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HOW TO EAT ORGANIC ON A BUDGET
Trying to eat more organic foods but think you can’t afford it?
A lot of people tell me they love the idea of organic food and would start eating more organic foods in a heartbeat but their budgets simply don’t allow it.
It’s true that organic food can cost considerably more than conventionally grown food…but it doesn’t have to!
Because more and more people are going organic, there has been a downward pricing trend for organic foods and that is great but we still can reduce the cost more.
Organic food prices aren’t low enough for many people and that’s why I wrote this article.
Here are a few ideas to eat organic on a budget!
HOW TO EAT ORGANIC FOOD ON A BUDGET
Grow Your Own Organic Food, Pick Your Own or Utilize a Community Garden
Have a green thumb? Consider starting a garden. If not you can always buy or barter fresh organic food from neighbors and friends or a community garden.
Lots of people who have gardens often have lots of extra fruits and veggies that they end up giving away or even throwing away! Do a quick search on Google for a community garden in your local area or ask your friends and neighbors.
You can even try pick your own farms. Don’t be afraid of a little manual labor. Using “pick your own” opportunities allows you to save a lot of money and stock up for canning, drying and freezing. You can pick a variety of fruits and vegetables this way.
You can look for “you pick” farms in your area by visiting http://www.pickyourown.org, but do confirm they are organic growers first since we are talking about organic foods here.
Love natural products? Have you heard of Grove Collaborative? Right now you can get a FREE 5 Piece Mrs. Meyers Set!
Shop in Season
Usually, seasoned foods are on sale if you buy them then freeze them you will save a bunch of money. Grocery Stores will usually have one or two items that are on deep discount, they usually use these items to drive people into the store.
Buy lots of these bargain items and freeze them to save money.
It’s the same money-saving concept that people have been using for years and you can apply it to organic foods as well.
Invest in a food dehydrator (I have this one), canning equipment, and freezer-ready containers so you can store organic foods for later eating.
You may also like:
How to Cut Expenses and Spend Less
Buy Organic from Farmers Markets
There are many organic options at farmer’s markets and they are often more affordable than organic fare found at regular supermarkets.
You can search Google for “[your town] farmer’s market” or use the http://www.localharvest.org website to find markets in your area.
Buy Generic Organic Products
There are a lot of places you can buy store brand or generic organic products at a discount. You can even find great organic foods for cheap online!
Places like Brandless where everything is just $3 and Amazon are two places to start.
Use Coupons
Stores like Whole Foods have a bunch of coupons in store (look by the door usually). You should find the Whole Deal Value Guide filled with coupons there, or online and you can combine them with manufacturers coupons to get good deals.
You can also check out the website of your favorite organic brand to look for coupons. Or even write to your favorite brand and tell them how much you love their products and usually they will mail you coupons!
Here are some of my favorite coupons sites and Apps to save on organic food:
Berrycart (this is an App that is super easy to use)
You can also check out 10 Places to Get Organic Coupons.
Do Your Research
One of my favorite sites to reference is EWG (Environmental Working Group). EWG has a Dirty Dozen list that shows you which produce is most likely to be grown with the most pesticides, so if money is an issue then this is a great way to decide which foods to buy organic.
They keep a list of produce that is least likely be grown with as much pesticide so you may not have to rush into organic versions of those and save money that way.
Food items like a
You can check out EWG’s List of the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 for a complete list!
Hope these tips help you save money on organic food so your family can eat healthy on a budget!
Have any other tips? Share them below! Liked this article? Share it using the sharing buttons at the bottom and top of this article.
Great tips for buying organic. We always eat the fruit in season & strawberries all year for the kids. Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!
Great post! Sometimes I feel like I need to sacrifice organic purchases to stay on budget, but this is a great guide to balancing budget and organic food! Thanks for sharing 🙂
You’re welcome!
Great post! I appreciate these tips and your hard work advocating for healthier food for everyone. Thanks for sharing!