How to Buy and Eat Organic without Breaking the Bank

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Over the last few years, it has been our goal to help you save money on the food that you feed your family.

We continue to do that through the weekly sales circulars matched with coupons, finding new coupons to print, and shopping at alternative stores – including the Ranch Market, Bread Outlets, and $.99 Store.

Over the last year, we have noticed that each household has different goals as far as saving money on the food that they most desire for their family.  MANY of you ARE shopping Organic…. this post is not about whether it’s worth the added expense – if YOU find yourself leaning that direction then that means it’s important to you, and nothing else should come into play on your own personal choice.

More people are discovering the benefits of organic food ~ availability of Organic Food has increased at our local stores (Fry’s and Safeway both have quite an extensive selection).  Sales of Organic Food have increased, and I do personally believe that Organic can be just as affordable in some ways as items that we were previously buying.

Cost is often a HUGE factor when making the decision to go or not go in that direction… .. thankfully there are MANY ways to save (and stretch your money) should you make that decision.  Here are some tips that help you save in that area.

Shop Store Brand

Save a bundle by opting for store brand items that are Organic – at stores like Fry’s & Safeway, it can mean considerable savings versus their name brand counterparts.

Fry’s often has digital coupons you can load for their Organic Brand – trying their brand can open up doors to a new love for their variety over name brand and save you more money later on. Their items still have the same USDA certification that the name brand items do, making them just as good (if not a better deal).

Buy What’s in Season

Try to buy what is in season instead .. you’ll spend LESS on the items that are more widely available for your area, for that given time of the year. If the items are on the dirty dozen list, you can see what you may want to pick up Organic (versus regular).   You don’t HAVE to buy Organic to eat better – put your focus on those items that are on the list and leave the rest to your regular shopping.

Use the interactive map from Epicurious to determine what is best purchase each month in your respective area.  Remember that an abundance of anything can allow you to can, or chop & freeze for soups & stews in months that those items may not be as inexpensive.

Use a Warehouse Membership

Costco is a great option for those of you who want to buy in bulk ~ they are the largest organic grocer in the nation. Costco has an incredible Organic selection (far greater than Sam’s Club) – the high sales volume allows them to sell their products at a lower price point.   

Frozen Organic Vegetables, Organic Sugar, and Organic Tortillas are some of our favorite items to grab there ~ but you can also find Pasta Sauce, Canned Veggies, and even Bread.  

Shop Around 

It might pay to take a week or two and scope out the selection at the stores you have in your area ~ find out what they carry, and what they are offering on sale.

If you prefer to price match at Walmart, make sure they carry the item before making a trip there ~ by shopping around, you’ll eliminate multiple trips to several stores.  

Don’t forget to check less traveled stores .. such as the $.99 Store – which ALSO has MANY organic offers too!

Reach Out to Companies

Take a few days to jot down the companies / foods you like, and reach out to them by email or with a hand-written letter (though their contact us form on their site is usually sufficient). Many are willing to reward you for your time and comments with product coupons, sometimes you can even score free items. 

Simply let them know what you like most about their product, or that you would love to try their products, and then pay close attention to your mailbox – Amy’s Organic is always generous in sending coupons back for your time.  Read our tips for writing to companies HERE.

Meal Plan

PLAN your meals ~ it’s easier to revolve your meal plan around what’s on sale that particular week. Once you see the sales ads, start to formulate some ideas on what you can make for dinner. 

If you pick up from a CSA, you can use your weekly produce delivery to plan your meals. Otherwise, look at what produce & meat is on sale, and revolve your meals around there.  See our tips to setting up a meal plan.

Use a CSA

We are lucky in the Phoenix area that we have a few CSA’s (community supported agriculture farms)… find one near you.  Many have weekly produce shares that you can take a part in. Some farms, like Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek, have U-Pick Produce – many of the CSA’s grow their own pesticide free produce, but may not want to take upon the costs associated with USDA Certification. 

It’s always best to ask your local CSA how they grow their vegetables – to allow you reassurance that you are making the right choice by going with them.

See our last post about joining a CSA Program. 

Limited Budget: Start with Specific Items

If you can’t afford to go organic with everything (and trust me, most people can’t for a long time), then decide what is the most important for your family.

Meat and Dairy are OUR priority ~ because pesticide levels are much higher (as much as 5x greater in conventional meat versus conventional vegetables).  Organic Beef is not cheap ~ it runs $18 – $19 for 3 lbs at Costco – since it IS more, you may want to learn how to stretch that meat.

We love to support local, and the ONLY local milk farm that is Organic here in the Phoenix area is Shamrock Farms … we realize that many brands do not use antibiotics, but being Organic goes FAR beyond that ~ we love to see that farmer using CLEAN feed that is not sprayed in pesticide).

Compensate with vegetables.. to reduce costs and make it stretch. Use Organic Potatoes (which are 3 lbs for $3.96) at Walmart to make your meat go farther.  Consider having several meatless nights each week to stretch the budget even more.

If you want to go beyond animal products and venture into Organic produce, then bookmark the EWG’s Dirty Dozen Checklist.  Look at this list to see what foods you can avoid and what you can pick up without having to commit to going organic for.

Shop Outlets

If you pick up Organic Bread, find out if your area has Outlet stores that can score you a considerable discount.  Here in the East Valley the Alpine Bread Company has an outlet in Mesa that allows us to pick up Loaves for $1.00 during a specific time of the day. Take advantage of those offers and STOCK UP – even FREEZE if you have the opportunity to.

See our last post about saving money on Bread for more.

Shop Online

Use Thrive Market to shop for your Organic Items…. they offer a HUGE variety of health and beauty and even grocery items (and you can score 25% OFF your 1st order).

You can also use the Green Polka Dot Box (which runs weekly specials) and Vitacost as well – Vitacost has extremely FAST shipping and you can also score $10 off your first order of $30 or more as a NEW member.

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