Going organic? If you are one of the many families trying to move into a more organic groceries diet than you probably already know that it can be an expensive transition. While they may be healthier, organic foods carry with them a much higher price tag and this can become a major barrier for some families. There are a few things you can do to help reduce these costs. Here are ten effective tips to help you save money while going organic:
Use Coupons
Yes, there are coupons for organic foods. There are certainly not as many available as their processed food counterparts but they are out there. You just need to know where to look. To get you started here are several free websites we use to clip coupons for organic products:
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Store Generic-Brands
More and more grocery stores are now offering their own ‘generic’ line of organic foods. These can be purchased at a discount when compared to their name-brand alternatives and still provide the benefits of going organic. Some of the stores currently offering their own line of organics include:
Albertsons – “O” Organics
Hannafords – Nature’s Place Organics
Kroger – Simple Truth Organics
Publix – Green Wise Organics
Schnucks – Full Circle Organics
Shaw’s – “O” Organics
Stop & Shop – Nature’s Promise Organics
Target – Simply Balanced Organics
Walmart – Great Value Organics
Wegmans – Wegmans Organics
Whole Foods – 365 Everyday Value Organics
Grow Your Own
While growing your own vegetables does take time and effort it will help you produce organic foods at a fraction of the cost to purchase them in a store. Not to mention that homegrown foods always taste so much better! You don’t need to commit to a large garden right away. Start out small and add to your garden over time.
Join Your Local Co-op
If you live in a community that has a Co-op then take full advantage of this and consider purchasing a membership to get reduced pricing. There are other advantages to shopping at a co-op as well. They generally offer fresher foods, support local farmers and offer a wider variety of organic foods when compared to traditional grocery stores.
Farmer’s Markets
Similar to a Co-op purchasing foods at a Farmer’s Market help support your local community. We find that prices at Farmer’s Market are very reasonable and closely resemble what we would pay at the grocery store, however, the foods are generally much fresher and we get a chance to meet some really great people.
Buy in Bulk
While doing this can be tricky with organics and other perishable foods buying in bulk can certainly save you money assuming you consume what you need and freeze the remainder as to not create extra waste. Many of the wholesale stores such as Sam’s Club and Costco are now offering organic foods in bulk.
Stop Wasting Food
Wasting food is a budget killer as you are literally throwing away money. It’s a double whammy when you throw away organic foods as they carry a premium cost to begin with. There are some things you can do to help prevent wasting food one of which we will discuss next.
Don’t Shop Weekly
We realize that not everyone is in a position to go to the store every day but there are benefits to food shopping several times a week rather than making one large shopping trip each week. First, you are able to purchase smaller amounts of food at one time which will reduce the odds of you purchasing too much food and eventually throwing some out. Second, it allows for greater controls on your grocery budget as you can focus on saving money on a smaller amount of food and not a very large weekly order.
Plan Your Meals Each Week
Taking the time to plan your meals each week will help you to avoid waste as you know exactly what you are purchasing based on the upcoming meals. It also will greatly reduce the likelihood that you find yourself eating out several times a week which is a budget buster.
Shop Seasonally
It’s all about supply and demand. When products (especially fruits and vegetables) are locally out of season there are less of them available and because of this the price will be much higher. Getting to know your local ‘seasons’ will allow you to purchase organics while their prices are lower and stay away from them during levels of inflated pricing.
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Take a Deep Breath and Save
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