Do you think eating organic is expensive?
Yes, organic food does typically cost more than the non-organic counterparts, but it doesn’t have to be expensive.
Here are five easy ways to save money on organic foods!
1. Coupons & Sales Cycles
As organic foods grow in popularity finding coupons for organic foods becomes much easier. Check out our daily coupon round-up for any organic coupons, or look up specific brands that you want to buy in the online coupon database.
If you’re not following the sales cycles, then it’s easy to spend way more for organic foods than for their conventional counterparts, but if you are stocking up on organic items when the prices are at their lowest then eating organic can be very affordable.
Keep in mind that any coupons that say that they are valid on any of that brand’s products will also be valid on that brand’s organic line, if they have one.
2. Buy Locally Grown Foods
Buying from your neighborhood organic farmer can save you a bundle and buying direct will guarantee you the lowest prices. If you are unsure where to find local farmers in your area then check out Local Harvest for one near you.
There will be a little bit up an up-charge when buying from a Farmer’s Market instead of directly from the farm, but it still will typically be less than a large organic grocery store chain.
3. Buy in Season
Buying fruit and vegetables out of season, whether organic or not, will always cost more. Out of season selections carry the added cost of transportation and energy so be sure to purchase in season produce for the lowest prices. If you cannot live without blueberries in your morning oatmeal then buy in bulk during blueberry season and freeze them. Every month I publish a post on the produce that’s in season that month so be sure to watch for that!
Also, check out the clean 15 and the dirty dozen lists to see which produce items are most important to buy organic.
4. Buy in Bulk
Warehouse stores like Sam’s Club, Costco, and BJs can have some of the best deals on organic foods since they are able to buy in such bulk. We are members of Costco and have found great prices on organic produce there (especially the frozen organic veggies). I also highly recommend Azure Standard. You can buy all kinds of organic food in bulk through their co-op and there are drop-off locations all over the country!
5. Grow Your Own
Probably the least expensive way to eat organic is by growing your own food. If you are short on space (like me!) consider container gardening. Yes, you need to water more often with container gardening, but I think it’s great that I can move the pots around the yard wherever the sun seems to be the best. There are plenty of options to making a garden fit in your backyard or even on a terrace. When you first start out, choose plants that are easy to care for like tomatoes and peppers. Also, consider partnering with a friend to trade tomatoes for eggplant and peppers for lettuce so that you don’t have to grow everything yourself!
What other tips do you have for saving money on organic foods?
We grow as much of our own food as we can. Great tips!