In another thread here we were talking about obesity as one cause of global warming and someone noted in a side issue that "I don't buy as much organic or natural food as I should because I have to stay on a budget and need to buy a lot of food." I didn't want to get totally off topic in that thread but it seemed like a good reason to look at the topic of how to afford more organic food on a limited budget.
First of all I'd look at your overall spending when it comes to green products or organic food or anything. With some basic budget tweaks you can usually make room in your budget for a little bit more organic food.
However, if you can't tweak the budget, there are some other tactics you can use - below are things I've done to be able to afford more organics. PS I did this as a single mama and we're nowhere near rich in my opinion...
Only buy the most important organics. If you have leftover money buy other less essential organic foods. This of course depends on your definition of important organics, but in my opinion the best organics to buy would be the Dirty Dozen, dairy products, and meat. If all I can afford is some organics I always go for produce and dairy then buy other items if I can.
Eat less meat. Meat's super spendy in organic form so at my house we just don't eat any pork or red meat.
Grow your own vegetables if you have the space and time. This is an iffy tactic because organic gardening can be costly at start-up, but if you keep on keeping on you will see food costs go down.
Don't shop at Whole Foods. I hear a lot of folks say they don't buy organic because Whole Foods is too expensive. Whole Foods is not the only place for organics anymore - not by a long shot. Many basic grocery stores, like Safeway for example, even have their own store brand organics now. Co-ops and farmers markets are another good bet for lower cost organics.
Cook from scratch - almost always cheaper than buying prepackaged type organics.
Buy in season vs. out of season.
Don't spend more on fake organics. Many foods that aren't worth their salt in terms of organics will try to trick consumers into buying them, and these cost more. Get to know your labels. A food labeled with "Contains some organics" or "Natural" or "Green" does not mean certified organic. People will say anything to get you to spend more, but it’s not always worth it.
Don't eat out much and don't buy junk. It's crazy when I go to someone's house and they say I can't afford organic apples but they do have soda and chips.
Use coupons. Ecobunga! is one site that features organic and eco-friendly coupons and deals. Also most organic food manufacturers offer coupons at their websites. Coupons are not always as good a deal as store brand organics sans coupon, but sometimes you can score a good deal. Also check Organic Grocery Deals .
Buy in bulk - most stores with a natural food section also have a bulk section and this is likely where I save the most money. You can get great deals on organic rice, baking goods, granola bars and more just by buying bulk. Plus you get to skip all that packaging. We use reusable bulk bags or we reuse lightweight containers.
Using the above techniques I'm usually able to afford most of the organics I want and my son is an eating machine. I'm sure other people here have more tips too...
How do you save on organic foods?
First of all I'd look at your overall spending when it comes to green products or organic food or anything. With some basic budget tweaks you can usually make room in your budget for a little bit more organic food.
However, if you can't tweak the budget, there are some other tactics you can use - below are things I've done to be able to afford more organics. PS I did this as a single mama and we're nowhere near rich in my opinion...
Only buy the most important organics. If you have leftover money buy other less essential organic foods. This of course depends on your definition of important organics, but in my opinion the best organics to buy would be the Dirty Dozen, dairy products, and meat. If all I can afford is some organics I always go for produce and dairy then buy other items if I can.
Eat less meat. Meat's super spendy in organic form so at my house we just don't eat any pork or red meat.
Grow your own vegetables if you have the space and time. This is an iffy tactic because organic gardening can be costly at start-up, but if you keep on keeping on you will see food costs go down.
Don't shop at Whole Foods. I hear a lot of folks say they don't buy organic because Whole Foods is too expensive. Whole Foods is not the only place for organics anymore - not by a long shot. Many basic grocery stores, like Safeway for example, even have their own store brand organics now. Co-ops and farmers markets are another good bet for lower cost organics.
Cook from scratch - almost always cheaper than buying prepackaged type organics.
Buy in season vs. out of season.
Don't spend more on fake organics. Many foods that aren't worth their salt in terms of organics will try to trick consumers into buying them, and these cost more. Get to know your labels. A food labeled with "Contains some organics" or "Natural" or "Green" does not mean certified organic. People will say anything to get you to spend more, but it’s not always worth it.
Don't eat out much and don't buy junk. It's crazy when I go to someone's house and they say I can't afford organic apples but they do have soda and chips.
Use coupons. Ecobunga! is one site that features organic and eco-friendly coupons and deals. Also most organic food manufacturers offer coupons at their websites. Coupons are not always as good a deal as store brand organics sans coupon, but sometimes you can score a good deal. Also check Organic Grocery Deals .
Buy in bulk - most stores with a natural food section also have a bulk section and this is likely where I save the most money. You can get great deals on organic rice, baking goods, granola bars and more just by buying bulk. Plus you get to skip all that packaging. We use reusable bulk bags or we reuse lightweight containers.
Using the above techniques I'm usually able to afford most of the organics I want and my son is an eating machine. I'm sure other people here have more tips too...
How do you save on organic foods?
