When it comes to living green on a budget, the biggest question most green families have is how to save money on organic food. Having been on a VERY tight budget for years, I’ve amassed an insane amount of techniques and tips that allow my family to eat sustainably while on said tight budget.
Q&A:
Q. I bet you’re not even on a tight budget!: I’m not ALWAYS on a tight budget. As a freelance writer my income fluctuates. However, I really have been on a tight budget in the past and I’m far from rich now. I also do buy mostly organic, not conventional groceries. If you want to learn more about my budget vs. me being able to buy organic, read the end of the following post – False: It’s impossible to afford green living.
Q. There’s 70+ tips listed. You don’t seriously use all these techniques?!: I don’t use every tip. For example, I don’t forage or shop at club stores, but other people might, hence the listing. To be fair, I actually DO use most of the tips listed here; just not all at the same time. I try to use money saving techniques that fit specific situations.
Q. I just want to cut my grocery bill. Why not just offer grocery saving tips?: I’ve been buying organic food for over ten years now and the most significant thing I’ve learned is that being able to afford organic food requires whole life budget changes, not simply grocery budget changes. Either make the changes or don’t – that’s your choice. However, if you don’t make whole life changes, I seriously doubt you’ll be able to afford organics (ongoing) on a tight budget.
Q. I don’t have time for all these shenanigans! Going organic seems too hard: Going organic isn’t always easy. Affording organic food can be hard. It does take time and there is a learning curve. That said, learning to budget for organics does get easier. If you take the time to make some changes, my tips will hopefully help your family to eat green and healthy, without sacrificing more cash than you have.
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ASSESS VALUES, SET GOALS & GET ORGANIZED
1. Believe in organic food
Over the last ten years, the main reason that my family has been able to afford organic food on a budget is because we remember that organic food really matters to us. If you don’t think organics make a difference, if you can’t see the optimal benefits behind organic food, then organic food becomes an easy item to cut out of the budget when necessary.
IF you make organic food a top priority, as some people do say, going to the movies or drinking Starbucks every day, then you won’t cut organics. You’ll find a way to afford organic food, I guarantee it.
Learn about the benefits of organic food. Smoosh those facts into your brain and keep telling yourself that your kids deserve better than pesticides. If you don’t want to take my word for it, take a look at this killer article – Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food. Clearly organic food costs more in sheer terms of comparisons – i.e. organic apples v.s conventional, but keep in mind that there are many amazing reasons why you should go organic.
2. Set organic goals
Setting green living goals can help with all sorts of projects, including going organic. Back in the day, my first goal was to buy any food that Cedar ate most in organic form. Later, I added a goal about buying all the items from the dirty dozen list in organic form. Then I came up with my own criteria about important organic foods. I’ve had lots of small organic goals over the years.
Now, I’ve pretty much graduated to the top organic goal, “Buy organic as much as possible.” But note, I’ve been buying organics for a long time. If you start with a huge goal like, “Buy organic as much as possible” it’ll be hard. Starting with smaller goals gives you ample time to adjust your budget without the stress of stretching the budget too much at once.
Some good examples of small goals might include, “I will create enough room in the budget to buy all organic fruit juice and milk this week.” Or, “I will make all my own homemade baby food this month.”
3. Organize the pantry
Overbuying organic food because you can’t find lost food is a big cash waste. Lost food examples…
- You’re pretty sure you have plenty of organic basil on hand; but where is it?
- There are five wrapped items in the freezer. They could be organic chicken breasts or organic blueberries – who knows?
- You buy new organic wheat flour (not cheap) because you can’t find the old flour you stuffed behind the cereal boxes.
If you’re food expires before you find it. If you can’t locate the basics in under one minute. If you can’t tell me what’s in your pantry right this second… you have organizational issues. For some help try these tips…
- Every two weeks clean your pantry, fridge and freezer.
- ALWAYS write your grocery list in the kitchen, so if you doubt that you’re out of an item you can easily check. If you absolutely must write a grocery list elsewhere, put little question marks by items you may already have and check before you go shopping.
- Never buy staples not included on your grocery list. I used to have issues with staple, because we make a lot of homemade breads and use a load of spices. Now I know what’s in my pantry off the top of my head, but until I learned, I made a list of staples and tacked it to my kitchen wall. Before each shopping trip, I would cross check the list with what was already in my cupboard.
- Use clear containers when saving leftovers and storing food. Not being able to see a food allows it to become dead to you. For example, I don’t like cheese. Because I don’t like it, I don’t think to serve it unless I see it. We used to have a lot of moldy organic cheese! After I started using a clear container to store the cheese, low and behold, no more moldy cheese!
- Sort like minded dry pantry food items together. I.e boxes with boxes, jars with jars.
- If you’re out of space for groceries it’s time to use what you have before you go shopping again. Make menues based on what’s already in your cupboard – use it up – then buy more.
GET TO KNOW ORGANICS
4. Learn your labels
Learn to read your labels and make sure you know which organic labels matter and which mean nothing. It’s utterly insane, and a total waste of money to buy a product that markets itself as sustainable, when really it’s not even close. Look for the USDA seal. The USDA organic seal is not foolproof, but right now it’s the best guarantee you’ve got that your food is actually organic.
Also look for the organic code. Produce code stickers are the little stickers affixed to fruits and veggies and they do actually mean something. Real organics code stickers feature a five digit code that starts with the number nine. Plus at my store the conventional pears do sometimes roll into the organic bin, so it helps to know to look for the sticker.
To learn about other sustainable food labels visit Grinning Planet.
5. Avoid fake organic food
Don’t waste money on fake organic food and bad organic buys. Learn to shop for true blue eco-friendly products, including organic food. Part of being a savvy organic food shopper is knowing what you need vs. want and considering all aspects of the item, such as ingredients and packaging. Read how to make eco-friendly and smart shopping choices to learn more.
6. Know what’s certified and what’s not
Don’t spend money because you’re tricked by weird fake certification. People will say anything to get you to spend more, but it’s not always worth it. For example, you can’t even buy organic fish – did you know that? There’s no across the boards standards for organic fish yet, so don’t waste your money. You can however look for sustainable seafood vs. less sustainable seafood, just not organic. To learn more about what’s certified and what’s not see where to find the USDA organic seal.
7. Don’t buy certified organic
Just because something is not certified USDA organic doesn’t mean it’s not organic and / or sustainable. For example, smaller farms often don’t want to, or can’t afford to pay for organic certification. A small farm may not have to be officially certified because they don’t sell enough organic products. Even if a farm is not certified they still may use sustainable, pesticide-free growing and manufacturing methods.
This is why buying local organic food rocks. You can visit a small farm or small organic company and see first hand what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. You may be able to find perfectly good, sustainable spinach from a local farmer that’s simply not officially certified organic. Of course, a large benefit of non-certified organic food is that it costs less.
8. Buy organics from leaders in organic certification
Organic food doesn’t just differ between labels but also differs based on who certified the product and your money is better spent on a superior, vs. lackadaisical organic product. Case in point – Organic Valley Milk costs a little more than Kroger brand organic milk but why not pay a little more for a MUCH better organic product.
Granted, it can be hard to know which USDA Accredited Certifying Agents to trust and which to shun, but in general I think that local is better. If I have a choice between organic ice cream certified by Oregon Tilth vs. a national company, I’ll go with the Oregon certified product. One, because Oregon Tilth has a great record. Two, when a local product is not certified in state it pops up on my brain radar as a, “Why not” question. Three, if an issue crops up, Oregon Tilth is right here in the state and easy to contact if I have questions.
A good place to follow news about certifying organizations is to subscribe to the Organic Consumer Association’s news rss. You can also do a search online. For example, look on the food you buy for the certifying agent. It’ll say something like, “Certified organic by Washington State Department of Agriculture.” Once you find a name enter it on Google to see if they seem cool. If a company has too many complaints about their organic certification process, you’re very likely to get some complaint hits. Especially if you type in, “Name of agent – complaints.”
Also, each certifying agent should have a useful and consumer friendly website (IMO) that tells you their standards for certifying a product. Agents that don’t have basic Q&A for both consumers and agents at their site really make me leery.
Lastly, the USDA Organic Program keeps a list of Suspended/Revoked Operations at their website.
9. Stay informed
Staying on top of organic news is smart and motivational. Reading organic news keeps you in the loop about what’s new, what’s cool and what’s sucking about organics and conventional food. Knowing the latest in organic food news really helps you stay focused on budgeting for organics too; especially when you read about the massive fails in the conventional food sector.
I read an insane amount of organic news sites but if you just browse a few sites once in a while you can stay mostly up to date. Here are some great sites that offer up-to-date organic food news:
- The Organic Trade Association
- Food Consumer
- New Hope
- Organic Consumers Association
- The Sustainable Table blog
- Refresh
- Organic news at the New York Times
- Natural News
PLANNING THE BUDGET
10. Know where your money is spent
If you don’t know where you’re spending your money, it’s hard to budget for anything, organic food included. Lots of people THINK they know where their money is going, but in my experience that’s not exactly true. Most folks I’ve met who attempt to keep a money journal are very surprised about where their cash goes. I’m a good example.
About eight years ago I decided to keep track of every penny for one year; and I do mean each and every penny. It was hard. My family had to learn to keep all receipts and we also had to assign categories for money spent. This is actually a much longer story, but to make it brief after one year we were very surprised that we spent money in areas we shouldn’t, like on magazines or a soda here and there or take out coffee. Overall we were spending a ton on dumb little things. We felt kind of stupid, especially since we considered ourselves pretty budget savvy, but the upside was that now we knew and could make changes.
If you don’t want to try this for a year – although I highly suggest you do – give it a whirl for two or three months. Grab a notebook and write down every penny you spend, placing each amount into a “necessary” or “unnecessary” category. You’ll find areas where you’re spending money, but shouldn’t be. This is cash that could be used for organics.
To learn more about tracking every penny read Your Money or Your Life
11. Make extra room in the budget using green living techniques
Once you’re on board with organic food for the long haul you’ll need to open up room in your budget for organic food. The first step is above (know where you’re spending your money). Then spend less on unnecessary items and try to save money elsewhere.
Cut back and save money on expenses, such as…
- Cable TV – cancel it and go outside or play a board game.
- Make homemade green cleaners.
- Save on the garbage bill if you recycle more.
- Make Homemade Sugar Body Scrub instead of buying a $25 jar of body scrub
- Quit buying bottled water.
- Give up your home phone – if everyone in the family has a cell, do you really need a home phone?
- Sign up for a Weatherization Assistance Program.
- Dress warmer or cooler and turn on the AC and heat less.
- Avoid paper towels.
- Don’t eat out.
- Take a reusable coffee thermos to work instead of buying coffee out.
Learn more about ways to save money simply by living greener in the first place.
12. Consider a food cost journal
I used to keep a food cost journal. I don’t now, but before I memorized the costs of most basic food items, my food cost journal was pretty useful.
How a food cost journal works:
Compare food prices at your favorite stores, writing down said costs in a notebook. For example, 0rganic milk at Kroger = $3.49; organic milk at Trader Joes = $2.99; organic milk at Safeway (on sale) $2.50 OR organic spinach bunch at the farmers’ market = $0.99 vs. organic spinach bunch at Trader Joes – $2.00 on sale.
Write down all the regular foods you buy the most. You’re tracking costs so that you get an idea of the minimum amount you should be spending. For example, I know I can get organic granola in bulk for $1.50/lb on sale so I won’t pay more than $1.50 per lb ever. I know that I can get organic strawberries for $2.00 a pint in my area, so I won’t pay more and so on.
It takes a couple of months to create a decent food cost journal, but once you have one, it’ll be very useful until you remember off hand the minimum costs of typical organic foods in your area.
13. Designate mealtime menus
Managing family mealtime madness becomes harder when trying to incorporate new foods, such as organics. Save time and money by thinking ahead. Know what you’re going to cook in general by designating very loose mealtime menus. By loose I mean don’t plan each dish, just plan a type of food. For example…
- Monday: Chicken, rice and veggie night
- Tuesday: Soup, bread, and salad night
- Wednesday: Fish, veggie and fruit night
- Thursday: Left-over night
- Friday: Pasta and veggies night
- Saturday: Pizza or Mexican night plus salad
- Sunday: Baked potatoes, veggies and salad night
Be loose enough so that you’re flexible and open to what’s in season or on sale. For example, you could have fruit salad instead of veggie salad on Sunday; but at least you have a general idea of what to shop for and what you’ll be cooking. This works better than an inflexible menu plan, because people seem to hate being tied down to a menu plan. Also, in my experience, saving money on organics while sticking to a strict menu plan is almost impossible.
If you want to streamline even more, create a plan for breakfast and lunch as well – whole grain pancakes on Mondays, PB&J on Tuesdays and so on.
14. Discuss going organic with the family
If the family doesn’t know why you’re cutting costs in other areas to be able to afford organics, it can get touchy. The whole family should be involved in the whys and hows of your household going organic. Learn more about discussing organics with the family – (coming soon).
CHOOSE YOUR STORE
15. Mix & match a few grocery stores
I don’t shop just one store. However, I don’t shop so many that it’s a waste of time and gas either. I shop at one conventional store, one natural local store, one decent farmers’ market and sometimes Whole Foods if I can’t find an organic item that I need at the other three places. Prices and organic availability vary wildly at each of my shopping locations. If I tried to shop just one of them I’d either have to give up some organic choices or spend a lot more cash.
16. Whole Foods is not the enemy
Many people complain about the prices at Whole Foods and other all natural grocers, however there are benefits to places like this too, such as…
- Staff who know about organic food – good if you’re a newbie.
- A large selection of bulk goods.
- A greater selection of organic food.
- Better produce than what most conventional grocers’ organic sections offer.
- Clearly labeled products – i.e. Fair Trade, organic, just natural, etc. Many conventional store screw up labeling big time.
- A mindset that keeps you focused on organics vs. conventional.
Whole Foods really isn’t the enemy. Just make sure you make smart purchases no matter where you’re shopping and it’s all good.
17. Join a food co-op
Joining a local food co-op can be a great way to save money. In Humboldt we had an awesome co-op, right near our house. In Portland, the nearest co-op is kind of far away compared to other stores, but if I lived closer I’d consider joining. A food co-op is a member owned store. A co-op is usually locally owned so the store can have a high level of commitment to the community, such as supporting local farmers, food producers and consumers.
Co-op owners/members usually get some sort of grocery discount or are treated to special sales and coupons, have a voice in what is sold to them, get to help make decisions about the co-op organization and more. You don’t have to be a member of a co-op to shop at one, although you won’t get the same benefits as a member.
You can search for a local co-op at the Cooperative Grocer’s Co-op Directory, at Local Harvest or in your phone book.
You can even start your own co-op. The Cooperative Grocers’ Information Network (CGIN) created a manual of information helpful for anyone who wants to start a food co-op.
BE A MAJOR FAN OF YOUR FAVORITE STORES
18. Know what your main store offers
I have two main stores; Fred Meyers and New Seasons. To save money I have to know what I can get at each store. For example, I know that Fred Meyers carries decent organic produce (on some days), has an abundant bulk organic section and offers good buys on organic juice and cereal. I also know that you’d be insane to try and find organic chicken at Fred Meyers. They have a shoddy, at best, selection of organic meat. I also have a good grasp of what my closest New Seasons carries.
Knowing what your most shopped stores regularly carry saves you money because you know which items you’ll need to drive further for or pay more for because your store doesn’t have them.
19. Learn about organic shipments at your store
Although I have two main grocery stores, Fred Meyers is closest to me so I prefer to shop there first. Fred Meyers carries some of the basic organic produce we eat, but quality depends on when you shop. Some days it looks like someone took the apples, stomped on them, then put them on the shelf. Basically, the apples look terrible and old and blah after a few days.
Finding out when your favorite store gets organic shipments in allows you to avoid bad produce. You can also snag fresher milk, eggs and bread without driving further to afford decent goods.
20. Sign up to receive newsletters
Sign up at grocery store websites for newsletters and email updates to score coupons and to hear about sales.
21. Use your customer loyalty card
If your store has a customer loyalty card you should use it. Most add up to free cash or major discounts nowadays. My Kroger card accumulates cash for each purchase which means I’m basically scoring free food when I shop there. Make sure you keep your card on you at all times and remember to hand it to the cashier when you check-out.
22. Be an actual “Fan”
If your favorite organic food companies or grocery stores has a Facebook page, it can pay to “Like” them. You can hear about new products, get coupons, learn about sales and even enter giveaways for free goods. Some Facebook pages I like…
SHOPPING TRIPS
23. Make a flexible master grocery list
A master grocery list can save you money and time. Keep a master list on your computer, and print it out when you need it. Take a hour or two, go through your pantry and fridge, and jot down items you normally keep around. Sort items by bold headed food groups like dairy, natural, baking, frozen, beverages, produce, bulk items and so on. This helps keep your pantry organized too and ensures you don’t overbuy, thus spending more than you need to.
After each category, leave a couple of spare lines for new or special items, like organic chocolate chips for cookies or shrimp for pasta – stuff you don’t buy each week. Each week, instead of writing a whole new list, you can simply check off items you’re out of.
An eco-friendly way to write a master grocery list is to create your list, print it out and keep it in one of those plastic page protector holders. When you need an item, check it off with an erasable pen.
24. Use basic cost-cutting grocery rules first
Before dedicated organic shopping rules be sure to also use some tried and true grocery shopping rules such as…
- Never shop without a list.
- Don’t shop hungry.
- Keep an eye on unit pricing.
- Take a calculator.
- Compare costs.
These tips offer budgeting success no matter what you’re shopping for, organic food included.
25. Read your labels
At the store always read labels until you get a better sense of which products are which. This goes back to saving money by not buying lame fake organic food, but also helps you save by only buying the most healthy food first. Just because food is organic doesn’t mean it’s healthier. Calories and nutrients vary.
Additionally, reading your labels helps you get familiar with who is certifying what and helps you keep up on organic labeling terms.
26. Shop alone until you master organics
Going organic requires a lot of label reading at first, lots of new choices and can be hard for one person, let alone the entire family. It’s better to shop alone at first. A screaming child or chit-chatting spouse makes it hard to choose high quality or less expensive organic items.
Soon, you won’t need to read labels as much – you’ll just automatically know which juice is the better organic buy and where all the organic produce and bulk products are. Once you get the swing of making smarter and budget-friendly organic choices THEN it’s less of a hassle to take other people shopping with you.
27. Know when to shop
At independent local natural grocery stores you can shop near closing time or very early in the day to score deals on organic perishables. Because organics lack preservatives, most organic grocers try to move perishables out quick after a day or two which means a sale for you. Companies would rather sell perishable products for less than throw them away and experience a complete loss. You can actually ask for discounts on close to expired food too.
28. Take your reusable bags
Reusable bags don’t add up to a ton of savings, but they’re an awesome green habit and do save you some money. For example, Kroger offers 10 cents per bag. If I use 5 reusable bags a week for a whole year that’s 50 cents a week and over the span of a year I’d save $26. Not a lot, but it’s a small green change that still saves me enough to buy 8 containers of organic milk, 26 bunches of organic carrots or 17 lbs of bulk organic cereal. The little things add up.
WHAT TO BUY
29. Think food first
Food, not other stuff should be your goal when grocery shopping. When it comes to drinks you can really prioritize because when you get right down to it, people can drink water, not juice or soda but everyone needs to eat food. Food should come before beverages, and limiting organic beverages is one of the best ways to cut costs.
Thinking food first also means reusables really start to make sense. For example, you could buy reusable snack bags and skip purchasing plastic wrap, foil and plastic baggies (about $5 in total) which means $5 worth of organic food. Make organic food a high priority and try to think of ways to cut out other items before food instead.
30. Prioritize food and drinks
Personally, I think that as much organic food as you can afford is a good idea, because organics are about more than personal health. It’s also about chemicals and pesticides in the atmosphere – it’s about keeping growers healthy – and it’s about showing the government that you do want your dollars going toward organics. BUT if you have to make a choice you should know that some organic foods are far more important than others. Like organic apple juice is a bigger deal than organic pineapple juice and organic milk is more important than Fair Trade organic chocolate chips.
In general I tend to prioritize kids first. Kids’ bodies are more susceptible to pesticides than adult bodies, so I’ll buy a food item the kids eat a lot in organic form before I’d buy an item that adults eat often in organic form. Read Organic Foods Your Family Should Buy All the Time for more information on which food items are the most important to buy organic and which are okay to skip.
31. Eat less meat
Organic meat costs a lot. Eat less meat and save your cash for other, less expensive organics. This is a very long topic. So I’ll post more about vegetarian meals later, but to get started read go vegetarian to save money.
32. Get savvy about local food
Local organic food is often less expensive than organic food at a conventional store, but that’s a sometimes, not all-the-time rule. Know how to be a savvy local organic shopper…
- Shop right at the farmers’ market.
- Ask questions of local vendors – local does not equal organic.
- Look for a “local” section at your organic grocers or read your labels to see where the food was grown or manufactured.
- Be careful when choosing a CSA – learn more below in random tips.
- Look to art fairs and other local events. Some local art fairs and community markets have many organics for less – for example in Portland, Oregon we have what’s called Saturday Market. You can find art and other handmade goods along with locally made food items sometimes like honey or tea. Check around in your area for events like this because organic vendors tend to sell at these events.
- Visit places like u-pick farms for less expensive organic produce.
33. Buy in season
In season organics are almost always far cheaper than exotic out of season organics. Plan your weekly meals around seasonal food not food you’re necessarily craving (I know, it’s hard, but you can do it). Find what’s fresh and local right now in your community.
34. Purchase whole foods not prepared food items
Of course stores carry organic cookies, cakes, chips, candy, canned foods and other organic prepackaged foods; there’s even organic TV dinners now. However, since organic food is more costly, you should spend your money on foods closer to the earth because you get a whole lot more food for less. Buying fresh whole fruits and veggies, bread, milk, rice, dried beans and so fourth vs. extras will save you money.
Buy essentials first. All the little extras, such as cookies and cheesey rice with broccoli (in a box) – you can make that stuff homemade for less.
35. Avoid excess packaging
No matter the food item, if it’s packaged vs. not, it usually costs more. Plus then you have packaging waste too. If you have a choice between organic carrots frozen, organic carrots fresh in in a bag or organic carrots fresh in a bunch (no bag), buy them fresh with no bag.
36. Buy in bulk
Bulk organic food is SO much less expensive (in most cases) than packaged food. You can get organic whole grain baking goods, rice, cereal, nuts, granola, peanut butter, coffee and so much more in bulk that it’s silly to pay more for a packaged item. Most organic or natural grocers, and even most conventional stores, offer really nice bulk food sections now.
The bulk food issue that most folks seem nervous about is storage and bugs. If that’s you, stay tuned because soon I’ll post a guide on keeping bulk food safe, including some storage tips.
37. Overspend on sales
I’m not one to say that you should overspend on anything, and I’m not game for tons of bulk stuff stored under the bed, but sometimes an organic sale is so good that you should stock up. For example if you don’t make homemade spaghetti sauce or granola bars, a sale on jarred organic sauce or a box of bars is a big deal, so buy a bunch. If berries go on a massive sale, stock up and freeze them.
38. Plan for take along organics
Usually you should buy whole foods that need to be prepared, however you should also plan for packed lunches and snacks on the go, especially if you have kids. Buying SOME prepared organic snacks is cheaper than buying snacks when you’re out and about. For example, usually you can make homemade fruit bars, but keeping one box of prepared organic granola bars in your car helps keep the kiddos happy without you having to buy food when you’re out.
If anyone in your house goes to school or work you’ll need some packed lunch type foods too. Planning for these ahead of time saves you money in the long run.
COOKING SKILLS
39. Cook from scratch
You can make all sorts of homemade dishes and foods that cost a fraction of the price over store-bought. Organic yogurt, whole grain breads, rice and pasta dishes, sauces, soups and more are all less expensive homemade. Almost everything you buy pre-made at the store can be made from scratch so the next time you’re thinking, hmmm, that jam looks good consider making some instead.
40. Buy food you know how to cook
Don’t go nuts with homemade food. If you’re really not going to soak those beans to make homemade chili, then honestly canned organic chili is a better buy, because at least the family will eat it. Wheat flour does go bad, so if you don’t make that bread, you’ve just wasted cash. Homemade is almost always cheaper, but only if you really prepare it.
Be honest with yourself, considering time and skill. For example, I don’t make homemade ice cream or crackers because for the time it takes me, I can score cheaper pre-made organic ice cream and crackers. Cook sure, but don’t buy a ton of prep foods with good intentions only to have it sit on the shelf. That’s wasted money.
41. Learn to cook better
If you don’t know how to cook, there’s no time like the present to learn. Decent cooking skills saves you money because one, homemade is cheaper and two, the family will eat your food instead of tossing money into the compost pile. Take a class, get some cookbooks, beg a friend or do whatever you have to do to learn to cook. Often places like Whole Foods and other natural grocers will even offer on-site cooking classes!
You can also visit Cook for Good. Cook for Good founder, Linda Watson has learned to spend about $1.83 per green meal and tells others how to do this too. Mainly she accomplishes this by cooking closer to the bottom of the food chain and cooking primarily from scratch. She also uses techniques that save water and energy, which of course is sustainable, but also saves you cash. If you have NO clue where to get started when it comes to cooking organic on a budget then Cook for Good is a must read site.
42. Own three excellent cookbooks
I like the Moosewood cookbooks, but there’s a whole world of other cool cookbooks at your library, including vegetarian and vegan. Plus, you can look online and find a good healthy recipe for almost anything nowadays. To see more resources read: Organic Cooking Know-How – 18 Green & Healthy Cookbook Ideas.
43. Learn about herbs, spices and sauces
Because saving money on organics means cooking whole, unfettered foods, you’ll need to learn to dress those dishes up. That said, organic herbs, spices and sauces are your friend. These are cheap organics that can really change the face of a basic meal. Later I’ll write more about using organic herbs, spices and sauces but for now check out the following…
- HerbTrader – carries over 8,000 organic, natural, and eco-friendly products
- Cooking with spices explained
- Cooking with herbs 1, 2, 3
- All Recipes has oodles of sauce recipes – but remember to switch out conventional ingredients for organic.
44. Use it up
Food waste is a big issue in this country and wasted food is wasted money. According to the EPA, Americans throw away more than 25% of the food we prepare and US Department of Agriculture’s Estimating and Addressing America’s Food Losses (pdf) notes that about 96 billion pounds of food are wasted each year. Waste, especially food waste, is not sustainable, not affordable and if you want to go there, not very ethical either. Not when 1 in 6 Americans don’t have food on the table.
How to use it up:
- COOK LESS! Most people cook way too much food. This is a health, waste and cost issue. Try to cook the right portions for your family. See more about portion sizes below in “Eat Right.“
- Plan meals that do double time – like chicken breasts with rice that later can be used in tacos. Or make fresh veggies and use the leftovers for soup.
- Freeze leftovers. They’ll stay fresher than in the fridge. The problem here is remembering to eat them. Always label leftovers to help remind you about them.
- Freeze leftovers into ice pops. I swear kids will eat anything if you freeze it – yams, old bananas, that last bit of jam in the jar mixed with water.
- Compost the leftovers but do this as a last resort. Foods still take energy and emission and other resources to get to your table, plus costs money, so why waste food? Still, composting leftovers is a good last ditch budget technique, since it saves you money on soil if you garden.
- Visit this extensive Food Recovery and Gleaning State Resource List (pdf – see Appendix B) if you want to learn where to donate food.
45. Invest in kitchen tools that provide long-term food savings
The right reusable kitchen tools not only help lower costs on disposable kitchen tools but also make cooking and food storage easier which means you’re going to be more likely to stick to your cooking plan. Additionally, the right tools can help you prepare some foods that you might otherwise buy – like fruit leather or popsicles. There are tons of kitchen tools that make life cheaper and better, but off the top of my head I suggest…
- Food dehydrator
– make your own chips, fruit leather, cookies and more.
- Solar cooker – cook with less energy to save money.
- Reusable coffee filter
– why pay for paper you throw away daily?
- Reusable muffin cups
– ditto.
- Reusable snack bags – a much safer and better choice than plastic baggies.
- Ice pop molds – excellent low cost tool for homes with kids.
- Decent blender
– you can use a blender for homemade baby food, ice pops, homemade soup, smoothies, grinding grains and so much more.
- Energy Star chest freezer
– not a great option for all families due to space but for the right family can save you a lot of money. Especially if you use it to freeze organic produce when it’s in season from your own garden or from a store or farmers’ market. Look for the most energy efficient model you can.
BE HEALTHY
46. Don’t buy junk
Seriously, if you’re buying chips and soda, I don’t even want to hear any, “Organic foods are too expensive” whining. IF you can afford candy, cake, pie, hot pockets, mac N cheese, energy drinks, taco bell and so on, you can afford organic food. Healthy eating is not more expensive.
I hear this all the time, and I think that the reason why is because people DO try to eat healthier but they don’t also drop their older, unhealthy habits. Yes, it’s better to eat more veggies, but the money for those veggies has to come from somewhere. You can’t keep the diet soda and chips and also buy more veggies, not on a budget anyhow.
A lot of people I know do this – buy healthier foods while still also buying some of the junk food that they used to. You have to drop some habits to afford others, not simply add healthy habits onto your to-do list.
47. Exercise regularly
Eating well and being motivated to budget money for organic and healthy food is much easier when you’re in a healthy mindset. Regular exercise is cheap (get out and hike!) and keeps you feeling so good that buying junk and prepared foods makes less sense. A healthy body does influence healthy eating.
48. Shop happy
According to a 2008 study in Psychological Science shopping while sad increased the amount of money that shoppers spent. Also, people who weren’t really sad, but watched a sad film, were willing to spend 4 times as much money for products as people who watched a more neutral film about nature.
Can you always choose your mood? Nope, of course not. However, if you’re stressed or sad, maybe you should rethink that shopping trip, sleep on it and go shopping in the morning when things look brighter.
EAT RIGHT
49. Eat less – Know your portions
If you know that your family (or just you) has a bad habit of cooking too much and then forgetting the leftovers, stop it. Cook what you need, not more. Also know your portions. People eat way too much then claim they can’t afford health food. Well, cook less, eat less and you’ll be able to keep to the food budget better. Healthy portions of nutritious food will fill you up correctly.
Learn how to practice healthy food portions.
50. Eat at home
Eating out is a cost that’s easy to cut if you’re on a tight budget. If you can’t afford organics, eating at fast food or even healthy restaurants, makes little sense.
51. Eat as a family
When you eat as a family it saves you money in many ways…
- The kids tend to eat more of the food you serve. In my experience, when the kids eat with us they actually eat vs. not. When they eat alone, they tend to toss food away.
- You can cook once vs. many times which streamlines the menu.
- You’re more likely to cook from scratch vs. make more costly prepared foods.
- You get to see what the family likes and doesn’t like, which saves you money over time – i.e. you won’t buy that weird ravioli again.
FEEDING THE KIDS
52. Don’t buy food until you have to
Breastfeeding is green feeding and best of all it’s 100% free. Plus, it’s the one time you won’t have to read labels. Boobs don’t have to get USDA certified; they’re healthy as is. Don’t start solids until you actually have to and you’ll be feeding your baby perfectly and saving so much money (organic formula is costly).
Experts agree that you can breastfeed exclusively for six whole months – that’s six months of free baby food! Get some breastfeeding tips.
53. Make organic homemade baby food
Homemade organic baby food is not only less expensive than jarred organic (or even conventional) baby food but extremely easy to make as well. I’ll post more about making healthy organic baby food later but for now see 3 steps to healthy homemade baby food.
54. While they’re young – get the kids involved
Feed kids right from the start. Getting kids on board with healthy meals from the start means less whining in the stores for junk (which is costly) and your family will waste less food. On top of less whining and less food waste, raising healthy eaters from the get go means you won’t have to deal with the childhood obesity epidemic in your house.
Clothes for overweight kids cost more, health care for overweight kids cost more and beyond the costs, is an unhealthy life really the childhood you want for your kids?
Ways to keep the kids involved:
- Let them shop with you – AFTER you master organics (see “Shopping Trips” section above).
- Get them in the kitchen with you – most kids love to cook.
- Allow them to help plan meals.
- Learn to raise a veggie lover – (I’ll post a link about this soon!).
- Have organic conversations with them (see tip directly below).
55. Explain organics right
Kids don’t always grasp organics very well, even if they’re raised with them from babyhood. When my son was little I didn’t discuss organic food at all, just served it. Later, when the budget was tight I’d flat out tell him, “We can’t get the extra toy/book/what have you this week because I want to be able to buy organic food for you.” Kids CAN deal with living on a budget. It’s not too stressful or hard for them if you keep it simple.
When Cedar first asked about organics I gave easy answers like, “Organic food is healthier for you” – if you discuss health with your kids, they’ll get this. Later I’d tell him more about the actual pesticide situation, but make it as easy as possible. Now, at nine, Cedar will look for organics on his own because he knows they taste better, are safer and make for a healthier planet. He actually spent time online the other week looking for organic Skittles – he’s pretty dedicated for a kid. Your kid can be into organics too if you make organic food a normal thing and a priority.
56. Avoid the “Family friendly” check-out lines
My friend who works in a major grocery store offers this tip for money saving, “Avoid family-friendly check-out lines.” Those clearly marked family-friendly lines are set up to lure kids in, something I had no clue about until my pal mentioned it. She tells me, “If you look at regular grocery lines you’ll see adult minded products; mints, hand sanitizer, etc placed right near the check-out. BUT if you look at the family-friendly line you see kid stuff – candy, comics, little toy cars and all sorts of stuff that kids find really tempting.” She says they actually have store meetings about this and brainstorm good items to place near the check-out that kids will ask their parents for.
To make it easier on you and to make sure you don’t give into impulse buys, you might want to choose the non-family minded check-out when possible.
RANDOM TIPS
57. Be careful when choosing a CSA
CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and they’re a popular way to score less expensive organic food. However, you should be careful when choosing one. Basically, a farmer will offer “shares” of his farm up for sale to community members. Once you buy a share (sometimes called a subscription or membership) you get a set amount of produce on a schedule. Amount and schedules vary, but a typical arrangement might be say, a large box of farm fresh veggies every week.
The problem: I’ve had friends who have had terrible luck with CSAs because…
- They’re not good at cooking and eating seasonally, which is what you’ll be doing with CSA produce.
- They don’t like to try new veggies.
- Quantity and quality can vary from week to week.
- If the farm had a bumper crop of asparagus and you hate it, you may be screwed that week when asparagus makes up 50% of your CSA box.
- Some CSAs don’t allow you to forfeit if you go on vacation. You just loose the money.
- A CSA can cost less than grocery store produce but in my experience rarely costs less than carefully chosen farmers market good. Plus, some CSA memberships do cost more than grocery store goods.
- And the number one complaint from people I know who have been in a CSA – food waste. Sometimes you get way too much produce at a time for one family. Actually, Local Harvest lists this as the number one reason people don’t renew their CSA membership – so it’s not just the folks I know.
Overall, I actually think that CSA shares are an awesome idea. You get fresher food. Your money goes right to the community. You expand your eating habits. There are many CSA benefits. However, make sure you shop around and choose the right CSA for your family or your CSA might cost too much.
58. Ideally grow your own food
Growing an organic garden is an amazing way to save money and get fresh produce. Plus you get to be out in the fresh air growing food, kids like to garden, you have less packaging waste and so on. There are a ton of benefits to organic gardening. Just make sure you know what you’re doing and also make sure that your garden isn’t actually costing you money.
59. Choose one or two expensive items you love and grow them
Ideally, as noted above, an organic garden can be a great way to save money on organics. That said, we don’t all live in an ideal world with big yards and ample time. Gardening takes both space and time and if you don’t have it, well, you can’t really garden. Or can you?
Something you can do is pick a couple of items the family eats all the time and just grow those. This is especially useful if you pick an item that’s super expensive or hard to find at the local grocers. Two that spring to mind are bell peppers and sweet peas. Both are VERY expensive in my area – seriously, I’ve seen organic bell peppers at $6 for ONE. For $6, that bell pepper better do my laundry before I eat it. My son LOVES bell peppers though, so one thing we can do is set aside just enough space to grow just organic bell peppers.
If you’re apartment bound you’re not sunk. Many veggies can be successfully grown in a container. For example, if you have a sunny spot growing container peas is a snap (no pun intended). You can cut costs even more by letting the kids grow an organic herb windowsill garden. Small herb gardens practically grow themselves and organic herb seeds are cheaper than fresh organic herbs.
My blogger pal Linette is a great gardener with a decidedly natural flare – visit her blog, Home and Garden Cafe for all sorts of cool gardening tips.
60. Get a part-time job somewhere organic food related
A few years back I got a part-time job at a sustainable flower wholesaler. Not because I needed the money, but because I wanted the free flowers. The pay was low, but the fact that I got to bring home literally dozens of roses, gerber daisies and lilies weekly more than made up for that. Yup, I like flowers!
Right now my boyfriend works for Kroger, not at a store but he’s tech support. However, he still gets the employee discount at Kroger stores, which saves us a ton on organics.
It’s a little out there, but scoring a PT gig at an organic grocers could save you a ton. For example, I’ve heard that Whole Foods employees get a 20% discount – that’s a whole lot of money off an organic grocery bill. Plus, usually employee discounts are the same no matter if you work 40 hours or 10 or what department you work in.
You also might check to see if a local farmer needs help at the farmers’ market. Help out and you could score free produce in return. I’ve known plenty of farmers who would be willing to give up a box of veggies in order to avoid standing at the market all Saturday.
61. Ask for a taste test
The only thing worse than paying too much for organic food is paying too much for bad organic food! Keep this problem in check by asking your store for a taste test. Many natural-minded grocers don’t mind opening one container of packaged food like crackers or dip so you can try it. No worries about using it up because most of the time the store will give samples to other customers or employees will get the food item in the break-room.
62. Get friends and family on board
Your friends and family influence your eating habits big time. One long-term study found that a person’s chances of becoming obese increased by about 40% if a spouse or sibling became obese. That same study found that your chances of becoming obese increased as much as 170% if a close friend became obese. Other studies also show that kids and adults are heavily influenced by their peers about what, how and how much they eat.
It stands to reason, if you have friends and family who are on board with organics, it’ll be easier for you to stick to an organic plan.
Not only does hanging with like-minded eaters improve your health, but it saves you money. You may be able to go in on bulk items or a CSA together. Plus during the holidays it’ll really help when you don’t have to be the only one shelling out for organic holiday food. The best way to get friends and family on board with organics is to inform them, but not push. Don’t be a pest or you may turn people off of organics altogether.
EXTREME MONEY SAVING TIPS
63. Extreme cost cutting ideas
Sometimes you’ve pushed and pushed the budget and there’s just not enough money. In extreme situations you can make extreme decisions like…
- Move to a smaller home.
- Get rid of one family car – many two parent families can learn to live with one car.
- Use more extreme reusable items, like say, reusable maxi pads.
- Look for a better paying job.
- Give up extras like coffee and beer.
- Only buy clothing at thrift stores.
There are many ways to super cut your living costs – later we’ll look closer at these ideas, but the above should get your thinking.
64. Forage for free
You can forage for free wild foods such as berries, dandelion, clover, mushrooms and more. This will save you money, and most food out in the wild is untouched by chemicals.
However, if you’re going to forage be smart – don’t pick up foods in the wild you’re unsure of. That’s a good way to get a whopping case of food poisoning. This is why I don’t use this technique. I don’t know enough about safe foraging. If you’re going to give it a whirl try talking to wild plant experts or reading a good book about it, like The Forager’s Harvest: A Guide to Identifying, Harvesting, and Preparing Edible Wild Plants
65. Get a pet – chicken that is
If backyard chickens are legal in your area then you might be able to keep a few and score less expensive organic eggs. I’ve had many pals who have kept chickens, and I guess that if you only have a few, costs are minimal. One friend I have sells the excess eggs which pays for the chicken feed. Honestly, I’m not a chicken expert though so check out these resources:
- BackyardChickens.com
- Building an inexpensive chicken coop
- The Joy of Keeping Chickens: The Ultimate Guide to Raising Poultry for Fun or Profit
.
DON’T GO INSANE
66. Start Slow
It’s easy to get entirely overwhelmed when going organic, especially going organic on a budget. The best thing I can suggest is starting slow. As noted above in tip number 2 “Set organic goals” you should set small, not large goals. Also try the following:
- If labels are causing you trouble, carry a cheat sheet to the store. No one will know!
- Be open to change. Organic foods are a lot like conventional, but you will be making some brand changes and working with new menu plans. Wrap your mind around these issues and you’ll have an easier time.
- It’s okay to ask questions. And to question advice. Not all the advice you’ll get about organic food is spot on. It’s okay to research more before jumping in.
67. Celebrate small successes
Each pesticide-free food that you serve your family is one small success. Know how to measure success for your own household so you can pat yourself on the back when you’re doing well, and so that you can go easy on yourself when you make a small mistake.
68. Ignore lame people
There are some hyper annoying tree huggers out there. You may run into folks who criticize you at every move. People who tell you, “Hey, that’s a stupid thing to buy in organic form” or “If you were really organic you’d know that so and so makes better organic juice” or “Real organic means just shopping locally… duh!“ They think they’re being, “helpful” but they’re really just being a pain.
No matter what group you’re involved with; the mommy crowd, the green crowd, the religious crowd, and so on, there’s always that person in the crowd who thinks they know everything and assumes they’re better than everyone else in the free world. These folks can really knock you off your organic groove.
Ignore them. Don’t let some lame person frustrate you so much that you avoid organics. I guarantee you that these folks don’t know everything and they aren’t worth your stress.
69. Accept mistakes and move on
Once in a while, you’ll make organic shopping mistakes. You may pay more than you should for some fake organic product. You may forget to buy one of the dirty dozen items in organic form. You may have an entire week where you’re just too tired to deal with the organic grocery shopping learning curve. You may give in and buy those DVDs you’ve been wanting, thus depleting your organic grocery budget. IT’S ALL GOOD!
I myself have bought lame, greenwashed, not so cool organics and it really irks me. I’ve bought soda when I should have bought more produce. We all make mistakes. The idea of the perfect organic consumer is false – there isn’t a perfect organic consumer.
When something goes wrong, don’t be too hard on yourself. Chalk it up as a learning experience, allow yourself to feel okay about it and keep educating yourself.
The only thing that really matters is this – you’re trying to eat better and help the planet. That’s what counts.
TIPS OTHER PEOPLE LIKE – BUT NOT ME
70. Shop warehouse clubs
I’m so not on board with warehouse and club-type stores. To me they represent a lot of what’s wrong with America. Yeah, they can be more cost effective but it’s rare that I’ve seen a family that does use stores like these responsibly. Most of the time it seems like it’s all too easy for folks to get sucked into that bigger = better + more, more, more mentality that’s pushed at club stores. People walk in with a list but come out with much more.
If you’ve got self control then places like Costco are now offering more organic choices that may save you cash over regular stores. But really, honest self control is key here.
71. Use organic coupons
Organic coupons are a great way to save big-time on organic food. The only reason I fail to use this tip (most of the time) is because I’m just not a big coupon person. For me, the time it takes to locate coupons, organize them and remember to use them just doesn’t pay off. However, you can save BIG with organic coupons.
Where to find organic coupons:
- Mambo Sprouts is the best place to find organic grocery coupons. They used to handle the Wild Oats coupons (GOD I miss Wild Oats) and the coupons rocked! It was the one time in my life I used a ton of coupons.
- Coupon Sherpa has a natural and organic section.
- Most organic companies and retailers offer coupons at their websites now. For example: Organic Valley; Santa Cruz Organics; Whole Foods and more offer dedicated coupon pages. Visit your fave company websites and look around.
- Many natural grocers have food vendors in attendance on the weekends. For example, Whole Foods and local co-ops. These vendors not only offer taste tests for products but also coupons.
- The Sunday paper sometimes has some organic coupons, but not usually enough to offset the cost of the paper – I’d look before buying.
72. Shop online
I rarely shop online, unless it’s for a hard to find item like organic CLIF Kid Organic ZBaR in the Smore’s flavor. The reason I rarely shop online is because it’s hard to read labels that way. Still, sometimes bulk ordering organics online can save you money, especially on products related to herbs and baking – like a load of organic flour or basil. Sometimes! Check prices. Also, you’ll have to contend with the fact of transport energy; but hey, you didn’t have to drive to the store, so that’s a perk. Places to shop for organic online include:
- Diamond Organics
- Amazon organics
- True Foods Market
- Organic Kingdom
- The Organic Trade Association offers a huge list of mail-order and online organic retailers.
- Check your yellow pages. Some organic food delivery services are locally based.
73. Only buy store brand organics
Tons of stores carry their own brand of organics now, which is appealing because they often cost less than national brand organics. I actually used to suggest this as a great money saving technique for organic food. I don’t now, mainly because I’ve gotten more savvy about certifying organic parties. Some are better than others (as mentioned above in the Get To Know Organics section). Many store brand organics that I’ve seen aren’t as good as other national brand organics and are certified by questionable parties.
That said, store brand organics can save you some money and I do still buy some. Currently I suggest you read your labels and buy store brand organics when it makes sense to buy them, not as a rule. Store brand organics aren’t worth it if they’re not as good as another available national brand.
YOUR TIPS HERE!
74. Got an awesome tip???
If you’ve got an amazing tip about how to save money on organic food, leave it in the comment section below. Maybe I’ll post it here.
QUESTIONS? Post any questions below in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them.
Images:
- How to afford organic food & get to know organics images via: The Bitten Word
- Choose your store image via: Whole Foods Market
- What to buy image via: Kirrily Robert
- Got a tip image via: Ingrid Taylar
- All other images via sxc and MorgueFile.
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{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
OK, you know I think ALL your posts are terrific, but this is one of the all-time best posts EVER! (My husband says I exaggerate and sometimes I do, but not THIS TIME! Also, I rarely use exclamation points so you know I’m serious!)
It’s fantastic. I think a lot of people are going to be thanking you!