a calculator and see how much the cost is per serving. You might be pleasantly surprised. Large wholesale chains are also now offering some organic choices.
Skip Boxed and Prepared Foods
Grocery stores typically have a fairly large selection of boxed, convenience foods in the organic section. But you pay a premium for these products. The same goes for precut and washed veggies and fruit, which actually have fewer nutrients due to the fact that they’ve had more exposure to light and oxygen.
When I discovered how easy and quickly I can make things like mac and cheese (with whole grain noodles too) from scratch, I realized that even the organic versions of these kinds of products are expensive and create more waste.
photo credit: nick farnhill
Spend More Time in the Kitchen
A homemade stew made from organic ingredients will still cost less than non-organic frozen lasagne. It will also be much healthier, without preservatives and other additives. If you have a bread machine gathering dust somewhere, put it to use and make a couple of loaves a week with organic flour. You’ll likely still save money over premade bread from the store. This would be a great task to assign one of your kids.
Know What’s Important to Buy Organic
There are certain foods that are more likely to contain pesticide residues. For instance, fatty items like dairy products, butter, and meats. If you’re on a tight budget, it would be better to buy these items organic than organic produce. Why? Because hormones and pesticide residues will collect in the fatty tissues of animals. You can’t really wash a stick of butter!
Apples and strawberries should be purchased organic because they’re heavily sprayed. Corn and soy are usually genetically modified so buy those organic too. On the other hand, researchers have found that broccoli doesn’t have pesticide residues.
Focus on Veggies
If you eat more whole grains, vegetables and beans and use meat as a topping or seasoning agent, you’ll naturally spend much less. Many families find that they can afford to eat mostly organic when they eat less animal protein. Try making vegetarian, bean based dinners at least 3 nights a week.
CSAs and Co-Ops
Do a Google search to find a local community sustained agriculture (CSA) that allows you to trade a little work (or a little money) for fresh organic homegrown goods.
You can also join a co-op to buy just about anything from boxed organic food, vitamins and personal care items. Or just get together with a friend to pool your resources and buy from companies that offer a wholesale program. Search online for co-ops for everything from organic skin care to vitamins to raw milk. Yahoo and Google email groups are a good place to look.
photo credit: inspector_81
Grow Your Own
If growing your own garden seems overwhelming, just start with one tomato plant or a small windowbox herb garden. Enlist the help of your kids and make it into an educational experience. Or find a neighbor who you can start a small garden with and share the work.
Go Online for Organics
Believe it or not, you can save money by buying organic food online. Some retailers offer free shipping with a small minimum purchase, others offer great prices on bulk items. The time and gas savings can also make it very worthwhile.
You can also find coupon codes for some of the retailers. Searching manufacturer’s websites often turns up printable coupons, especially if you join their newsletters. Do a Google search for your favorite brands. And join sites like Ecobunga. In addition, Natural Grocers has a referral program so you can earn free groceries by recommending them to friends and writing product reviews.
More Posts By Carrie:
- Frugal Shopping At Natural Food Markets
- Save Money: Know What to Buy Organic
- Save Money While Shopping Green
Comments
15 Responses to “Eating Organic: Tips to Help You Save Money”
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[...] YouTube Link to Article yahoo Eating Organic: Tips to Help You Save Money » Posted at Natural Moms Talk Radio on Sunday, July 22, 2007 Recently my friend Tiffany (who is a bit like my cyber-doppelganger!) wrote an article on eating more organic. One of the commenters said that organic wasn’t attainable for the average family. I beg to differ on that. The other day I sat down to write an article with all the ways I’ve been able to eat more organic with my existing food budget View Entire Article » [...]
Thanks for the great article. It is becoming easier to eat organic in this country. Like you said with even the discount chains offering organic options.
I really enjoy your site and your posts – thanks.
Also, I nominated you for Best Health Blog at the Blogger’s Choice Awards – http://www.bloggerschoiceawards.com/blogs/show/19613. I thought it was a great fit for your site.
[...] Posted by as Uncategorized The good news is that with a little creativity and perhaps a change in routine, it is possible to eat a mostly organic diet within the confines of your existing grocery budget. Try some of these ideas that have worked for my family. … article continues at carrie brought to you by diet.medtrials.info and conSALSITA [...]
Great tips! I had never seen RealMilk.org before. I an going to check out one of the places in Ohio where it says I can get raw milk.
[...] So, the good news from this research is that mothers can enhance the already superior nutritional value of their breast milk by choosing organic dairy and meat products over conventional. Lucky for us that Carrie at Natural Moms Talk Radio just wrote a helpful article with money saving tips for eating more organic foods without busting the budget! breast milk, breastfeeding, health of the mother, lactation, news, nutrition, scientific studiesShare This [...]
I can’t believe I sent you to a new resource Tiffany.
Enjoy your milk! Dairy gives me bad stomach pains, but not raw milk.
Aaron, you’ve gotten me and Tiffany confused… you voted for her.
Couldn’t have picked a better gal though!
great article – also, many local health food stores will special order products for you, if you don’t see them on the shelf. and if you can’t find bulk beans, grains, etc. locally, consider buying them online and having them shipped to you. http://www.shopnatural.com is one store that has a ton of bulk organics. i’m familiar with them locally in tucson because they’re one of the few places to get raw goat milk.
I so needed this post right now Carrie. It was easy buying organic up in NC and I just have not got familiar with everything down here.
Now our Super Target here has lots of organic stuff but its so expensive and I’m finding I can only buy so much at a time. So disappointing
. I’m going to look for some local growers here through the links you provided.
Thanks a mill Carrie!!
Rachel,
Thanks for stopping by! ShopNatural was one of the links I provided above. Thanks for the tip
I totally forgot about asking your local health food coop to buy bulk from you. Sevananda Natural Foods here in Atlanta does that… I’ll add it to the article.
Take care!
[...] Carrie of Natural Moms Talk Radio shares with us her take on living frugal and living naturally in Eating Organic: Tips to Save You Money. This article has alot of great advice and links. My favorite tips were to buy in bulk and to skip porcessed foods. [...]
Great tips.
Thanks so much for sharing this. I know that for many eating organic foods can cost an arm and a leg. We manage mostly because we have a garden that we can eat from.
[...] Organic created an interesting post today on Eating Organic: Tips to Help You Save MoneyHere’s a short outline [...]
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!
[...] “Eating Organic: Tips to help you save money.” Natural Moms Talk Radio. 16 Sept. 2008. <http://naturalmomstalkradio.com/blog/eating-organic-tips-to-help-you-save-money/>. [...]