Any suggestions on buying organic?

[Frugalmommy :)]

We recently switched to buying mostly organic produce and antibiotic free meats. We are trying to eat more healthy and also making our daughter's baby food. The downside to buying organic is the price. Does anyone have tips on how to reduce spending on organic items?

[disneysteve]

We recently switched to buying mostly organic produce and antibiotic free meats. We are trying to eat more healthy and also making our daughter's baby food. The downside to buying organic is the price. Does anyone have tips on how to reduce spending on organic items?

If you insist on organic produce, limit your organic purchases to items with thin skins or where you eat the skins. So grapes yes, bananas no. Apples yes, oranges no.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Eat smaller portions of meat. But if you are going organic you'll soon get sucked into organic pasta, organic diapers, organic sunscreen, organic pretty much everything. Be prepared. Buy organic milk, I think that's a good one to pay for like fruits that are high on the dirty dozen list.

I have a friend whose major problem is that most people who buy organic assume because it's organic it's okay to eat, like Pirates Booty or Organic Teddy Graham. Truth is it's still a cheeto and still teddy graham. Just because it says it's organic doesn't mean it's good for you. I find that to be true for many people.

Also I find that whole food horribly overpriced compared to buying organic elsewhere, even the same item at target like annie's mac and cheese or fruit snacks is twice the price according to a friend.

[frugalharry]

Tips to reduce spending on organic

Try collecting coupons for your organic purchases. I'm sure there are coupons from your local store.
Grab every opportunity to save like when there is a "buy 1 take 1" event or a rewards card or be a subscriber to have discount etc...

Also, buy organic foods that are in season because they are cheaper. You may also consider growing your own organic food.

[disneysteve]

We are trying to eat more healthy

most people who buy organic assume because it's organic it's okay to eat

LAL is right. You say you are trying to "eat more healthy" but that does not require buying special costly food. You can cut back on junk, empty calories, processed garbage, etc. and be much healthier without spending any more money. In fact, if you do more from-scratch cooking, you'll actually save a bunch of money as it is cheaper to eat healthy than to follow the typical American diet.

[Frugalmommy :)]

We don't usually buy many processed foods or junk. And I just get produce organically grown and antibiotic free meats. There are never any sales or coupons for these items. The ads and circulars say items are on sale- but really they aren't. It's important to me to get these items- just trying to find a less expensive way. Any suggestions?

[scfr]

Look in to organic CSAs or farm shares, where you subscribe and get a box of produce every week or two. To get the best deal money-wise, you may need to go with a box where you don't get to choose what you receive, but instead take whatever was harvested that week. You'll need to be a bit flexible and try things you may not otherwise buy. Fortunately, it's not too hard to come up with simple ways to prepare any vegetable. It's likely that you'll end up eating more variety and more seasonally than you otherwise would, which is a very good thing.

Also, take the time to scour your local grocery store's produce section and look at all the prices. You may find some price anomalies (for example, at my local store a 1-lb container of organic salad mix is LESS than the 5-oz container of the exact same product). You may also find some ways to get deals, like buying a large bag of apples instead of by the piece.

[TheKayla]

Eat more produce and less meat/dairy. These items are cheaper in general, so you can just adjust the ratio and you'll save money, while at the same time being able to reinvest more of those savings into organic foods. You'll also come to know what foods you really should buy organic (those that have the highest levels of chemicals), and otherwise, what produce is cheaper just in general. Looks for similar products among different organic brands. I know at least here, Full Circle organic eggs are the cheapest in the store yet some of the best quality, ironically cheaper than all of the bad brands of eggs. You just have to educate yourself about certain brands and compare prices for the things you want to buy organic.

Also -- don't be afraid to go to more specialty stores. While they can have the most expensive processed foods, they often have the cheapest produce and organic options. For example, Whole Foods (at least where I live) has the cheapest produce, especially organic, while my local grocery store racks up the prices on organic and other items in their 'Health Market' but has cheaper, unhealthy processed foods. Try local coops, farmer's markets, and of course -- Trader Joe's is an awesome place to shop for all that stuff!

[LuckyRobin]

Trader Joe's has a lot of organic foods that are much cheaper than anywhere else, including the standard grocery store. Their canned vegetables and fruits are very competitive. So is their milk and cheese, their chicken, tortillas and other flat breads, and their cereals.

Going to the source is often the cheapest way to get food. We go to a ranch every six weeks or so to get our beef and pork. We buy produce at our food co-op or get some at the local farm stands.

We grow as many fruits and vegetables as we can on our own and preserve the excess.

When organic produce is in season and on sale we buy big and we can or freeze the excess.

We raise chickens and rabbits in the backyard for eggs and meat and after start up costs, is very effective in lowering food costs. I know not everyone can do this, but most city ordinances will allow for 3 hens for eggs. Since you don't need a rooster for eggs, that works out fine.

Certain things tend to always be cheap. Cabbage is one. Carrots are another. Potatoes. Onions. Garlic. Radishes. Some of the lettuces and spinach. Right now the squashes are in season and lower priced. Make these less expensive veggies your focal point when other veggies are out of season and higher priced. Organic bananas are always cheap. Right now pears and apples are in season so you will get a break on those. If you can make it to a u-pick, you can buy them more cheaply and then make canned apple sauce and canned pears. In another month oranges will go on sale. Follow the seasons and it will help keep your prices down.

[ProjectDebtRelief]

Eat smaller portions of meat. But if you are going organic you'll soon get sucked into organic pasta, organic diapers, organic sunscreen, organic pretty much everything. Be prepared. Buy organic milk, I think that's a good one to pay for like fruits that are high on the dirty dozen list.

I disagree. I think organic meat, poultry, dairy and produce is a good starting place and it can end there according to your budget. Greenwashing is a major problem and it's important NOT to get sucked in by the 'organic' label.

If you have a .99 Store (that's the name) in your area they often have a lot of organic vegetables. I haven't found fruit other than apples, but they regularly have organic carrots, celery and spinach.

[bzbee]

We grow tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplants, cucumbers and many other veggies. We also have some fruit trees. This way we know that the food we grow is organic. We also grow chickens for eggs and meat, so that is organic too.

[bzbee]

I buy organic milk sometimes, but it is very costly. I wish to have a goat to produce my own. I try to limit our expences and eat healthy at he same time.

[funlol]

Yeah, my suggestion would be to not buy organic.

Do your research. Read links from actual studies and government agencies and medical research journals.

There is practically no benefit to eating organic.

Buying cheap foods from the grocery store in bulk (rice, milk, frozen veggies, cereal, chicken breasts, beans, oils, etc.) is healthy, cheap, and won't break the bank. Insisting on organic is not worth it.

[Frugalmommy :)]

I used to shop that way. But now with a baby, I want to make sure her food does not have pesticides and other harmful ingredients. I know of multiple kids going through puberty early bc of the growth hormones in meats.

[Dylansmom]

Yea, I just found out the my local Aldi's has started selling organic food that is like half the price of regular grocery stores. So look around and you can find cheap organic food.